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Doug Williams
Ms. Tillery
British Literature
28 October 2011
Locksmith
Locks and keys have been around for centuries and centuries and in some form will
always be around. Locks are a form of security and way to stop people from breaking in homes,
businesses, and anything anyone doesn’t want entering. Locksmiths came from blacksmiths,
blacksmiths were around in the medieval times and made swords and armor for knights for
battle. Then people of none royalty needed a form of protection so it became a need for locks
and keys to keep others away. In the 21st century people have to go to school for locksmiths
and know the many different lock brands and how they work specifically for certain situations.
The history of locksmiths is a very big part of life. It goes all the way back to 445 B.C. by
repairing the gates of the City of Jerusalem. At this time locks were made of wood and were
large and they also were made based on the same design as today. The oldest example of a
mechanically lock was found in palace of Khorasabad in Niveveh. This lock was known as an
Egyptian door lock, because how much it was used in Egypt. It used a crossbar set into two
surface mounts that was completely enclosed for a small opening for the key. Moveable pins
were dropped by gravity into holes on the crossbar and locked the door. As the key was put in
the lock it would move the pins out of the way and let the crossbar move over. However, the
first serious attempt to improve the security of the lock was in 1778 in England by Robert

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Barron he installed a double acting tumbler lock to protect his creation for the people that used
them.
Next in line is Yale, Yale locks is one of the oldest international locks around. The Yale
family moved to the New World from North Wales. Many years later in about 1840, Linus Yale
Sr. started to design and manufacture a series of innovative, high security locks at his Yale Lock
Shop in Newport, New York. He specialized in expensive, handmade bank locks. In about 1864
Yale Sr.’s son Yale Jr. was very interested in locks and finally invented their very own Yale
Cylinder Lock. Ever since then the lock industry changed forever, people wanted to do the same
thing and try to make money anyway possible.
This company pretty much came from Yale but the design was even more rigid than
Yale. It was called Medeco and Medeco came from a man who actually worked for Yale
ironically named Roy Spain. Roy created it out of his basement in his own home in 1955. He
came up with the name by using the first two letters of Mechanical Development Company.
1979 it began to recognized all around the world and appeared in newspapers. Also the
pictures in the newspapers were of a Medeco padlock. It explained that they were very difficult
to near impossible to open without a key.
Another great lock company that made a difference was Schlage, it goes even farther
back than Yale. Schlage was during the gothic era or the Renaissance era. This is when
locksmiths or lock artisans and iron craftsman became to be a famous skill. In the 14th century
locksmiths became more prominent. In order to be an accepted locksmith one had to create
and give a working lock and key to the guild. The guild had control over locksmiths like being

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able to regulate the techniques and how much they charged for their services. Unbelievable
forging, engraving, and etching of metal were designed to create locks and keys for the courts
of Europe. The pattern of the craftsman was very detailed and was often related to the religious
them as well. In this day in age Schlage is one of the most trusted lock companies in the United
States and even makes electronic locks were keys aren’t needed. It makes it easier without a
key for people who are always busy and having a hard time keeping up with the kids or work.
Kwikset is a Lock company that was created in the 1940’s by two gentlemen by the
names of Adolf Schoepe and Karl Rhinehart. In 1958
However, in the 21st Century not just anyone can be a locksmith it takes precise training
and schooling. One needs to go to a college that provides the training and tools so learning all
one can that is available. Schooling programs out there that provides the courses where one
can stay at home and complete them. It fits an individual’s schedule and so there is no rush to
getting the course done. Therefore, Penn Foster Career School is a great school to get this
accomplishment achieved at and have a great set of skills that will be needed in the decades to
come. The school provides all tools that are needed and books that are required. If schooling is
not done or started and one tries to do locksmith work, that is a very big crime. When someone
comes out to another person’s house to rekey it or do serious work that is important to the
consumer they are trusting the workers work. The locksmiths could be cons and after
everything is said and done the locksmiths could have keys to people’s houses, or know that
persons schedule, children, and interests just from conversation. Additionally, this makes it
easier to break into a house when someone has a key. It happens every day, it has even

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happened locally to 23 ½ hr. Locksmith Company this is a family owned business that has been
in business for about twenty years. People hacked their website and changed the number off of
it to get more calls to their business instead of 23 ½ Hr. Locksmith Company. The criminals who
did this would tell people they will come out for very cheap and unlock their cars and/or do
work. When the work was finished they already had a signature from the customer and then
would add money on top of the original charge.
Locksmiths have a very big responsibility. When being a certified locksmith tools are a
necessity and if an individual losses his or her equipment it is out and the wrong hands can
handle them. Also with all the equipment that locksmiths have as they drive around to every
job, people could be following them to steal it or to sell it or even use it for their very own
business. People these days are lazy and try find each and every way to make it easier to get
money instead of doing it the successful way. Locksmiths are really cool, they get to do work in
all kinds of places and see so many interesting things. For instance, banks always need security
work done, from locks, vaults, and even more cameras. Safes are also big in banks, and it takes
a serious locksmith to be able to handle some safes out there. Just one mistake could cause the
safe to lock up and it become nearly impossible to get open.

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Works Cited
Company History. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.kwikset.com/Kwikset/History.aspx>.
A History of Inavasion. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.medeco.com/
index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=150:medeco-high-security-locks-a-
history-of-innovation&catid=27:press-releases&Itemid=30>.
The History of Locks . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://inventors.about.com///.htm>.
History of Locksmithing and Locks. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/of-locksmithing-and-locks-361793.html>.
The History of Yale. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.yalelock.com////t-Yale/of-
Yale/>.
How to Become a Locksmith. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/
how_2069595_become-locksmith.html>.
locksmith school programs. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.colleges-and-
careers.com/school.html>.
Professional locksmithing . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://www.pennfoster.edu//.html?semkey=Q193971>.
A Tour of Locks from Pre-History to the Present. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011.
<http://professional.schlage.com//_us_historyoflocks.asp>.
23 1/2 hr Locksmith company. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. <http://www.lock23half.com/>.

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