A Day in the life of a Locksmith

My day is filled with all sorts of locksmithing treasures both good and bad. So I thought I would share an average day with you all so you can see what the working life of a locksmith is all about.

Like most working people I get up early and have a nice cuppa in the morning with the family (if I haven’t had any midnight emergency callouts) and prepare for the day by loading all my gear into my van. If I haven’t got any prearranged appointments I will do some things in the workshop like key cutting or cleaning my locksmith tooling after seeing the little ones off to school. Today is mostly prearranged call outs so it’s easier to plan what I am going to do.

I am not due at the customer until 11:30 so I spend some time cleaning and maintaining my decoders and also decoding some locks to make keys. This lock decoder is a Fortress mounted in a Bernstien Swivel Vice and is a neat bit of kit.

A decoder basically allows a locksmith to determine the correct positioning of components in a lock by manipulation, measurement and looking at what the lock is doing while moving it around. It doesn’t always pick the lock as such but gives me the information I need to produce a key.

I also spend some time practicing lock “bumping” on a euro cylinder lock. Bumping is an old and traditional way of lock picking. Like all things, its best to practise as you keep your skills honed and it’s better on the job if you are fast and efficient. The last thing you want to be doing is spending ages opening an exterior lock when the customer and you are stood out in the pouring rain. It ends up rattling both your nerves.

Here is another decoder I have; this one is manufactured by Chubb. You can see a Chubb Mortice lock attached to the end of it.

Once I have done the cleaning and work with the decoders I then get in my van to go to the first job of the day.

A room is inaccessible in an office building at Felixstowe, so I head down the A14 and arrive at the premises, the key has been misplaced and none of the staff can get into it for their meetings. The lock is a Union lock and I have it open in under a minute. The customer is happy and they can get on with their day.

The next job of the day is back to Ipswich and onto a commercial customer who rents out property. She has had some issues with another Locksmith who has done a poor job on house repossession and wants the work checked to make sure everything is as secure as it should be.

I check the work and it is not spectacular, there is some damage to the door and lock has been fitted so it does not unlatch smoothly. The lock housing is also a bit loose on the frame.

I decide to remove the lock and reinstall it properly. You would be surprised but a lot my working day is taken up providing remedies for the poor work that other locksmiths have done. If a job is worth doing its worth doing properly I think. Anyway I put the lock in correctly and spend some time making sure it closes and opens correctly.

I also find the old lock on the floor which although it would have been serviceable, has been drilled out and damaged beyond repair. Another pet hate of mine, always clear up after doing a job, its polite and costs nothing.

There was no need for the other locksmith to do this and charge her for it. He could have opened this lock professionally and change the interior with a new key and had a bit of pride in his work.

Once I have sorted out the mess it’s time to go and see a domestic customer in Framlingham. They have done a DIY fitment of a door lock but they are not happy with it and want me to check it. The moral of the story is if you don’t have the skills to undertake a certain job then don’t as it can lead to damage, expense or even death in some cases. Don’t do anything unless you know what you are doing.

On examining the lock I find it’s been fitted poorly, you can see the barrel is not where it should be and this makes it difficult to operate the key properly. It should be 90 degrees from where it actually is. The bezel is also loose and can be turned and the lock is loose on the door. I refit the lock and the customer is happy and assured the lock is doing its job.

Onto the final domestic customer of the day who is in Stowmarket and requires a sash window lock fitted. I find I have been left a note on the door which makes me smile.

I knock loudly and fit the lock, checking it all works properly and then ensure the customer is pleased with the job. I then head back to Ipswich for day.

Usually my day does not end there as I get emergency callouts from customers who have arrived home from work to find they can’t get into their houses but luckily today it’s not the case so I spend an hour or so checking my emails and doing some business admin tasks.

If you do call a locksmith out always ensure they are local, affordable, insured, check their website/social media pages to check they are legitimate and always read the reviews they have.

Paul is a professional locksmith who lives and works in and around Ipswich, Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex.