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I once tried to cut a bike brake cable with a pair of diagonal cutters. It didn't work - and that thing is less than 1/8" in diameter (and is meant to be cut).

by aplusbi 16y ago

I once tried to cut a bike brake cable with a pair of diagonal cutters. It didn't work - and that thing is less than 1/8" in diameter (and is meant to be cut). The Kensington locks are made of thicker, strong cables and though still fairly flimsy, are going to require cable cutters to break. In the end it's all about risk management - what's the probability that someone goes to a coffee shop specifically to steal a laptop and is armed with cable cutters? And if they have cable cutters, are they going to bother to use them to steal your laptop, or are they going to steal the laptop next to yours that's not locked up? FWIW, I take my laptop into the bathroom with me.

Anechoic 16y ago
Agreed, I've had to cut cable locks of various diameters several times. Although it might seem easy, it's actually quite difficult, even with good-sized bolt cutters, because the cables tends to slip between the cutters instead of being cut. Hacksaws tend to slip a lot, and because the cable is made of a bunch of strands, trying to keep the saw in one location can be frustrating. I imagine a Dremel tool with appropriate cutting disk would make short work of the cable, but between the noise and the sparks you're gonna get noticed.
mootothemax 16y ago
When stuck for tools I once cut my brake cable with a pair of pliars. There are too many variables involved to make generalisations, but I've seen a lot of ingenious ways to cut cables, and that's without being a determined thief ;)
icegreentea 16y ago
It's very hard to cut the cable with standard lock cutters. There are specific cable cutters (usually used in construction) work that can cut through the cable a lot easier though. Unfortunately, the weakest part of the locks is either the lock itself, or the slot on the laptop. My friend recently had his MBP stolen when someone just ripped out the lock from the slot (so theres presumably a huge gash in the side of it now). We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but we're pretty sure it was something like those hydraulic jaws inserted between the lock and the body of the laptop. Really, the ideal behind the lock is to deter theft by people who want to resale the laptop after. Anyhow who is willing to use a damaged laptop, or has customers who don't care where the laptop comes from can just continue to steal stuff more or less nilly willy.

by aplusbi 16y ago

Anechoic 16y ago

Agreed, I've had to cut cable locks of various diameters several times. Although it might seem easy, it's actually quite difficult, even with good-sized bolt cutters, because the cables tends to slip between the cutters instead of being cut. Hacksaws tend to slip a lot, and because the cable is made of a bunch of strands, trying to keep the saw in one location can be frustrating. I imagine a Dremel tool with appropriate cutting disk would make short work of the cable, but between the noise and the sparks you're gonna get noticed.

mootothemax 16y ago

When stuck for tools I once cut my brake cable with a pair of pliars. There are too many variables involved to make generalisations, but I've seen a lot of ingenious ways to cut cables, and that's without being a determined thief ;)

icegreentea 16y ago

It's very hard to cut the cable with standard lock cutters. There are specific cable cutters (usually used in construction) work that can cut through the cable a lot easier though. Unfortunately, the weakest part of the locks is either the lock itself, or the slot on the laptop. My friend recently had his MBP stolen when someone just ripped out the lock from the slot (so theres presumably a huge gash in the side of it now). We're still trying to figure out how it happened, but we're pretty sure it was something like those hydraulic jaws inserted between the lock and the body of the laptop. Really, the ideal behind the lock is to deter theft by people who want to resale the laptop after. Anyhow who is willing to use a damaged laptop, or has customers who don't care where the laptop comes from can just continue to steal stuff more or less nilly willy.