Bobby Pin

Overview

A bobby pin is a type of hairpin that consists of a metal pin that's bent in the middle, and is designed to grip and hold hair in place. The most common bobby pins are plain and colored to blend in unobtrusively with the hair, though some may come with brightly-colored beads or other decorations. Bobby pins originally came into popularity in the 1920s, when they were used to hold new "bobbed" hairstyles together. They may also be called "kirby grips," though they should not be confused with Kirby the video game character.

Appearances in Games

In video games, bobby pins are usually utilized to pick locks.  The methods used to pick the lock vary.  Sometimes you have a specific chance to unlock a door or chest depending on the players associated stats, as well as the lock complexity.  Recent games have added mini-games to the mix, as Fallout 3 does. 

Fallout 3

In Fallout 3, bobby pins are fairly uncommon, and break for each unsuccessful attempt at lockpicking.  Ghouls are the most likely enemies to have it, otherwise they are hard to come by.  If the player runs out of bobby pins they can attempt to force the lock, but if unsuccessful it will be locked forever, unless the player has the Infiltrator perk, which gives only one more attempt at forcing locks as well as the ability to pick the lock again.  However with the save feature, this perk is unnecessary, but role-playing purists would probably not play in that manner.