Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm not sure just how this book earned such high praise from supposedly learned people. Or perhaps that's the problem: they already know enough about locks and locksmithing to have no need for the basic information that is so severely lacking in this volume.
As an example, the chapter on automobile locks doesn't offer even a single picture or schematic view of how the rods and linkages of an automobile door lock might be configured behind all that outer metal and inner upholstery. There are two closeup views of specific mechanical devices that might (or might not) be part of a typical door lock, but we have no idea where or how they might (or might not) fit into the overall mechanism. And unless you already know what a "bellcrank" is and how it's used, the picture is meaningless. Moreover the supposedly helpful "exploded" view of a car door lists more than 20 specifically numbered door components and then places those reference numbers in the view for only a half dozen easily reconizable items such as the "armrest." Wow! That's enlightening.
At one point the text mentions that you might be able to open a locked car door by "removing the rear view mirror." and there is zero elaboration.
This sort of shallow and superficial coverage of important topics permeates the text. It might ring with clever insight to an experienced locksmith who has encountered the situation alluded to, but it's meaningless to the layman. Likewise, many of the illustrations are of no value to anyone unititiated to the obscure craft of locksmithing.
If your interested in a Britannica treatise on the history of Phoenecian tomb locks. This the book for you. If you just want some introductory hints and skill you can use around the house, forget it.

I have all five editions of this book, which dates back at least to 1976 when Tab books was printing them and Carl Roper was the author. I use them as reference materials fairly often when working on locks I'm unfamiliar with. As the years went by, this book was modernized and updated, and some of the older stuff has been cleaned out.

This is the most complete and professional book of locksmithing on the general market, and is an excellent value for people who work on locks. Compared to the restricted market books, Bill Phillips has outdone most of them in presentation and execution of materials. There are no spelling errors or grammatical mistakes, the information is accurate, and it covers an exhaustive number of subjects in the field of locksmithing. If you have an interest in learning a great deal about how different locks are put together, what their applications are, and how to install and service them, you should definitely get this book. If you are studying for a certification test, it is probably the best single purchase you can make for the money. Many individual subjects are not covered in as much depth as is necessary for real satisfaction, but since this book is an overview of the entire field, that is fine. There is plenty of information on rekeying various brands of locks, as well as overviews of installation and adjustment procedures. Although some people complain about this being merely a rehash of manufacturers instructions, it is incredibly convenient to have a reference like this around. If you are servicing an old lock that has been on a door for years, such a set of instructions is a handy thing.

I like what Bill Phillips has done with the book. It is more polished and more practical than the older versions, and it is great to see it stay current with technology. My own book in comparison is quite small, although it covers practical lock opening procedures more thoroughly than "The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing" does. People who just want to know how to open locks will find Mr. Phillips book very boring. People who install and service them will find it quite valuable, and will be grateful that it is such a well-crafted book.

I have several editions of "the Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing." They're all good. I've learned a lot from them. But the sixth edition is by far the best. I especially like the sections on lock picking, impressioning, and selling safes.

I wasn't terribly impressed by this book - it was missing a great deal of basic information, had very incompletely coverage about such traditional skills such as picking locks, manually cutting keys, etc. Instead the author emphasises circumventing locks through alternative methods (for example by shearing off retaining bolts/screws and pulling a core). I found the coverage of large number of locks helpful for locks that I have not come in contact with, but overall I was not very impressed by this book.

lockpicking is an art to master the art you need to understand the objective whether its a a 5 pin lock or an 8 you need to understand it to pick it. This book will help you understand the basic fundementals of a lock. Ounce you have read this book you will be that much better. This is a must read for all!

This book is well written. It covers basic information that will be helpful to budding locksmiths. The book touches just about any matter that a locksmith will encounter. It is laid out well and has many pictures and diagrams. Some of the reviews listed for this book are a tad overblown...but this book would definitely be a good one to have if you are studying locksmithing.

This book may have the illusion of usefulness to those who already know what they're doing. But to the newcomer, many of these concepts will seem glossed over, talking about things conceptually instead of teaching how to do them. Not worth it.

Hi,
When I went to "The National School Of Locksmithing" in Times Square, NYC in 1987 an earlier edition of this book was used as the textbook...(Where are you now Mr. Green?).

Was some of the lock hardware in that edition of the book at that time obsolete? Yes, but it was necessary because Locksmiths are always encountering old junk out there and its good to be familiar with old lock types when you see them...I have replaced hardware such as old electric strikes from the 1890's. If an apprentice has a quick question for me here is my site: [...] , Apprentice Locksmiths still need knowledge of things like Bit Key Locks and Lever Locks...There are still many being used...

I remember the earlier edition going over things like the "Miwa" and "Duo" High Security Cylinders which were long gone by 1980's. I'm sure this current edition still covers obselete locks like the Fichet lock as well.I'm ordering the latest edition of this because its good to have as a resource manual...

The contents of this book are satisfactory. I just wish there was more detail on many of the topics, but I guess that is why there are additional books available. I personally had some issues with the testing instument in the back of the book when I submitted it. However, after some time and extra emails I did finally receive the certificate mentioned. It sounds as if the IAHSSP is in a transition period so contact at this time is slow. If you do submit the test be patient and persistent!

This book is probably the best book for the beginning locksmith to read in order to get a good basic knowlege of most locking mechanisms and also a good knowlege of locksmithing techniques. This is also a good reference book for the advanced locksmith also.