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]