What’s the difference between a traditional locksmith and an auto-locksmith?

There are all kinds of locksmiths out there. Some specialise in safes, others do standard residential work (lock-outs, lock fittings, repairs and so on), others specialise in installing specialist doors etc. But what about people who specialise in auto-locksmithing, i.e. providing locksmith services for vehicles?

Different beasts

Traditional locksmithing has many branches, but most branches are fundamentally related to the traditional version. Even safes, which are quite specialised, often use tubular locks, or mortice-style locks, which are part of the traditional locksmith’s repertory.

But vehicles are quite different. They usually use different types of lock picks than normal locks do. The skills an auto-locksmith needs are much more computer- and tech-based, because a lot of the work is done by connecting diagnostic machinery to the car.

There are plenty of transferrable skills, and lots of traditional lockies move into auto-locksmithing in quite a natural progression. Both pick locks, both fit locks, both cut keys. But vehicle locksmiths are far removed from those of us who spend their time chiselling mortices into wooden doors.

Just like there are plenty of trad locksmiths who don’t work on cars, there are also plenty of auto-locksmiths who can’t tell a Yale lock from a Chubb. There are enough cars around to make a living without doing any residential work.