OK, so I can’t seem to find any good info on the web about this topic so I’m turning to anyone out there in Dopesville (who have always been helpful) to give me the Straight Dope on this issue. I’m interested in becoming a locksmith, but I don’t know how to go about doing so. There aren’t any places around me that I could find, but I did find places online. I just wonder if these correspondence courses are really enough to get you the education needed for a profession. Anyone know?? The two best ones (from what I could see) appear to be Foley Belsaw and one called The Lockout Specialist Course. If anyone out there has experience with correspondence classes or if there are any locksmiths out there, could you please give me a little guidance? Thanks all. 
I’m not a locksmith, but have been trained in the past to crack safes, defeat locks, pick locks, etc. (all on the legal level). A correspondence course may give you the technical knowledge, but you will need much practical experience before you can do the job effectively. Installing locks is the routine part. Defeating them is much more complicated. Ideally, you should try to apprentice to a licensed locksmith.
I’m also not a locksmith, but one reference I’ve looked at is the alt.locksmithing FAQ. I don’t know if that USENET group is still very active though, but you might check it out.
Paging Osip.
You called Ringo?
Anyway back to the OP.
You can learn from a company such as Foley Bellsaw. The catch is your gonna have to practice and learn and practice some more.
Technically FoleyBellsaw has all the information there, you just have to learn to put into practice.
I worked at a locksmith shop and learned on the job. Started out cutting keys and learning to repin locks. I progressed on to bigger and better things. There are a few techinal shools who offer locksmithing courses. Also a few compnaies who teach some fo the more specialized locksmithing as well.
I have not had any dealings with the lockout specialist course so I cannot give an opinion on it, but from what I have seen with teh FB courses is if your are focused and willing to work at it it can get you well on your way.
Practice breaking into your house, and your car - don’t get caught!
Don’t get caught breaking into your own house?
Anyway, I’ve read through some of what seemed like a very useful volume, The Complete Guide to Locks and Locksmithing… or something like that.
I believe that the book your refering to is The Complete Book of Locks & Locksmithing, 4th ed. by Bill Phillips
If you needed a lockpicking Bible, that’d be the one to… “pick”
Sorry. :rolleyes: