Tension wrench
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A tension wrench is a tool used in picking locks. Typically shaped like a letter "L" (although the vertical part of the letter is much elongated in comparison to the horizontal part), it is used to apply tension to the inner cylinder of a lock, in order to hold any picked pins in place, while the other pins are shifted. The tension wrench is then used to turn the inner cylinder and open the lock.
Despite its popular name, the tool provides torsion, not tension. A tension wrench would be, by definition, a tool that stretches something. A torsion wrench would be a tool that twists.
Some tension wrenches (called "Feather Touch" wrenches, among other names) are coiled into a spring at the bend in the "L", which helps the user apply constant torque. Some users, however, maintain that such wrenches reduce torque control and the feedback available to the user.
[edit] Media
When lockpicking is shown in movies and television shows, the tension wrench is almost always omitted. Picking a pin and tumbler lock without torsion is impossible.
In some modern dramas (such as FOX's 24) in which realistic depiction of events is favored, the pick-and-wrench technique is fully shown (albeit often executed in a second or two, which doesn't accurately reflect the luck involved with raking an unfamiliar lock).
Although there do exist raking tools in which a single element may be used to open a lock (such as automobile "tryout" keys), these are rarely used in movies, and almost as rarely used in real life. The broad width of these picks allows for the necessary application of torque, just as an external source of torque is not required when using a standard key.
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