Top Essential Tools for Locksmiths

Have you ever wondered what is inside a locksmith’s tool kit?

It is quite amazing to watch how fast  Tools for locksmiths  that have malfunctioned, extract broken keys and unlock your doors in just a few minutes, right? 

Aside from their skills and experiences, the tools that locksmiths use play a big role in providing smooth and excellent services.

In this article, we will give you a peek at what’s inside a locksmith’s tool kit and learn the functions of each tool. 

So, if you are interested to know how locksmiths do their magic, we highly recommend you to keep on reading up to the end of this article. 

What is a Locksmith?

Before we take a peek inside a locksmith’s tool kit, let us know first what a locksmith is. 

A locksmith is a person who deals with locks, may it be electronic locks, smart locks, or conventional locks. They are called for service when it comes to lock repairs, installation of new locks, and picking a car, home, or building security locks. Aside from those, locksmiths can also duplicate keys.

It is estimated that there are 22,000 locksmiths in the US alone with a market size of an estimated $2 Billion. 

It may seem that anyone can be a locksmith if they wanted to, but in some states in the USA, locksmiths must acquire a license to be accepted and provide services. 

Essential Tools for Locksmiths

While it is true that the locksmith industry depends on skills and experience, tools are as important as well. 

Here are some of the essential tools that a locksmith must have to do the job:

1. Key Extractor Tool

Most often, locksmiths are called to extract broken keys inside locks. This is why a key extractor is one of the must-have tools of a locksmith. This tool can help in removing broken keys without destroying the lock itself.

1.  Lock Pin Gun

With just a few clicks of this gun tool, locksmiths can be able to pick the lock. This tool helps finish the work easier and faster. But this tool requires experience and skills to be able to use it.

1. Hook Pick

If we look inside every locksmith tool kit, hook pick will be one of their tools. This is because hook picks are easy to use. It is used whenever you’ve lost your key or your key won’t work to open the lock, hook pick is one of the tools that can be used. 

But, since locks have different sizes, hook picks come in different sizes as well.  

1. Plug Spinner

If the lock was rotated in the wrong direction, locksmiths will have to re-rotate the lock back to the start, making the work more tedious. With the use of a plug spinner, locksmiths will be able to rotate the lock faster.

1. Scope

Another tool that is also a must-have for locksmiths is the scope. This tool helps when working in a tight space and handling tiny objects. It ensures accuracy in terms of adjusting something tiny. It is highly recommended to keep one even in your car or at home.

1. Rakes

The rake tool is a very popular tool not only for locksmiths but also for personal collection as well. . This is because it can move multiple pins at once compared to Single picking pins. There are different types of rakes in the market to choose from. Some of the common ones are the snake, the worm (snake’s sister rake), the L or the City rake, and the most favorite, Bogota rake. These rakes are bent in many ways to mimic key grooves which are also known as bitting.  

1. Tension Wrench

It would be very hard to work on something that is constantly moving, right? Especially, if what you're working on is very small. Although locksmiths can still pick locks without a tension wrench, it is ideal to have one inside every locksmith's tool kit. 

A tension Wrench is used to stop wanted movement, keeping everything steady. This makes everything easier and faster. 

1. Installation Templates

A template is a mold, a pattern, or a gauge such as a thin board that is used as a guide to the mold of the piece being made. It helps locksmiths to find the right holes to drill. There are different materials for Installation templates: Metal, Wood, and Plastic.

Plastic templates are inexpensive templates. However, it is very sensitive to heat deformation and wears as soon as the routers and drill rub the edges. Plywood types of templates are more known to locksmiths because of their simplicity, durability, and structural integrity without compromising modest cost. It can also be easily fixed with epoxy once the plywood gets nicked. 

Metal templates are a bit more costly than the two materials but robust and more durable. Metal templates, specifically aluminum templates have hardened inserts in drill location for more secured and precise drilling.