What to Buy First?

[Rulenumber3]

Im new to this entire profession/hobby. I wasnt sure where to ask this question, but what should be my first purchase as far as a training course goes? Foley-Belsaw? What about David Storm's DVD? Is that for beginners or more advanced locksmiths?

Thanks for the help...

[Raccoon]

You're looking for a course on creating a locksmithing business? Specifically, a lockout service? Then you might try this one.

http://www.locksmithbiz.com/

Just my opinion.

[vector40]

What IS your goal?

[zeke79]

Just as vector asked, what is YOUR goal?

[vector40]

To clarify, there's a lot of different (and practically unrelated) interests people have around here; some forumgoers are hobbyist pickers, some are sport pickers, some are just lockophiles, some are interested in doing lockouts for pay and some want to go the path to being full horse-and-pony locksmiths. Depending on your interest there are a number of choices for training.

[Rulenumber3]

Hey guys,

Sorry i wasnt clear before. Id like to do this as a job - Im guessing most calls are for lockouts? Lockouts being cars, homes, etc right? Thats what Id like to do the most. And maybe make keys for people too.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what did you mean by "full horse and pony" ? What type of other services do locksmiths perform?

Thanks again for any advice!

[vector40]

Full-service locksmiths do all sorts of things; indeed, lockouts often comprise only a small portion of their income/services. They install locks and other hardware, they service locks and doors, they repin and replace locks, they generate and duplicate keys, they sell a wide variety of hardware and accessories, they often do all sorts of things for automobiles (repairs, replacements, duplication, transponder generation), they do security assessments, they do all of the above and more for commercial sites (including stuff like conceiving masterkey setups), and so forth. Obviously you can limit your particular range of services, but even so it's a big undertaking.

[Rulenumber3]

Ok,

So lets say that Im mostly interested in lockouts, and rekeys. What is my best bet for starting out as far as training materials go? Should I checkout the link that Raccoon recommended above? What else? Is that David Storm DVD a good buy also?

Thanks for the feedback...

[What]

Ok,

So lets say that Im mostly interested in lockouts, and rekeys. What is my best bet for starting out as far as training materials go? Should I checkout the link that Raccoon recommended above? What else? Is that David Storm DVD a good buy also?

Thanks for the feedback...

buy some picks first.

[vector40]

The link Raccoon gave is probably the best low-cost course oriented toward actually exploring such an endeavor as a business. It'll get you started.

[Rulenumber3]

Ok,

So lets say that Im mostly interested in lockouts, and rekeys. What is my best bet for starting out as far as training materials go? Should I checkout the link that Raccoon recommended above? What else? Is that David Storm DVD a good buy also?

Thanks for the feedback...

buy some picks first.

But how do I know which picks to buy?

Vector - thanks, I'll check out Raccoon's suggestion. That one comes with picks it says. Are those good enough to last awhile or should I get new ones off the bat?

[Raccoon]

I suggest first buying yourself a nicely rounded set of lockpicks and tension wrenches from Lockpicktools.com. They're affordable and quite diverse. I prefer the ripple style handle myself. Then go around collecting some padlocks and deadbolts to pick on and see how well you do and get better.

Once you gain the experience and confidence of picking locks, and afford yourself a nice set of tools, then consider persuing a business venture.

[CPLP]

You're looking for a course on creating a locksmithing business? Specifically, a lockout service? Then you might try this one.

http://www.locksmithbiz.com/

Just my opinion.

Have you ever tried that course? Is it really good? Is it worth the money?

[vector40]

They're probably good enough to learn on, Rulenumber, though Raccoon's suggestion is a good one for actually building the skill.

CPLP: I have the course and found it good, as I said, for a particular type of business venture. Probably not the best for a hobbyist.

[ameriloc]

I know how Imposing it can be to try to learn locksmithing. the first thing I would do is eather buy or make some picks and tension tools, get a 6" peace of 1/2" wood dowl, tweasers, and some cheep dead bolts. disassimble the dead bolts to get a good working knowlage of how a pin tumbler lock works. after that start picking. once you get great at that then think about what is next. rember you dont learn locksmithing over night. think baby steps.