Help! My Lishi Pick Doesn't Fit
Nobody likes getting a tool that won’t work. If your Lishi Pick won’t seat in the lock or doesn’t decode correctly, here’s a quick, plain-English guide to what’s usually going on, and how to fix it.
Lishi Tools are Keyway Specific
Lishi 2-in-1 picks and decoders are manufactured to match a particular keyway profile (think of the keyway as the shape of the key slot). That means a Lishi made for one keyway will not fit (and will not work) in a different keyway. Trying to force the wrong tool into a plug usually ends badly: it won’t engage the pins properly, can damage the tool, and can damage the lock.
What that looks like in practice: a KW (Kwikset) Lishi will fit KW keyways. A tool labeled for some other keyway (or a generic label) won’t necessarily fit a Kwikset, even if the seller’s photos look similar.
You Got Bait and Switched by a Scam Site
We're not the only game in town for lock picking tools and some scammy sites will rip our content (and others) to sell you what you think is a legit Lishi Pick. Unfortunately, many times what they actually send is the cheapest (or a knockoff) Lishi Pick they can find.
These are usually quickly identified by the label on the side. The cheap knockoffs will be labeled "SS001" with "Pro" sometimes. To clarify, if your Lishi Pick is labeled like this, you did not purchase it from us. Our advice in these cases is try to get your money back, that pick isn't going to fit any lock you encounter in the US.
Kwikset SmartKey (Self-Rekeying) Locks: A Special Case
Kwikset’s SmartKey locks are not the same as a standard pin-and-tumbler cylinder. They were designed so a homeowner or landlord can re-key the lock with a proprietary SmartKey tool. The lock’s internal geometry is different from classical Kwikset KW1 cylinders. Because the SmartKey cylinder uses a different internal mechanism and a narrower/altered keyway in many versions, standard Lishi KW tools either won’t fit or won’t bind the pins the way a Lishi tool needs to decode and pick reliably.
Short version: Lishi Picks are not compatible with Kwikset SmartKey Locks. Forcing a Lishi into a SmartKey keyway can damage the tool or the lock; don’t do it.
What Tool Should I Get?
We recommend keeping the Lishi if you already have it, as you're very likely to run into a keyway that fits with the pick and they're super quick to use. If you need a practice lock, check out ours here.
Additionally, if you want a more universal toolset that isn't keyway specific, consider picking up our Executive Lock Pick Set.