A traditional locking system is the mortise lock, one of the earliest locking systems, which was developed before the cylindrical locks.  It is a type of locking system which requires an actual mortise (a pocket for the lock) to be cut into the door for the lock to be installed. They are still widely used throughout Europe.

Mortise locks consist of a body which is the actual lock fitted in the pocket of the door. It also has a trim which is the visible part, such as the doorknob, handle, pull, etc. which come in a multitude of designs. Then there is the mortise strike plate, which is placed around the hole cut into the door frame, where the bolt of the lock actually locks in.  Finally, there is a mortise key cylinder, which is the mechanism allowing to perform the locking and unlocking with a key. 

In most cases, the mortise lock and the strike plates are already mounted in the readymade doors and frames, but sometimes, the locksmiths will be asked to install a mortise lock on a new door, which requires certain woodwork and exact measurements as well. Specialized instruments to cut the pockets in the door and the door frame will be needed, as well as measurement devices to ensure that they are made at the precise places, so as to fit the mortise lock.  This is crucial in order for the door to remain undamaged, and for the lock to work properly.  The solid mechanism of the mortise lock makes it much more stable and secure than the bored cylindrical locks. These types of locks offered by some locksmiths actually encompass a double locking function – both as a dead bolt and a door knob for your door.

Even though the mortise locks go far back in time, some locksmiths still use this old but effective locking system when installing new locks for the home or other premises.  The mortise lock is the type of lock you can still find in some older buildings and has its benefits, tested by time.

Residential locksmiths will offer mortise locks, which are built in the doors, or installed in the doors, and which have quite a complex structure of different levels and notches. This complex structure makes these mortise locks very secure ones, because of the time and skills it is necessary for unwanted intruders and burglars to break in.  Good quality mortise locks installed by a good residential locksmith will ensure a high level of security to your home.

Mortise locks are still preferred by some locksmith specialists and clients because of the wide variety of them available on the market.  There are really simple and cost-effective ones, and at the same time there are mortise locks, with very complex constructions, double locking and other functions, which again make them highly reliable and secure.

Some clients prefer the mortise locks for their gates and doors, because of their style and vintage charm.  This is probably the reason why mortise locks have become once again so popular in the US up market property (both business and residential).

Master key systems are great security systems both for residential and commercial purposes, which are designed and implemented by experienced locksmiths, in order to provide a convenient access to certain areas or all areas, and provides increased security to the premises.

There are locksmiths who specialize in being Master key system specialists, and who will help you find the best solution for a master key system for your home or office, in accordance to your specific needs and security risk levels.

The master key system allows for each lock to have its individual key, but also there is a master key which will open all of the locks.

The benefits of asking your locksmith to install a master key system for your house or office include:

-      Better control of the security of the different parts of a building, or a number of buildings. Access to different parts of the building can easily be designated individually to different residents or employees, depending on their level of access.  This is great for the property owners and the administrators of the buildings.

-      Makes entering a building or area easier and faster by using one single individual key per person.

You can use a master key system for you private residence, in case you want to limit access of your children to weapons, prescription drugs or anything else you may have in your house.  Also for residential purposes, a master key system is recommended in order to increase the security of a particular area in the house where you have an art collection or other valuables, for example.

Most locksmiths who are master key system specialists are called to provide expertise and services for commercial needs though.

Company owners and institution managers all want to protect their assets and their facilities as well.  This is why adopting a master key system can make this much easier, by programming the various access levels when the locksmith does the master key programming (initial and systematic key conferences).

The master key system locksmith you hire will also offer a maintenance and security of the chart which includes the actual master key system and the way the keys are cut – this is the so-called “bitting array”.  They will be asked to perform systematic key conferences (changing the master key system levels), in accordance to changes in the personnel, changes in policies and other reasons.  This is why, finding a reliable and trustworthy locksmith to install and manage your master key system is crucial – you will probably be working together for years.

So in most cases, the ownership of the master key system belongs to the locksmith who created it. 

There are some cases, when the institution has its own institutional locksmith, or chooses to maintain their master key system by themselves, which is when they can ask the locksmith to actually add the development of the master key system to the invoice.  This is a risky venture for those who do not have an experienced locksmith to maintain their master key system, because generally the locksmith who created and handed over the master key system to the client may refuse to take responsibility for the safety and security of the building in case of a breach occurring following unauthorized tampering with the master key system.

And finally, one note:

As seen on the Locksmith site :)

Institutional locksmiths are similar though not the same as the commercial locksmiths. Just like the name suggests, the institutional locksmith is employed by a particular institution (private or public) to design, install, maintain or repair the locks and locking system of the institution.  Often institutions, such as: hospitals, colleges and universities, government facilities will have their own institutional locksmith or even a team of locksmiths for their needs.

In many cases, the profession of the institutional locksmith is confidential and very security sensitive.

Often, organizations and government facilities will have a complex locking system and logging system to monitor exactly who and when enters a particular premise. These logs are the ones which would be monitored via specialized software, to spot any unauthorized access, any need for repair or other maintenance the locking system may need.

Of course, the institutional locksmith will be responsible for the periodic, in some cases daily maintenance of the locking hardware. For every call for service from an employee in the institution, they need to respond promptly and perform repair works, determine what the reason for the nonconformity is, as well as ways to prevent it in the future, and inform their supervisors of the results.

The institutional locksmith may often be asked to choose the best product for the specific case, which means doing a lot of research and following the latest developments in the locking technologies. Understanding how the locking systems work is crucial for the institutional locksmith, in order to best figure methods of proper maintenance and repair for them.

Depending on the size and needs of the institution, the institutional locksmith may have key machines, duplicators, and coding machines, punch machines, etc.

Controlling the number of keys – original and duplicates for each lock in the institution is also part of the job of the institutional locksmith. Using identification numbers, keeping a database of all key records is often crucial for providing the necessary safety of people, objects and data within the institution.  Also, often keys will be made and provided to employees only after a supervisor has signed the request.

Apart from the locks, institutional locksmiths may also be asked to maintain and repair doors, place door closers and other door hardware for the institution’s needs.

Institutional locksmiths are hired to help with communicating the internal needs for maintenance, repair, new parts and suggestions for improvement of the locking needs of their institution to the Management as well.

Usually, they will be asked to keep records and logs of any events of maintenance, repairs and other actions taken to resolve any problems or to improve the overall locking system of their institution, and to report to their superiors about the actions taken and preventive actions they suggest for improving the system as a whole.

In many cases, the staff will change, and when hiring a new institutional locksmith, it is crucial that all the information, data and logs are handed in to them.  This will allow them to become easily and quickly familiar with the situation and the history of maintenance and repair work done in the institution, as well as the types of locking systems and other locking devices they will need to work with at their new position in the institution.