A fine tale about youthful exploration and the joys of forbidden knowledge, by the artist and occult scholar Joel Biroco:

<em>When I was at university there was a vibrant underground interest in locks        and keys. In my first year I caught a whiff of it hanging around the student        newspaper office, which published my cartoons. I longed to find someone        who could teach me this knowledge. One day I was approached by someone who        worked on the newspaper, who I knew vaguely, a boring man who had failed        his final year exams and was just killing time before getting a job. He        held in front of my eyes a needle file he took from his inside jacket pocket.</em>

<em>'Do you know what this is?' he said.</em>

<em>'A file.'</em>

<em>'A needle file. Get yourself a set and I'll come round and show you a few        things.'</em>

Read it <a href="http://www.biroco.com/arthur.htm" target="_blank">here</a>.

Thanks Gavin Semple!