The locksmith industry is growing. It has increased by about 2% over the last five years. If you are considering entering this field, you will need to get the right locksmith tools and supplies. Here are some of the things you will need to be a successful locksmith.
- Lock picks and tension tools are essential to the locksmith’s tool kit. Hand picks are some of the most basic, but key tools for locksmiths. Though many professionals have a few pick designs that become their personal, favorite go-to picks, a well-rounded lock pick set, with a variety of rakes, hooks, diamonds, ball picks and tension tools can help ensure that the locksmith is well-equipped to handle any lock he encounters.
- Broken key extractors. Though a key broken inside a lock may not occur as frequently as a lockout, broken key extractors are definitely a must to have on hand. Keys become worn, people haphazardly jam and twist their keys in the lock, and snap! The key is broken off inside. Whether you are a locksmith working in the field on residential or commercial locks, or a professional working in building maintenance or security, you are bound to be called upon to dig out a broken key from a keyway at one point or another. And this is when your broken key extractors come into play.
- Don’t forget your plug spinner. These are integral to any locksmith tool kit and are used by many professional locksmiths. A lock can be picked in either direction, and when it is picked in the wrong direction, a plug spinner comes in handy. A plug spinner quickly rotates the interior of the lock back to the correct position without having to repick the lock. Some locks are also easier to pick in the wrong direction, so a locksmith may pick a lock in the wrong direction purposefully, then use a plug spinner to quickly turn the lock back to the right direction, opening the lock.
- A pick gun, also referred to as locksmith guns, is a popular tool chosen by locksmiths. In lieu of using traditional hand picks, many professional locksmiths prefer to use lock picking guns to open locks. Pick guns use kinetic energy to level the lock pins to the shear line. With snap gun lock picks, the user achieves this by actively pulling the trigger to “snap” the gun, and with electric lock picks, the tool works with a push of a button. This isn’t to say that pick guns are magic tools that will open locks at the push of a button: Skill is still involved. However, with practice, and in the hands of an experienced locksmith, pick guns can make more quick and efficient work of the job.
- Key machines. After a lock has been picked, the broken keys have been taken out, and a new lock set has been installed, a new set of keys needs to be made. Locksmiths use their key machines to make and replicate new keys for their customers. These are some of the more efficient and precise locksmith tools and supplies in a locksmith's tool kit. Advancements in this area are always popping up so you should keep up to date on the latest and greatest key machines on the market. You never know when a new invention will revolutionize the locksmith industry.
There are numerous reasons people call on the service of a professional locksmith. People lock themselves out of their home or office, keys break off in a lock, lock needs to be changed when tenants move out. The list goes on. As long as people use keys and locks to secure their residential and commercial spaces, there will be a need for good and qualified locksmiths. If you are thinking about opening a locksmith business, these five locksmith tools and supplies are "must haves" to help you make your new business a success.