The hole is for inserting a colored piece/filling to distinguish between keys if you have more than one of them. Or at least it's used that way.

I really like that your videos aren't as streamlined as those of a lot of other pickers. Makes them much more relatable and I learn new tricks every now and then because things go wrong and you need to use your bag of tricks. Very much appreciated! And really great work on this. Congrats on not having to put this difficult lock into the naughty bucket

Man, nice job. That one seemed really tough. I thought it had you for a minute there. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Here in the Czech Republic FAB is basically the default when it comes to door locks, lockpicking you see in Hollywood movies seems so surreal here. You almost never see lockpicks here, locksmiths use bumpkeys or auto pick guns. Or if you've lost your key you will probably want to replace the lock and end up drilling it out :D

Happy retirement Bill. This video, more than any other has helped me most in my new hobby

"Yes baby". The sounds of completion.

Here in the Czech republic (FAB is originally a Czechoslovakia company) the FAB locks are standard. People generally use the word "fabka" for every pin tumbler lock. The hole in the key is for color identification - originally locks are sold with a few color "beads" then you can mark the key. I interesting in lockpicking and I already pick many of these locks. At now I have picked FAB with a similar profile on the table :-) I use valyrian hook (0.019") - it's about a "rotating" hook too. Usually i combine valyrian (0,019") and multipick hooks (0.015"). I have two FAB locks that I don't pick already (i have a key, but it's some older version of FAB - paracentric profile and both are quite hard operable with key -cylinder get stuck and on little wiggle, they turn- ...it looks like very worn out pins).

BRAVO BB! It's why you are one of the best!

the hole on the key is for a plastic marker to distinguish between keys... the FAB2000 has 2 set of keys and a red marked key which will remove a small ball bearing from the lock and switch the lock to the second set of keys. the one in the video seems to be the FAB1000 version (the 2000 is silver in color not brass) but the key blanks are the same hence the hole.

This video might not have been inspirational but it certainly was uplifting.

Bill, I love watching your videos. Your skills as a lock-sportsman are unparalleled, and your explanation about everything is amazing, very detailed and understandable. However, if we are being real, I come for the lock picking content....I stay for dad jokes/banter!!! All the best from Texas!

Great picking!! Something tells me the locks that have made it to you're 'naughty bucket' have earned they're position there

Now that's a hard lock to pick. Excellent job Bill!

Apart of color plugs fitting into the hole to distinguish keys, it actually serves as a break point. Even with fully inserted key, a piece of the key will still be sticking out, making it easy to take out that broken key with pliers or even fingers.

My 2¢ is that you should publish the ones you don’t succeed in picking. I learn at least as much from seeing what doesn’t work, maybe more. Not to mention that having a few failures in the mix adds to the narrative suspense!

Miss you Bill

Truly outstanding Bill , you are right about the bitting on those FAB locks they’re all very Extreme. This overlifting technique is definitely the way to defeat these one’s. Have a great weekend.

I'm not even signing up for the give-away this weekend. That lock is way (and I mean waaaay) beyond my skill level.

Now that was impressive Bill, please send it to the LPL as a NA NA NANANA RITE BACK ATCHA BOI!

The Legend, The Master!

Not all of them have bitting like that. When I buying these FABs, some of them have pretty flat bitting and it's quite easy to rake it open. It's bumping resistant because of driver pin with bigger diameter on the middle of that pin (in FAB it's called "RBC pin") so the keypin is "drowned" under level of other pins and not making contact with bumpkey. On this position when RBC pin is can be maximum 3 cut. Those holes in keys are for plastic different colored identificators. Here in Slovakia and Czech republic are FABs the most basic and used locks and this company was founded in 1911 in "Rychnov Nad Kněžnou" in Czech republic (at that time "Czechoslovakia") and there are still there making locks until today. I was there several times on "open door day" that they got every day. I'm also collector of FAB lock and have interesting pieces, the oldest one is from 1938.

That was a remarkable demonstration of your deep knowledge and skill!!

Come back to us bill. we miss you!

Nice challenge. Well picked, Bill! Thanks for the demonstration. It would be even more relevant and interesting to see you tackle that lock the right way up, as if it were fitted into a door, instead of picking it upside down. 🙂👍

Excellent picking and demo on overlifting Bill! Wonder if the holes in the key could be for key identification. Maybe some color coded rubber plugs can be inserted? Thanks as always 👍🏻

Wow, This looks like a great beginner Lock to learn on!

Ive used that technique before, when I managed to set 3 of the 5 pins in a 60mm tricircle padlock by overlifting them all and then slowly with a bouncing movement allow one pin at a time to drop back into the keyway, whilst still being able to catch the driver pins above the sheerline. Then I was just left with two pins to pick. It's always worth trying out a couple of what I call 'luck techniques' if something is taking too long. Nowadays I get a lot of luck from the sparrows bogata. If you use a short hook inserted upside down to lift all the pins up, sometimes just rocking it on the way out works too.

Looks exactly the same as a Yale I have in my hand right now !!!!

Just WOW !!!!!!!!

Looked like a really rough ride. Nicely done.

Wow! Great job, Bill. Thanks for all you do!

I mostly pick euro cylinder and often have to combine picks and techniques. Thanks for the masterclass.

I know this is a year old, but I found this vid to be genuinely suspenseful, so I had to say something. BB: I know you won't see this, but man, I miss ya. Take care, and all the best.

@Bosnianbill. Thanks and great job Bill!. I was a bit worried when you said you were picking this lock before having breakfast. I was worried that you'd be hangry and break some picks because of it. Proved me wrong and you got a open for the win. And I had a good lock picking lesson today. Thanks again. Hope you and your family stay safe and well.

Yessss!!! Perfection in motion! Or words to that effect. 👍🏻 Just finished a 14-hour work day supporting end-user's that don't read emails from the IT department. I needed a resounding success, albeit vicariously. Thanks, Bill! You're the best.

Brilliant. Very well done.

That was a tough one. Good work!

Nice last resort trick!

Great videos as always. All the best for the future.

We are the pin heads from back to the future

A ten minute vid from you is quite a recommendation. Cheers.

Going to remember this for when I next have a go at the only pin tumblrr I have left in the house that I haven't picked even once yet. Cheers man👍

It's not often I feel tense watching your videos, but wow!

FAB is incredible brand, locksmiths in Slovakia haven't easy job.

I wouldn't mind trying. Great video. Thanks bill.

Great video 👍, I have a euro lock that has stubbornly refused to be picked. Now I more knowledge to pick it. Thanks Bill.

Great video as always bill very nice looking lock and a fun pick. Thanks for sharing

Great job Bill, that was one tough keyway and bitting. 👍🏻

Nice open Bill. That is more of hybrid picking though as Over lifting by itself. It is. Very tough to overlift a lock by itself.

That was an evil looking combination of keyway and bitting, yikes. The picking methodologies and strategy here were brilliant; I'm not remotely ready for this level of lock yet but this was very instructional! Figures I'd get into hobby this after BB has already just retired. At least he spawned dozens (if not hundreds) of other channels to learn from.

Gorgeous FAB!, awesome picking!

Really enjoyed this one.

Never tried that approach on a tumbler but I will now,Excellent stuff mate :)

I could see some of the picks you used were already bent before you even started. I haven't actually broke any picks yet, but a few of my favorites I had to replace after they got bent and mangled. You can bend them back into shape again, but they become softened and rebend again quite easy.

That was an excellent tutorial! Thank you.

With a stock lock, you'll get colour-coded insets in the keys in the holes to distinguish your set of keys (that has the extra key for your office door) from your kid's (that has the extra key for their locker). I had many of these keys in hands, and trust me, they are not the ones suspectible to bending and breaking.

Phenomenal work!

The lock is a FAB 200rs, the hole in the key is for different coloured plastic tabs for easy key ID.

One thing though, when talking about extreme bidding, that means the outer pins will always be one of two cuts and and the back pins will have a limited choice of cuts as well to oppose the front cuts to get the pick pin block going... which means you have a much reduced number of potential key cut combinations. Still sizable, but you start getting to where random attempts of using a key from another lock might be the same as the one you try it on. Not common but not too rare either. I have opened a friends door with a old key from some random ones I found rummaging through old boxes at home and in thrift stores.

Lowest possible pin must pass through the warding, so that depth must have access to all pins using a sufficiently angled pick.

I love this video. Thanks!

Great skill Bill. Fab makes the US keyways look like a joke!

damn great job glade you did not give up !!!!

BRAVO SIR!!!!!

That did look like a tough one to pick, nicely done ;-)

Well done bill! 👏👏👏

Oh, man, I hope I get a shot at this lock! 👀👍😁🔥

Great job and video like always

Take them anyway you can!! have a great day

Nice techniques Bill.

Lots of interesting techniques. Looked like a difficult one

The hole is for color coding. You can but in different colored rubber "ball" like pieces inside. So each family member can have a different color key for easy identification.

Fab’s are usually susceptible to bumping.

It's not so hard to SPP most of these but there is this trick: You start by setting the RBC pin first. (See The Hanter's explanation in the comments on RBC pins.) When it is mounted like in Europe, it's the keypin that is lower than others. This is what @BosnianBill did with the hook upside-down. Only then can you continue. Luckily, there are only 4 pins left!

Very nice work!

epic battle

Thanks for the video 🔑🔒👍

Thanks Nice

Used all your knowledge on this one Bill. How come when I try that it doesn't work : / Great demo on overlifting a pin tumbler.

I have very similar FAB lock from my door and I as novice was thinking about lock-picking it, after I saw this video I am putting in back to drawer :-D. BTW that hole in key is for plastic color fill for distinguishing which key is from which door...

That looks like one that would be interesting to do.

Amazing lock. I mean you got it open eventually but I bet every thief in the world would give up trying to pick this as soon as they see that keyway.

Have Rare Elements make a set of his "Slurve" rake , it's a super shallow 4 hump worm . Great for getting in those really tight bends even though you don't get quite the "action" on the pins.

i think that hole in the key IS to pre weaken it. better to break 2 keys and be able to get them out than to break 1 key and have it stuck in the lock forever

If you had broken the 10,000 pick within the lock, how would you have gotten the broken piece out -- especially if it had been the tip?

great!!

what do you do if you break the tip of the pick and it gets stuck inside?

That's how I feel with any lock. I'm just starting so i won't try to win this one, give someone better than me to get it.

Have you ever tried to pick them the way they are in the door. The eurolocks look like a keyhole and your picking them upside down. Much harder the right way up

what if you made a pick for those locks that have a bend that lets them conform to the shape of the keyway?

Where can i buy a lock-vise? Haven't seen anything like it at harbor freight /loews.thx

Thank you Bill. What is the little cut out for on the base ofvthe key?

Excellent pick. Well talked through. I’ll have to try that overlift technique.

I can assure you that not all FABs have crazy bidding like this. Some of them are pretty flat, but maybe this has gotten better recently. (I've had FABs around me for my whole life, so I'm getting lost in how they do recently.) The weakest point is they're quite easy to drill open, even with one of these spinner covers over your euros. But what would you want for less than 20$? Btw, too bad you didn't gut it, I was curious what driver pins it had in.

This must have been filmed during the “snow” we had the other day which was actually just miniaturized hail in Arlington/Fairfax.

Jikes....this is definitely an 'expert' pick! Realy nice!!!!

Why the hole? Weaken the key to prevent a twisting attack with a spare key?

Sparrows 12 thousands are thin enough and anything thinner like your using would just break and or bend so easily I don't think I would get much use out of them lol

Where can I write to you? I have a business proposal for you)

No gutting?