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Title: The Complete Book of Locks and Locksmithing by Bill Phillips ISBN: 0-07-137494-9 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Pub. Date: 07 June, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 (6 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: Far from a complete guide
Comment: I wasn't terribly impressed by this book - it was missing a great deal of basic information, had very incompletely coverage about such traditional skills such as picking locks, manually cutting keys, etc. Instead the author emphasises circumventing locks through alternative methods (for example by shearing off retaining bolts/screws and pulling a core). I found the coverage of large number of locks helpful for locks that I have not come in contact with, but overall I was not very impressed by this book.
Rating: 1
Summary: Not for beginners or the curious
Comment: I'm not sure just how this book earned such high praise from supposedly learned people. Or perhaps that's the problem: they already know enough about locks and locksmithing to have no need for the basic information that is so severely lacking in this volume.
As an example, the chapter on automobile locks doesn't offer even a single picture or schematic view of how the rods and linkages of an automobile door lock might be configured behind all that outer metal and inner upholstery. There are two closeup views of specific mechanical devices that might (or might not) be part of a typical door lock, but we have no idea where or how they might (or might not) fit into the overall mechanism. And unless you already know what a "bellcrank" is and how it's used, the picture is meaningless. Moreover the supposedly helpful "exploded" view of a car door lists more than 20 specifically numbered door components and then places those reference numbers in the view for only a half dozen easily reconizable items such as the "armrest." Wow! That's enlightening.
At one point the text mentions that you might be able to open a locked car door by "removing the rear view mirror." and there is zero elaboration.
This sort of shallow and superficial coverage of important topics permeates the text. It might ring with clever insight to an experienced locksmith who has encountered the situation alluded to, but it's meaningless to the layman. Likewise, many of the illustrations are of no value to anyone unititiated to the obscure craft of locksmithing.
If your interested in a Britannica treatise on the history of Phoenecian tomb locks. This the book for you. If you just want some introductory hints and skill you can use around the house, forget it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fifth edition continues a tradition of excellence
Comment: 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.
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Title: Locksmithing by Bill Phillips ISBN: 0071344365 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Pub. Date: 31 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $34.95 |
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Title: Visual Guide to Lock Picking (2nd Edition) by Mark McCloud, Gonzalez De Santos, Gonzales de Santos ISBN: 0970978812 Publisher: Standard Publications, Inc. Pub. Date: 15 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: How To Open Locks With Improvised Tools: Practical, Non-Destructive Ways Of Getting Back Into Just About Everything When You Lose Your Keys (formerly published as Lock Bypass Methods) by Hans Conkel ISBN: 0966608712 Publisher: Level Four Publications, Inc. Pub. Date: 28 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Modern High-Security Locks : How To Open Them by Steven Hampton ISBN: 1581602952 Publisher: Paladin Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: How To Open Locks Without Keys Or Picks by Paladin Press ISBN: 0873641922 Publisher: Paladin Press Pub. Date: January, 1994 List Price(USD): $10.00 |
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