The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing, Seventh Edition

This book tells you all most any thing you could ever want to know a bout lock. I can pick most lock an less then a minute, and this book tells you how to bump key locks. It tells you how to pick UL rated locks, but it did not tell me as much as I needed to know on how to pick UL locks. I would say buy this book.

If your a beginner or a locksmith thats brushing up on the business this is a must for the reference library. I only know 1 thing and that its well worth the money to invest.

I have several editions of "the Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing." They're all good. I've learned a lot from them. But the sixth edition is by far the best. I especially like the sections on lock picking, impressioning, and selling safes.

I have all five editions of this book, which dates back at least to 1976 when Tab books was printing them and Carl Roper was the author. I use them as reference materials fairly often when working on locks I'm unfamiliar with. As the years went by, this book was modernized and updated, and some of the older stuff has been cleaned out. This is the most complete and professional book of locksmithing on the general market, and is an excellent value for people who work on locks. Compared to the restricted market books, Bill Phillips has outdone most of them in presentation and execution of materials. There are no spelling errors or grammatical mistakes, the information is accurate, and it covers an exhaustive number of subjects in the field of locksmithing. If you have an interest in learning a great deal about how different locks are put together, what their applications are, and how to install and service them, you should definitely get this book. If you are studying for a certification test, it is probably the best single purchase you can make for the money. Many individual subjects are not covered in as much depth as is necessary for real satisfaction, but since this book is an overview of the entire field, that is fine. There is plenty of information on rekeying various brands of locks, as well as overviews of installation and adjustment procedures. Although some people complain about this being merely a rehash of manufacturers instructions, it is incredibly convenient to have a reference like this around. If you are servicing an old lock that has been on a door for years, such a set of instructions is a handy thing.I like what Bill Phillips has done with the book. It is more polished and more practical than the older versions, and it is great to see it stay current with technology. My own book in comparison is quite small, although it covers practical lock opening procedures more thoroughly than "The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing" does. People who just want to know how to open locks will find Mr. Phillips book very boring. People who install and service them will find it quite valuable, and will be grateful that it is such a well-crafted book.

This is a great 'catch-all' book about locksmithing. Although it looks like it is designed for beginners, it still has invaluable information on a variety of locks, etc so it will remain in your shop for years to come. In fact, I used it for servicing an Ilco-Unican 1000 unit (as it had detailed information on changing the combination for example).It covers everything from the history of locks (interesting in it's own fact) and even has a practice test for the CRL examination (what you will want to get if you are wanting to be a pro in the field).The book is also invaluable to homeowners, retail sales clerks and anyone who wants to know more about locks, safes, and more! If you are looking into security for your home, then this would give you a good understanding of why a certain lock system is better than another for example.Either way you will not be disappointed in this book. For professionals some parts may be old story but it still has plenty of reference to locks you may not encounter for a while!