A locksmith’s job involves installing, fixing, picking and removing lock systems and to do so a basic understanding of how a lock works is needed. The basic system of a lock, whereby a key is used to move a metal peg into a hole in the door frame is essentially the same across designs. However it is the manner by which this is achieved that has changed and evolved over time.

In the old days, when most locks used the same gate key, this was a fairly simple matter (though the very earliest form of lock was actually found in Ancient Egypt). Gate keys, still used today though mainly as a deterrent/design feature for large gates and churches, have a very simple anatomy consisting of a blade (the actually ‘key’ bit that works with the mechanism) near the end, and a long handle which holds the blade at a right angle. This means that only a very limited number of permeations are possible, as only the distance of the blade from the end of the key and its size is what determines which lock it will fit and a persistent thief could easily replicate the key or turn the lock mechanism by other means. They are also known as warded locks and occasionally found on cupboards and drawers.

Over time however locks have become more sophisticated. After the introduction of locksmith guilds in the middle ages, the art form progressed drastically as incidences of crime increased giving rise to a large industry. Now locksmiths were encouraged to design more and more complex designs that would be able to keep out greater numbers of intruders and be harder to pick. In order to become a ‘master locksmith’ within a guild the locksmith would have to design a new and innovative type of lock which would then be put on display within the guild or in museums. This obviously gave rise to more and more complicated types of lock.

Cylinder locks are far more common today and these work very differently. Here the ‘cylinder’ element of the lock actually consists of a cylinder within a cylinder and it is the job of the inner chamber to turn and move the lock mechanism. Normally however this is prevented by a number of small pins of varying lengths which rest inside the chamber. It is the job of the blade of the key and its teeth then to push these pins out from the centre of the cylinder so that the lock might turn. Cylinder locks can easily be unscrewed and replaced by locksmiths if the locks need to be changed. Also popular are lever locks which utilise keys similar in design to gate keys.

Many businesses and organisations however now use digital locks with key cards or numeric coding systems to release or engage a powerful magnetic lock. These systems have the advantage of foregoing the need to copy many different keys and also negate skeleton keys or lock picks for slightly better security. On the downside they are susceptible to hacking, power outages and are fairly expensive to install.

how do you pick in a master lock

Even though I am not the best locksmith in the world, the four-digit #175 model Master Lock is so easy to pick that all the hardened steel in the world isn’t going to protect your belongings. In honor of this video’s upcoming 500000 view (at this rate probably in a month or two), I’ve filmed my favorite hack of all time: making a perfect copy of any key with a digital camera, ruler, Adobe Photoshop, permanent marker, and a dremel. This is a very cool trick for making backup copies of your …

i tried and tried but nothing will work. i dont have a tension screw or anything like that all i have is a paper clip a peace off a notebook rings and a thick metal peace.

i tried and tried but nothing will work. i dont have a tension screw or anything like that all i have is a paper clip a peace off a notebook rings and a thick metal peace.

i have a ring off a notebook and a thick metal peace. like the ones you would lock a wooden box. there small and gold. i ve tried everything but nuttion will work.
it is a number 130

my parents locked up the good food stuff (candy chips ect) i can slip my hand in and grab stuff but i really want to open it. like i said before i looked up picking locks online but its hard to get a good angle and im not very experianced

my stupid friend found some random lock at school and put it on my backpack and now it won’t come off!! its one of those silver master combination locks that all schools have and it has a key whole on the back. i have tried the soda can thing 5 times it didn’t work! can some1 help me plz

i have a master lock that i need to open, i cant break the lock because i have plans for the lock after i pick it unlocked.