A locksmith is an individual who has the expertise of selecting, preparing, installing and bypassing all the components of a lock. He is a person who makes and defeats locks. However this job entails numerous other linked services such as installing, repairing and replacing wide variety of locks. A lock may be mechanical or electromechanical. It may be operated by a single key or a combination of keys or via electromechanical means.

As security issues are becoming more important in the society the job outlook of locksmiths is on its rise. People are inclined to protect themselves and thus look up to the services of a locksmith. Most of the time locksmiths are called on in emergency situations when a person is locked out of the car or building.

The basic and the most commonly required service of a locksmith is the act of acquiring a duplicate key. The service may be performed at a hardware store or by a key professional. People often find themselves in need of extra copies of keys to be used in emergency situations.

Another service relatively popular is the preparation and installation of new locks. Usually it requires changing the entire door handles in homes or building. In others cases e.g. developing a lock for a safe etc the service may be very technical. There are several types of locks used according to the need such as lever lock, cylinder lock , deadbolt, keycard lock , luggage lock , magnetic lock , pin tumbler locks (which is the most common one), lever lock etc. Each has its own requirement of tools and equipment and thus varies in cost. Installation of good quality locks contingent upon the risk factor involved is a challenge to a locksmith.

Services of a locksmith can range from being simple to more complicated ones. Most people like to have multiple keys for the same building. This means a separate and different key for each lock installed. Each lock has a specific key which can’t be operated on another lock. This can be quite difficult to handle as it creates confusion. Thus most people are now returning to having one key for all the locks in home or business.

Locksmiths can also provide the services of a consultant. They can help individuals identify and select the lock best suited to their purpose. There are many types of locks that are available in the industry and can be installed at various price ranges. Locksmiths present numerous choices before a customer to help him in the selection of locks.

The provision of these services requires professional education and formal training in specific areas. Most of the locksmiths are self employed i.e. they run their own business. Others might get attached with security companies and provide their services there.

A locksmith can choose to provide services through four ways. He can be a commercial locksmith, a mobile locksmith, an institutional locksmith or an investigational locksmith

These services have a great demand in the present days and will continue to develop more in the future.