Schuyler Towne
M. Schuyler Towne | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 (age 41–42) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Lockpicking |
M. Schuyler Towne (born 1983) is a lock picking expert who contributed to the locksport movement in the United States.[1][2] He was introduced to lockpicking at the Hackers on Planet Earth conference in New York in 2006.[3] Towne was one of the founding board members of the United States chapter of the Open Organisation of Lockpickers.[4] In 2007 he launched Non-Destructive Entry Magazine.[5] Towne competed in the Dutch Open at LockCon in the Netherlands[6] and at DEF CON in Las Vegas.[7][8] He has also taught lockpicking workshops and studied the history of locks.[9][7]
In 2010, Towne created a project called "Open Locksport" on the crowd funding website Kickstarter, with a goal of producing custom lock picks, practice locks, and other rewards for backers.[10] The project aimed to raise $6,000 USD, and upon its completion, it had raised $87,407, which vastly exceeded his expectations.[10] He ran into substantial difficulties with managing the project, and a small group of volunteers helped Towne ship as many as possible of the promised rewards to backers.[10][11]
References
- ^ Shea, Andrea (2009-12-23). "'Locksporters' Pick Locks For Fun". NPR. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Shea, Andrea (2009-11-19). "Picking Locks For Sport, Not Sabotage". WBUR. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Martinez, Edecio (2010-07-28). "Competitive Lockpicking Grows Popular in US, Worries Police". CBS News. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Sands, Ian (2009-08-05). "For those about to lock". The Phoenix. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ "RANDALL BEACH: Competitive lockpicker opens up to New Haven crowd". New Haven Register. Nov 24, 2012. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Foer, Joshua (2014). "The Master Touch: Schuyler Towne on the Art and Ethics of Breaking In". The Virginia Quarterly Review. 90 (1): 14–21. ISSN 0042-675X.
- ^ a b Rogers, Lindsay (2022-11-04). "What's It Like to Be a Competitive Lockpicker? We Asked One". InsideHook. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Kennedy, Pagan (2011-06-21). "The Joy Lock Club". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Paul, Biasco (2016-09-22). "Expert Lock Picker Claims Nearly Everyone Will Crack A Lock At Event". DNAinfo Chicago. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ a b c VanAirsdale, S. T. (2012-10-15). "The Lost Lockpick". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2025-08-03.
- ^ Kirsner, Scott (2012-12-23). "Funding through KickStarter can be tricky". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2025-08-04.