History Main / Safecracking

Naturally, other people would sometimes want the fabulous loot hidden away in someone's seemingly impregnable safe. These people won't be given the combination to the safe's lock, as they're usually enemies of the owner. They may not be able to steal the combination. [[CuttingTheKnot Breaking into the safe with sledgehammers]] isn't advisable since the safe is probably in an enemy's house, protected by guards.

Typically this trope is only played straight in older media (and sometimes parodies, homages, or remakes of said older media). Otherwise, the Safecracker's role is most likely to be played by a main character equipped with cool gadgets or a computer hacker who needs to work inscrutable magic on an electronic lock.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Mulch in the first ''ArtemisFowl'' does this; he has more developed hearing that usual and he's had so much experience stealing things that he breaks into the extremely new and top-of-the-line safe Artemis keeps his copy of the Book in by listening to the dials.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Manga}}]]

[[AC:NonfictionSeries]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:RealLife]]

* More often than one would like to believe the combinations on safes are left at their factory default settings.

----

** ''OnHerMajestysSecretService''. Bond uses a device that directly manipulates the dial automatically to open it, and has a photocopier function so Bond can put back the documents he wants so as to eliminate evidence of his break in. The cold bastard [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotHeinous then steals a]] ''[[{{Filth} Playboy]]'' in the safe.

** ''OnHerMajestysSecretService''. Bond uses a device that directly manipulates the dial automatically to open it, and has a photocopier function so Bond can put back the documents he wants so as to eliminate evidence of his break in.

* ''[=~Ranma ½~=]'': Genma, who invented two martial arts styles based on theft, is shown to be a safecracker.

** Apocryphally, Feynman also discovered that most of the safes still had the default combination. When he told his superiors about this obvious security risk, their response was to institute policy to [[CompletelyMissingThePoint keep Feynman away from the safes]].

** Apocryphally, Feynman also discovered that most of the safes still had the default combination. When he told his superiors about this obvious security risk, their response was to institute policy to keep Feynman away from the safes.

This trope is so old that you may not actually know what a safe is. For reference, it's a box designed to house valuable items, protected with a lock to prevent unauthorised access to the contents. In the pre-digital world, people tended to load safes protected by combination locks with tons of money, important documents, and fabulous jewelry.

* ''OurManFlint''. Flint uses a stethescope-like device to crack the Exotica Beauty company safe.

* In the danish series of movies [[Olsen Banden]], there are, usually, at least one scene of a safe being cracked. In a [[running gag]], it is always the same type of safe, from the fictional "Franz Jäger of Berlin". Except in one movie, where it is from "Francis Hunter", and another one from "Francois Chasseur".

* ''{{Cryptonomicon}}'' has Lawrence cracking a safe using a microphone [[MacGyvering macgyvered]] from a pencil lead, two razor blades, wax, wire and a battery. Justified since this part of the story takes place during WWII.

* ''{{Cryptonomicon}}'' has Lawrence cracking a safe using a microphone [[MacGyvering macgyvered]] from a pencil lead, two razor blades, wax, wire and a battery.

* Over $100 in diamonds [[http://www.wired.com/politics/law/magazine/17-04/ff_diamonds were stolen]] from a Super Secure vault under the Antwerp Diamond Center using a variety of means such as planting hidden cameras to capture the combination numbers and finding the foot long key stored in a nearby utility room.

** ''YouOnlyLiveTwice''. Bond breaks into a safe in the Osato Chemical Company, but unfortunately sets off an alarm.

Naturally, other people would sometimes want the fabulous loot hidden away in someone's seemingly impregnable safe. These people won't be given the combination to the safe's lock, as they're usually enemies of the owner. They may not be able to steal the combination. Breaking into the safe with sledgehammers isn't advisable since the safe is probably in an enemy's house, protected by guards.

Our criminal or spy isn't out of luck, though. Combination locks were driven by a mechanism that involved tumblers, devices that would spin into place as the combination lock's dial was turned. Someone with very, very good ears (or a doctor's stethoscope) could hear the tumblers spinning and know by sound when they had fallen into place.

It's a ''DeadHorseTrope'' now. In a digital world, valuable information is rarely stored in physical formats. Other valuables are likely to be protected by safes using electronic locks, buried deep in highly inaccessible vaults. Even when a safe does have a combination lock... well, modern combination locks are much quieter than their old-fashioned counterparts.

A safe: a box designed to house valuable items protected with a lock to prevent unauthorised access to the contents. Just in case you're not sure what a safe is.

People, being people and all, want to gain access to contents of safes throughout the land; the problem being is that they don't have the oh so important key or combination to the lock. They can't cut into safe or break it open with sledgehammers for various reasons but it's generally because it'll make too much noise and they don't have the time.

Luckily for the criminal, locks make noise. Turn the dial and listen very carefully and you'll be able to hear the tumblers falling in place. All you need then to crack a safe is a good ear (or a stethoscope) and a lot of patience.

It's a DeadHorseTrope now because as time went on safe designers noticed this flaw and corrected it. If it is played straight expect the safe to be really old or the safe-cracker will be using some sort of advanced listening device.

* In the remake of TheItalianJob, this is Stella's role, inherited from her father after he was shot on the last job they pulled.

* Mulch in the first ''ArtemisFowl'' does this; he has more developed hearing that usual and he's had so much experience stealing things that he breaks into the extremely new and top-of-the-line safe Artemis keeps his copy of the Book in by listening to the dials.
** And his beard hair turns into an excellent lockpick when necessary.

** ''YouOnlyLiveTwice''. Bond breaks into a safe in the Osato Chemical Company, buit unfortunately sets off an alarm.
** ''{{Moonraker}}''. Bond breaks into a safe in Drax's headquarters.

* ''RedSteel2'' has you unlocking safes using this method with you listening to the speaker in the actual wiimote. Shame then the effect is ruined by the big flashing A if you find the correct number.
* ''EternalDarkness'' had the lead character Alex unlock an old safe through the use of a 200-year-old Stethoscope.
* Mulch in the first ''ArtemisFowl'' does this; he has more developed hearing that usual and he's had so much experience stealing things that he breaks into the extremely new and top-of-the-line safe Artemis keeps his copy of the Book in by listening to the dials.
* ''{{Mythbusters}}'' tested this and found that this doesn't work on modern day safes.
* ''{{NCIS}}'': A suspect named Scoletti hires a guy to break into NCIS' evidence locker and switch his gun. He uses this method.