Mr. Li and His Original Lishi Tools

Mr. Li, the inventor, designer, and manufacturer of Lishi Tools, is introducing his original tools, when the all new 2-in-1 decoder and picks were released. This is the very first video of a series training videos, recorded by himself and his trainees.

In his video, Mr. Li said the necessity of developing an all new, easy to use automotive lock pick, to pick a lock more efficient than old-school tools for example single hooks, because these tools can’t be able to decode the lock to make a new key.

After releasing the first generation Lishi single picks (Lishi laser picks), Mr. Li spent 3 years on researching and developing a new revolutionary tool, which can be used to not only pick the lock, but also decode the lock, then a locksmith is able to cut a replacement key with his Lishi key cutter.

Mr. Li is the master locksmith who’s also very kind hearted on promoting his tools, and training other locksmiths. Videos are a good way for any starters to learn from. Next video, Mr. Li will explain how a Lishi tool works. Stay tuned!

Who is Mr. Li?

In the world of locksmithing, few names carry as much weight as Mr. Li Zhiqin. Based in Qinhuangdao, China, Mr. Li is the master engineer and visionary inventor behind the revolutionary Lishi 2-in-1 tools, a technology that transformed automotive locksmithing from a difficult “guessing game” into a precise, visual science.

Before Mr. Li’s breakthrough, picking and decoding a lock were two separate, often tedious processes. By combining them into a single, high-precision tool, he allowed locksmiths to not only open a lock in minutes but also read the internal heights of the wafers to cut a key on the spot—all without ever having to disassemble the door.

Throughout the industry, Mr. Li is respected not just as a manufacturer, but as a craftsman who stands by his work. Authentic tools produced at his factory are famously adorned with his trademarked face logo, a symbol of quality that distinguishes his original designs from low-grade imitations.

Despite the complex history of global branding and international partnerships, Mr. Li remains the heart of the “Lishi” brand. Every tool he produces is a testament to his obsession with a 0.01mm tolerance, ensuring that whether you are a professional in the field or a dedicated enthusiast, you are holding a piece of engineering history in your hands.

The Problem with Traditional Tools

As a professional locksmith and someone who deals with these tools across international markets every day, I can tell you that while traditional tools like single hooks and quick openers (jigglers or rakes) still have a place on the workbench, they present several significant “headaches” when compared to the precision of a Lishi 2-in-1 tool.

Here is the breakdown of the problems with traditional tools in the modern locksmithing landscape:

The “Blind” Factor (Lack of Feedback)

Traditional single hooks and rakes require you to work entirely by “feel.” You are reaching into a dark keyway, feeling for the resistance of a wafer or pin.

• The Problem: In many modern high-security locks (like those in BMW, Audi, or Ford), the tolerances are so tight that tactile feedback is incredibly subtle. If you aren’t an expert with years of muscle memory, it’s easy to over-set a wafer or lose your place.
• The Lishi Advantage: Lishi tools provide visual feedback. The external grid and pointer tell you exactly which wafer you are on and how far you are moving it. It turns a “guessing game” into a “mapped process.”

The “Decoding” Gap

This is the biggest hurdle for traditional tools. If a customer loses their car keys, simply picking the lock to open the door (using a hook or air wedge) only solves half the problem.

• The Problem: Once the door is open, you still don’t know the depths of the cuts (the bittings) needed to cut a new key. You would have to pull the lock cylinder apart or use a separate, complex decoding tool.
• The Lishi Advantage: The “2-in-1” name means it picks and decodes. Once you’ve picked the lock with the Lishi, the pointer stays at the exact bitting depth for each position. You can read the code right off the tool and cut a key immediately without ever taking the door apart.

Keyway Stability & Slot Slop

Traditional hooks are generic. A “standard” hook might be used on a residential door, a padlock, or a car door.

• The Problem: Because the hook doesn’t perfectly fit the specific keyway profile, it can wobble or slip. This “slop” makes it hard to apply precise pressure to a single wafer without hitting the ones next to it.
• The Lishi Advantage: Every Lishi tool is engineered for a specific keyway (e.g., HU66 for VW, HON66 for Honda). It fits the keyway like a glove, meaning the picking tip is aligned perfectly with the wafers. There is zero wasted movement.

Success Rates on High-Security Locks

Quick openers like jigglers or “try-out keys” rely on a bit of luck and the mechanical wear of the lock.

• The Problem: On modern “laser-cut” (sidewinder) locks or locks with split wafers, quick openers often fail entirely. They are too brute-force for sophisticated anti-pick features. Using them can also occasionally snag or bend a wafer, causing permanent damage to the customer’s lock.
• The Lishi Advantage: Lishi tools use a “single-wafer” picking method that is very gentle. It bypasses the anti-pick features of high-security locks by allowing the locksmith to manipulate each component individually with 0.01mm precision.

Time is Money

In the cross-border ecommerce world, I see professionals moving away from traditional kits because of efficiency.

• The Problem: Using a single hook might take 1 minute today and 20 minutes tomorrow, depending on how “stubborn” the lock is. That inconsistency kills your profit margin.
• The Lishi Advantage: With a Lishi, a trained professional can usually open and decode a vehicle in under 3 minutes. That reliability allows a locksmith to handle more jobs per day.

Traditional tools are like fishing with a single line—it takes great skill and a bit of luck. Lishi tools are like using a fish-finder and a net. While the hobbyist might enjoy the challenge of the “single hook,” the professional needs the Lishi to ensure the job is done quickly, accurately, and without damaging the vehicle.

The Birth of 2-in-1 Technology

The birth of Lishi 2-in-1 technology traces back to the late 1990s in the workshops of Qinhuangdao, China, where Mr. Li Zhiqin sought to solve the greatest challenge of automotive locksmithing: the time-consuming gap between opening a lock and creating a replacement key.

In an era where locksmiths relied on blind guesswork and separate, cumbersome decoding tools, Mr. Li envisioned a unified solution. By meticulously engineering a precision-calibrated picking arm onto a keyway-specific blade and pairing it with an external graduated scale, he successfully merged the two-step process into one fluid motion.

This breakthrough transformed the industry, replacing “feel” with visual certainty and allowing locksmiths to decode a lock’s bitting depths instantly—a technical revolution that set a new global standard for 0.01mm accuracy.

How Lishi Tools Work

At its core, a Lishi 2-in-1 tool functions as a precision-indexed surgical instrument designed to mirror the exact geometry of a specific vehicle’s keyway. When the tool is inserted, the locksmith uses a built-in tension arm to apply rotational pressure, simulating the physics of a key attempting to turn. The mechanical genius of the tool lies in the “lifting arm,” which is perfectly synchronized with an external pointer that moves across a graduated grid. As the locksmith moves the picking tip inside the lock to find individual wafers, the external pointer tracks that position along the horizontal axis, while the vertical scale indicates the depth of each movement. By systematically finding the “binding” wafers and manipulating them until they reach the shear line, the locksmith can open the lock with zero damage and absolute control.

The “2-in-1” magic occurs the moment the lock is successfully picked and rotated. Once the cylinder is turned, the internal wafers are trapped in their “set” positions; by simply gliding the picking arm over each station again, the external pointer rests on a numbered scale that reveals the precise bitting depth for each cut of the key. This effectively turns the lock into its own “blueprint.” Instead of relying on intuition or “feel,” the Lishi tool translates the lock’s internal state into a clear, readable code on the face of the tool. This allows the locksmith to go straight to their key-cutting machine and produce a perfect replacement key on the first attempt, saving hours of labor and eliminating the need for costly vehicle disassembly.

The Complete Lishi Ecosystem

The modern Lishi ecosystem has evolved far beyond a simple collection of picking tools, maturing into a comprehensive, standardized platform that covers nearly every facet of the global locksmithing industry.

At its heart is a massive library of keyway-specific tools—from the classic HU66 for Volkswagen to the modern SIP22 for Fiat—categorized into specialized series such as the standard 2-in-1s, and the more recent residential line for Kwikset and Schlage locks.

This ecosystem is engineered to be modular and progressive; whether a locksmith is working on a high-security “laser-cut” automotive cylinder or a 5-pin household deadbolt, the operational logic remains identical across the entire range.

This uniformity means that once a technician masters one Lishi tool, they have effectively mastered the entire catalog, creating a scalable skill set that can be applied to thousands of different vehicle and lock models worldwide.

Beyond the physical hardware, the Lishi ecosystem is supported by a robust infrastructure of verification and data integration. As a cross-border seller, I see firsthand the importance of the genuine Lishi verification system—a sophisticated anti-counterfeiting program involving “Orange Label” scratch-off codes that ensure professionals are using tools with the metallurgical integrity and tip-precision required for high-stakes jobs.

Furthermore, the data generated by these tools integrates seamlessly into a wider digital landscape, where the bitting codes read from a Lishi tool can be typed into code-converting software or CNC key-cutting machines to automate the duplication process.

From heavy-duty protective carrying cases to specialized “cut-away” practice cylinders designed specifically for Lishi training, the ecosystem provides a “total solution” that moves a locksmith from a novice with a tool to a high-efficiency mobile workshop.

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