Picking and the Topolino Decoder open euro cylinders silently, without leaving visible traces. Understanding how they work is the first step towards choosing the right protection.

Picking: the classic manipulation technique

How it works

Picking acts on the cylinder’s internal pins one at a time. Two tools are used: a tension bar that applies light rotation to the cylinder and a pick that lifts each pin individually. When all pins reach the shear line, the cylinder turns as if with the original key. No visible marks are left behind.

Who uses it

This is not a technique for opportunistic burglars. Those who master it typically have a locksmith background or extensive specific practice. On a low-grade cylinder, an expert may need just a few minutes. On cylinders with anti-manipulation systems, the time required increases considerably — making the technique impractical in a real burglary scenario.

For this reason, picking tends to target specific victims rather than random ones.

What makes a cylinder resistant

Resistance to picking depends on internal construction. Pins with special geometries, irregular counter-pins and additional moving elements all increase the number of operations needed. The more complex the mechanism, the more time manipulation requires. Time is the main deterrent against theft.

The Topolino Decoder

What it is

The Topolino Decoder is a variable-geometry mechanical tool, probably of Bulgarian origin. The name comes from the shape of its handle. It was originally designed as a professional locksmith tool — to open doors when the owner loses their keys. Over time it became a break-in tool used by specialist burglars.

Many people are surprised to learn it is sold legally online, at prices between €350 and €450. Like the Bulgarian key for lever locks, it is not illegal in itself. It only becomes illegal when used on someone else’s property.

How it works

Unlike picking, the Topolino does not act on pins one at a time. Its aluminium blades replicate the internal profile of the cylinder — essentially creating a copy of the key from the inside. The door opens in seconds, silently.

The result is particularly insidious: intact door, undamaged cylinder, no sign of break-in. Proving that a burglary took place — including for insurance purposes — becomes very difficult.

It is not universal

This is the most important point. The Topolino follows the same logic as the Bulgarian key: there is no universal decoder. Each Topolino is built for a specific key profile. It only works on the cylinders it was designed for. The burglar must know in advance which cylinder they are dealing with.

The burglars’ strategy

A tool costing €350-450 only makes sense if used many times. For this reason, burglars using the Topolino select buildings where many flats share the same cylinder. With a single tool they can target dozens of homes in the same block.

The risk is highest in new-build blocks of flats, where the developer often installs the same cylinder in every unit.

How to protect yourself

The key profile

Cylinders with a complex key profile are harder to decode. More coding points and lateral grooves increase the cost and difficulty of building a specific Topolino. A complex profile is already a concrete barrier.

Moving and magnetic elements

Some cylinders incorporate moving elements in the mechanism. The Topolino cannot replicate them with its static blades. Cylinders with magnetic elements add a coding level that is structurally immune to mechanical decoding.

Disc cylinders

Disc cylinders use steel discs instead of pins and springs. Having no pins, they are immune to both picking and the Topolino. The principle behind these tools simply does not apply to a disc mechanism.

The cylinder guard

A quality cylinder guard limits physical access to the keyhole. It is not an absolute solution. However, it makes any attack requiring tool insertion into the cylinder considerably harder.

Picking, Topolino and lever locks

Picking and the Topolino are techniques developed specifically for pin-based euro cylinders. Lever locks use a completely different mechanism — based on combination levers — which is not vulnerable to these techniques.

For lever locks, there is the Bulgarian key. The same principle applies: the tool only works if the brand and model are already known. No tool of this type is universal.

Legality and systemic risks

Legal tools, illegal uses

Both the Bulgarian key and the Topolino are sold legally across Europe. They were designed for professionals — to open doors in emergencies. Owning or buying them is not illegal.

The problem is structural. The same accessibility that makes them useful makes them dangerous in the wrong hands. Affordable price, easy online purchase, no buyer checks. The outcome is inevitable.

A precedent already seen

The Bulgarian key has already followed this path. When it began circulating freely, it undermined the security of mid-range lever locks. The Topolino is following the same path for low- and mid-range euro cylinders.

No cylinder is completely secure

The practical consequence is clear: today no mechanical cylinder is absolutely invulnerable. For every mechanism that becomes sufficiently widespread, sooner or later a specific tool is built to open it.

Security must be assessed in relative terms. How much time does it take to open that cylinder? What skills and resources are needed? A cylinder requiring a costly, specific tool is concretely more secure. Time remains the most effective deterrent.

POTENT’s position

A continuous evolution

Over 20 years of cylinder design, we have seen manipulation techniques evolve. From classic picking to bumping, to the Topolino Decoder. Each new technique has pushed the industry to develop more sophisticated solutions.

Security is relative, not absolute

No cylinder is absolutely impenetrable. There is, however, a cylinder that requires more time, more skill and more expensive tools to open. That is enough to deter the vast majority of opportunistic burglars.

The right choice is not absolute security — it does not exist. It is a system that raises the bar: quality cylinder, adequate guard, solid lock.

Questions about the quality of your current cylinder? Contact us: we are based in Settimo Torinese and happy to respond by email.