If you don’t have an allen wrench, you could use a sturdy piece of wire bent into a 90-degree angle at one end. The reason allen wrenches work so well on skeleton key locks is that they have that 90-degree angle. Using something straight like a bobby pin or nail wouldn’t work because they wouldn’t be able to twist up to engage the lever and deadbolt.
A skeleton lock is made of two basic parts: a lever and a deadbolt. The lever sits on top of the deadbolt and moves up and down. If you feel the lever moving up and down but don’t experience any resistance, that may mean that the interior spring is broken. If that’s the case, you won’t be able to pick the lock yourself. Try calling a locksmith, instead.
Picking a skeleton lock is a two-handed job. Unlocking the deadbolt includes more movement and finagling, which is easier if you use your dominant hand.
An actual skeleton key is shaped so that it will simultaneously push up the lever while opening the deadbolt. Since you don’t have a key, you’re essentially crafting your own makeshift key out of two pieces of metal.
If you need to lock a skeleton lock, you’ll follow the same process except you’ll turn the second wrench counterclockwise.
If the door or drawer still won’t open even after you felt the deadbolt move, the spring to the handle itself may be broken or loose. The only way to access that part of the lock is to remove the lock and open up its backplate. You may need to call out a locksmith to help with that process.
