Good morning.
To all aspiring locksmiths and enthusiasts.
Use of [b]Locksmithing Terminology[/b] is essential if you want to learn the answer to questions or you are answering a question. It makes it easier for everybody to understand what is being discussed. Naming parts of locks, tools, keys etc etc is vital if we are to understand each other. If you are referring to tools, try to use the named parts as described by the makers, then we are all in tune with each other.
May I make a small suggestion, which may help in understanding certain terminology used amongst locksmiths?
Firstly, if you are based in the UK, a book which will set you on the right path of using the correct and accepted terminology, would be:
An Encyclopaedia of Locks and Builders Hardware by Josiah Parkes & Sons Ltd ISBN: B0000CK6A3.
You can search this in Google, and as the book is out of print, you may be able to buy it from Ebay or an Out-of-Print Bookshop online. It contains the rudimentary basic knowledge that any locksmith requires, and is laid out in A to Z.
There is a book also by Mick Friend: The Encyclopaedia for Locksmiths, ISBN 0-7552-0117-5,
and of course there is the new book coming out very soon by
Graham Pulford : High-Security Mechanical Locks. ISBN-13: 978-0-7506-8437-8 or ISBN-10: 0-7506-8437-2.
Reading books such as these will do no harm to any aspiring locksmith or enthusiast. You could approach your local library with the ISBN numbers and ask them to source the books for you.
If however, you are based in the USA or Canada, you may find the following link rather helpful, which has been collated by some of the most experienced and renowned locksmiths in the USA & Canadian continent. The Lock Industry Standards and Training Council [ALOA]
http://www.locksoft.com/gloscopy.htm
If you start off on the right foot, locksmiths will understand you.
There are a few instances where we UK locksmiths use a different term to our American counterparts, but in essence, we understand each other.
Hope that this helps you and others.
Best regards
Chris B