Warded Locks
A skeleton key is one that has been filed or cut so that it can be used to unlock a variety of warded locks each with a different configuration of wards. This can usually be done by removing most of the centre of the key, allowing it to pass by the wards without interference, unlocking or locking the lock. To counteract this, wards can be placed not just in the center but on the outside as well, making attempts at creating a successful skeleton key harder.
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Famous quotes containing the word locks:
“If courtesans and strumpets were to be prosecuted with as much rigour as some silly people would have it, what locks or bars would be sufficient to preserve the honour of our wives and daughters?”
—Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733)