willing to train you. CY: Yes, that's best, but sometimes no one wants to. I know one guy in Oklahoma, there is no one near him who will train. Like 100 plus miles.
I took a Home Study Coarse, Locksmith Institute, the Coarse that I took is
not available any longer. This was back in 1982. CY: Me same course, about 1976 or so. Still have the books.
I then got a Lockshop to continue my training. CY: I got lucky, got a job cutting keys. I thought it was useless crap job, but now I know cutting keys is essential skill.
I told them that I had taken a Coarse and that I didn't know much and that I
would work for Free to show them I was serious. What did he have to lose?
He liked my attitude and hired me and told me that he would pay me anyway. I CY: In my case, I hired near to minimum wage. Lasted about three months, and then got a better job doing full service locks.
think that it got my foot in the door. The first thing that he told me was
to forget that Coarse and let him train me. CY: You ever needed to rekey a Schlage wafer knob lock? I never have. You know, with the SC-6 keyway? Lot of that stuff I'll never use in my entire life.
I was lucky enough to have
learned from 5 Master Locksmiths at the same time. I learned a lot of different
ways to do the same job. CY: I got lucky to apprentice under a guy who knew safes. Showed me plenty, but there is so much more to know.
You will see that the trade is a lot different than those Courses will teach
you. The Courses will give you Basics and thats all. CY: Yeah, about 3 to 5% of what you need to know.
Every Locksmith
develops his own way of doing Lock & Key work. You will learn a lot of
shortcuts that are not tought in the Courses. That will come with
Experience. CY: And sometimes the way you're taught IS the shortcut.
The Trade is Changing so much, Mechanical Locks and Keys as we know them are going to be history in the future, you must diversify into Electronic Access to be
able to stay in Business. One day it will be common that Cars will no longer have Keys, they will use Scanners and elecrtonics to identify the operator. Some cars over seas already use this technology. CY: Sadly, I agree. Though, the old Yale style lock will be around for many more years.
Commercial Business offers more Profit than the Auto Business. CY: Car lockouts is an impossible field. Everyone wants to pop it open, the customer is always in a hurry, and you got to be there real quick.
You can make Hundreds of $$$ per call instead of, what I call
"Chasing Change" CY: Go after repeat business. Motels that keep breaking locks, business that keeps chaging hired help.
I hope that this gave you an idea.
I wish you all the Luck.