Glossary of Common Locksmithing Terms

Finish:  Most manufacturers offer all their products in “standard” finishes.  In English, these finishes are often described as “polished brass”, “antique brass”, and “chrome” but when in the Locksmith world they are often described as “US5” and “US26D”.  One advantage of a locksmith over a home center is we can order the exact finish you need - not just what they offer you.

Bypassing:  Finding another way to open or ‘bypass’ a lock or locked area such as going through a nearby window instead of the locked door - buy an alarm.

Drilling:  Most residential and many commercial locks can by defeated by a simple drill bit through the face of the lock.  This ruins the lock and leaves evidence of tampering.

Keyway:  The actual hole the key fits into.  Different manufacturers have different keyways and one will generally not fit another.  Some keyways offer higher security by adding special features to prevent picking, drilling, or bypassing by another means.

Picking:  The ability to open a lock by manipulating the internal components.  It usually requires special tools and experience and is very difficult to detect forensically.

Strike:  The component of a lock which extends or rotates in and out of a position that prevents the operation of whatever the lock is protecting.  On a door with a single lock, the strike is often a piece of metal that extends from the edge of the door into the door jam preventing the door from opening.  There are many kinds of strikes including latches, dead latches, bolts, and dead bolts.