BELLINGHAM, WA — When SubtleDigs unveiled a lock pick set on Kickstarter, organizers never anticipated the vitriol coming their way.
But after spending a week live, the project has built a strong reputation.
“It’s astounding to me the amount of misinformation out there. ‘Good advertising for crooks. Way to advertise for criminals to break into your home,’” said Chrystal Doucette, reading comments posted to the company’s Facebook page. “Those are just a couple of the comments we’ve gotten so far.”
The lock pick sets are intended for people interested in locksport or who want to pick locks at home for fun, said Doucette, who is managing the project through digital marketing agency Ethoseo.
Locksport refers to the act of lock picking as a hobby or sport. Some people in the locksport community are so passionate about the hobby that they become competitive lock pickers, trying to pick difficult locks at record speeds.
“A lot of people don’t know that there is an entire community dedicated to lock picking. A lot of people also don’t realize that lock pick tools are legal without a license in nearly every state in the U.S.”
The reaction from the public is a fallacy — based on faulty thinking or understanding, said Gerald Guidroz, the engineer who developed the product.
“A lot of people don’t know that there is an entire community dedicated to lock picking,” Guidroz said. “A lot of people also don’t realize that lock pick tools are legal without a license in nearly every state in the U.S.”
“It’s become the new gentleman’s sport. I’ve heard a few mention that it’s a great way for them to unwind and relax — practice mindfulness upon returning home after a long day at work.”
Lock picking isn’t a practical method of breaking and entering for criminals, Doucette added. It is unpredictable and can be tedious — not the ideal method of entry for anyone whose very freedom depends on haste and predictability.
“It would be unusual for a burglar to take the time to pick a lock instead of just breaking a window,” she said. In fact, in 2007, according to a U.S. Department of Justice survey, only 1.36 percent of burglaries involved picking a lock or shimming. And the number of people using lock picks to commit a crime has probably gone down even more, as the total amount of burglaries decreased more than 40 percent from 2007-2017.
Despite some criticism received after launch, SubtleDigs is bringing a new look to a sport that is changing the hobby world — in a good way. The project was approved by Kickstarter. So far, it has more than 100 backers along with a $25,000 funding goal. The funding deadline is April 2.
Guidroz said the $25,000 funding goal is to have the picks made entirely in the USA. SubtleDigs is looking to move the picks to a laser cutter in the U.S. using high quality stainless steel.
For Media Inquiries: Contact Chrystal Doucette at (360) 255-7312 or chrystal@ethoseo.com
MEDIA KIT:
https://subtledigs.com/pages/subtledigs-kickstarter-press-kit