Mark Gibbons
We all use locks daily, whether it’s for our home, place of work or car. But we don’t always consider the history of locks or how they became the most widely used mechanism to help keep us, our homes and our possessions safe.
Locks have a long history, and there are many interesting facts that might surprise you. Here, we look at five things you might not know about the trusty home security device.
The Egyptians first invented locks over 4,000 years ago and as many people couldn’t afford them, they were often seen as a symbol of wealth. Rather than being made from metal they were made of wood. It wasn’t until around AD900 that metal locks began to be made by British craftsmen.
The famous escapologist Harry Houdini originally trained as a locksmith – perhaps that’s why he was so crafty at getting out of small, locked spaces!
Many technological advancements in the locks industry were made in the 18th and 19th centuries. During this time, Robert Barronin designed the double-acting tumbler lock and Jeremiah Chubb invented the detector lock with high internal security. Other lock heroes from the era include Linus Yale, creator of the pin tumbler lock and Harry Soref, who created the first padlock in the 1920s.
In some parts of the world, keys were not owned by the property owner. Instead, they were kept by the town guard who would let people in and out of properties as and when required. Thankfully, this is no longer the case and having possession of our own set of keys makes life far easier!
Although the range of locks on the market is very good, lock design and engineering is developing at an exponential rate. In just a matter of years, we’ve moved from normal cylinder locks, to the robust ABS locks and the even newer Ultion locks.
If you’re looking for a locksmith in Birmingham, contact our expert team today on: 07817 643167. We can complete a thorough security assessment of your home, change locks and help in an emergency.
24 hour locksmith located in Sutton Coldfield and covering the surrounding areas. We are here to help you if you get locked out, need to change the locks or want to upgrade to high security anti s...
