ORDER VII.—METAL WORKERS (NOT ELECTRO PLATE OR PRECIOUS METALS)

Sub-order 8.—Other Workers

243.—Lock, Latch and Key Makers; Locksmiths

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cutter, key ; keysmith

files out and smooths edges of wards of key on key blank, using special warding files and small circular putters in milling machines; sometimes done by lock maker q.v.

key finisher (safe)

(i) completes making of safe lock keys, by hand filing keys which have been roughly cut by machinery, or by band, by less skilled men or boys:

(ii) finishes dressing of drop-forged key by hand filing or by smoothing edges on emery wheel.

key maker

(i) general term for any worker making keys, whether by casting, forging, or stamping, or by filing blanks, including key caster (183), key cutter, key filer (233), key forger (190) q.v.;

(ii) (safe) makes safe keys by hand filing from blanks; sometimes also forges key blanks; cuts and finishes them.

keysmith

see cutter, key.

latch maker

assembles, fits together, rivets and makes up latches from cast, stamped or machined parts; sometimes specifically designated according to type of latch made. e.g. combination latch maker, flush latch maker, mortice latch maker, thumb latch maker.

latch maker, night

a lock maker q.v. who assembles cast, machined, and stamped parts of night latches, i.e. latches for outside doors operated from outside by latch keys and from inside by knobs.

lock maker ; locksmith

general term for any man doing skilled and semi-skilled work in making, i.e. , assembling locks; assembles, fits together, rivets, and generally makes up locks from cast, stamped, or machined parts; may also cut and shape parts by use of machine tools; frequently specifically designated according to the type of lock assembled, e.g. automatic lock maker, book edge lock maker, brass case lock maker, cabinet lock maker, carpet bag lock maker, combination lock maker, dead lock maker, detector lock maker, drawback lock maker, escutcheon lock maker, flush lock maker, latch lock maker, letter roller, lock maker, lever lock maker, machine made lock maker, mortice lock maker, permutation lock maker, railway carriage lock maker, safe lock maker, spring lock maker, stock lock maker.

locksmith

(i) see lock maker;

(ii) a lock maker q.v. who performs work on locks in which more skill is required and in which greatest accuracy of workmanship is essential, e.g., safe locks, or locks for special purposes and of unusual sizes; cuts out parts of lock by hand from brass plate with hack saw and forges other parts of unusual size or pattern; repairs locks that are damaged, making new parts or adjusting old parts by filing, cutting, etc., or giving instructions as to size and shape of parts required to be made; sometimes cute keys for locks which he makes, or special master keys for a series of different locks; cf. key maker; is usually able to make any kind of lock throughout by hand, or to repair any lock, sometimes specifically designated according to type of lock made, e.g. bramah locksmith, cabinet locksmith, mortice latch locksmith, mortice locksmith, plate locksmith, stock locksmith.

padlock maker, padlock smith

a lockmaker or locksmith q.v. who assembles, fits and rivets together by hand, prepared parts of padlocks, special padlocks being made and repaired by locksmith q.v.

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.