What Kind Of Tools Do Locksmiths Use?

Ever wonder what tools a locksmith uses? Find out what professional locksmith tools these technicians use, and which tools you can use for D-I-Y projects.

Locksmiths have long proven their efficiency and worthiness time and time again over the centuries. Their modern-day skills, advanced technological know-how, and constant training and testing now turn them into a reliable home and office security experts. Locksmiths are no longer limited to installing locks or copying keys. They are your go-to people when choosing a new home safely, door or window lock, security bar, panic locks on fire exit doors, security alarms and everything in between. They can perform security assessments and maintain the integrity of your locks and surveillance systems just as easily as they can fit a new mailbox lock in your driveway.

In order to handle this great variety of services, they need to rely on pretty advanced tools, equipment, software, and know-how. By getting more familiar with the type of tools they carry in their toolkits, you should become more acquainted with their line of work. This should, in turn, help you make fewer mistakes when researching for a future locksmith service to hire for an emergency or a simple maintenance job. Plus, some of you might be interested in embracing this type of job or at least handling a few DIY lock installation/repair projects on your own, and knowing what tools you will need will come in handy.

Below you are going to find a list of some of the most common locksmith tools used when performing different jobs.

Hook Picks, The Go-To Instruments

Hook picks are, by far, the most popular tools for locksmiths who need to pick a lock on the spot without too much hassle. Hook picks come in many different shapes and sizes according to the different lock sizes out there. They can be bought in kits that encompass all existing sizes for all types of locks.

Slim Jims For Fast Car Unlocking

They are also referred to as slim shims and they are equally important tools for picking a lock on a vehicle. They are therefore part of the automotive locksmith set of tools and they are particularly handy for mobile services that work 24/7 to answer lockout emergencies. There is no need for the actual keys to the respective vehicle in order for a lock technician to pick it open with a slim jim. All they need to do is place the tool in the space between the window and the rubber coating and unlock the car.

It is advisable to opt for slim jims made from sturdier material like iron or steel. Keep in mind that these tools are known to break and bend easily when inserted into the lock. If you plan on using them on your own, as part of a home DIY lock picking attempt, you should pay particular attention to this aspect.

Bolt Cutters Open Padlocks

These tools are excellent for cutting a lock that has been recently jammed. It is best for opening padlocks and old chains and it should only be used by expert locksmiths, as there is the risk of improper use leading to property damage.

Key Duplication Tools

Any experienced lock technician should own and carry complex machinery for making custom keys on the spot. The tools should serve both the needs of residential and automotive customers. Our trained locksmiths can duplicate a home or car key in no more than a few minutes. They also carry laser key cutting machinery that will help new keys perfectly match old sets.

Jackknife Picking Tools

These locksmith tools come in sets of up to 5 different lock picks that can be used for simple locks. They work best with household locks, especially locks on the bedroom and bathroom. They feature a series of extensions that make them useful for various styles of internal lock mechanisms.

Torsion Wrenches

Tools that are also highly successful for picking the majority of locks, as they can maintain the pins in their place after they have been lifted. The torsion wrench is also good for enabling a lock to be opened completely. The downside of using this tool comes from the fact that most of them come with weak edges that can easily break or they get worn out rather fast.

Bump And Skeleton Keys

Bump keys are used to open simple locks, while skeleton keys are useful for dealing with warded locks.

Pick Sets

These tools are versatile for different needs and scenarios where using a key is not possible. They usually come with rake, hook and diamond lock picking tools. These are the most popular and commonly used tools that guarantee the efficiency of the procedure on lock and padlocks. They are affordable and do not require certification in order to be bought. It could make for an ideal DIY kit for homeowners looking to handle some repairs on their own.

Tweezers For Fixing Metal Parts

Tweezers are also common locksmith tools that cannot be missing from any locksmith's kit of tools. Whenever a lock technician needs to replace a lock component or fix a small metal part, they will use a magnetic tweezer to pick tiny metal pieces and prevent them from falling off. Non-slippery tweezers with bold grooves that are sturdier and can resist repetitive use are the best.

Lock Plug Followers

These are additional tools for locksmiths that are mainly used to remove the core of a lock and stop the springs and the pins from getting too loose. This would turn the entire lock assembly into a messy sight, and this is the last thing a locksmith wants. Lock plug followers feature various sized ends that are critical when dealing with dozens of different types and styles of locks.

For expert lock picking or lock repair services, we warmly advise you to get in touch with Get Locksmith. We use the most advanced lock picking and repair tools that guarantee high-quality services.