#13 in Metal work books
Use arrows to jump to the previous/next product
Reddit mentions of Locksmithing, Second Edition
Sentiment score: 1
Reddit mentions: 1
We found 1 Reddit mentions of Locksmithing, Second Edition. Here are the top ones.
Buying options
View on Amazon.comor
Specs:
Height | 9.2 Inches |
Length | 7.3 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Release date | January 2010 |
Weight | 1.58953290902 pounds |
Width | 0.9 Inches |
Easier than becoming a barber, harder than becoming a gardener. It depends on location. I can only speak to the U.S. and as a lock manufacturer not a locksmith.
First let's define scope: a locksmith is someone who does more than copy keys, but does less than manufacture locks. The bread and butter of course is making key copies, but they also charge premiums for lockouts and master keying facilities.
House keys can be copied by a Redbox like robot. More obscure keys (think 1991 Pontiac Firebird with GM VATS resistors) need a trip to a locksmith. You'll also call up a locksmith for lockouts - usually it's a bit different business that serves car lockouts vs home lockouts. Lastly if you are a landlord and need to master-key a building, you'll set up a relationship with a local locksmith to architect the system for you, and return to them when you need to rekey doors. Depending how oldschool this is, it can be a system on pen and paper, MS-DOS (not even joking), or a web dashboard.
In general locksmithing is a semi-protected profession. It is not anywhere near as rigorous as being a doctor or lawyer which is what one initially thinks. The closest thing is a certification process through a private organization similar to computer certs like CISSP or A+ but through an organization like ALOA or SAVTA (a subsidiary of ALOA) and a license through a government agency.
Locksmith certifications are issued by private companies. Locksmith licenses are issued by state governments. Certifications require a test of knowledge (picking, safes, automotive, how to hinge and hang a door). Licenses lean towards a one page proof of identity and application fee.
An ALOA certification doesn't just test knowledge of how to pick locks. It also requires knowledge of:
License requirements vary from state to state. There are 15 states that license locksmiths (AL,CA, IL, LA, NJ, NC, OK, TN and TX) and 35 that don't. If you don't need a locksmith license you likely need a 'contractor' license if you are doing more than $500 in work. California for instance needs both a locksmith license and a contractor license.
I'll give you two extremes. Virginia is wild. You could start locksmithing today with a drill. See this NPR story for more. Buy some deadbolts at Home Depot for $35 and a drill for $100. Sign up with a callcenter. Wait by the phone. Charge someone $200 to drill their lock.
Texas on the other hand is one of the most regulated environments. If you think taxi cab medallions where hard to come by, try locksmithing in Texas. It's run by a locksmith guild and there are only two paths:
In general people are for licensing but certification is a hotly debated topic in the locksmith community. ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc. is a private for profit company in charge of most of the certifications in the U.S. The same arguments for or against are found in pretty much every other private credentialing organization.
Judge for yourself.
But the TLDR for most places is:
If on the other hand, you just want to learn to pick locks get a kit on Amazon for ~$20.
Bill Philips' books on locksmithing are pretty good. See both The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing and Locksmithing, 2nd Edition