Locksmithing seems like, if not a modern convenience, than at least an innovation that was new to the eighteenth century or so. That could not be any further from the truth; locksmithing has been with us for thousands of years. Here is a bit of lock history you might not be familiar with:
Locksmith services are certainly not modern, but would you have guessed they had commercial locksmiths in Ancient Egypt? Back then, locksmiths would install locks for buildings, mostly for the social elite. It was said that the amount of keys someone had was a good indicator of their social standing because it indicated not only that you could afford locks but also that you had enough goods worth locking away in several locations.
2. The 1700s
While the eighteenth century was not the birthplace of the lock, a lot of interesting lock history took place then. In 1778, the Englishman Robert Barron undertook the first real effort to improve the strength and security of a lock and ultimately patented a double-acting tumbler lock. Just six years later, Joseph Bramah patented the first safety lock that was considered “un-pickable.” This was a very exciting time for locksmiths, so much so that the King of France, Louis XVI, was so interested in the trade that he practiced it in secret.
3. Today
Today, most people who practice the trade serve as mobile car locksmiths, helping folks who have locked themselves out of their vehicles and homes. It isn’t as exciting a time for traditional locksmiths, perhaps, in the face of new electronic innovations to security, but it is certainly an extremely useful and helpful trade. What do you think of locksmithing? Visit here for more information.