History of lock technology
The modern lock has a long and illustrious history. And the evolution of technology to where it is now is quite remarkable. We’re locksmiths, and we know that knowing the origins of the deadbolt on your door or the combination lock on your bicycle isn’t going to keep you any safer. We adore this product and believe it’s fantastic. We also assumed there were some additional safety and security nerds among our readers. So, there you have it.
Early technology
The oldest known locks date back over 6,000 years. According to archaeologists, ancient Mesopotamians utilised locks that were not all that dissimilar to the locks we use today. They were made of wood, which was unusual; yet, they featured pins of varying lengths that required the correct key to open the lock, exactly like many modern locks. We can’t help but wonder whether these locks put a number of security guards out of business, because we think that before these locks, the only choice for security was to have some big muscular people with spears standing guard at your door 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Brass pins
Brass is still a common metal today, and the Egyptians were the first to employ it for pins in their locks. The protection afforded by the ancient Mesopotamian locks was vastly improved by this modest adjustment. The Greek and Roman Empires brought this basic locking mechanism to Europe during the next few hundred years. And, like so much of today’s technology, it kept shrinking and improving along the way. Locking mechanisms were initially used on drawers and other small boxes and containers by the Romans, who were allegedly the first to have anything small worth locking.
Metal locks
Until the middle ages, when the first all-metal locks were constructed in England, those simple locks, made of wood or a combination of wood and brass, remained the standard. The warded lock, which is still in use today, was invented by these same pioneers. The warded lock differed from the simple key and pin lock in that it had a set of plates that prevented a key from turning unless the key and the notches in the plates were an exact fit.
The first locksmiths were also born as a result of the warded lock. The locks and keys were designed by expert carpenters and metalworkers. Many of them were decorative, with family crests and other patterns.
New technology
The contemporary era of locks and locksmithing did not begin until the industrial age, when technology allowed for much more sophisticated security systems to be created.
Mr. Barron’s lock, unfortunately, was still very easy to pick. In 1784, Joseph Bramah, a fellow Englishman, developed a new lock. His design is nearly identical today, and it is still manufactured and used in London. The lock still had wafers that looked like warded lock plates, but it also had some rather complicated levers and systems that made it much more secure. He even offered anyone who could open the lock 200 gold guineas. This is around $200,000 in today’s money. After 51 hours of work, American locksmith Alfred Hobbs cracked the lock in 1851.
With all of the remote access, keycard, and other technology we use now at work and at home, it’s easy to envisage a world when we’ll unlock doors using our voices, face recognition, or some other yet-to-be-discovered technology. We’re excited to see what happens next. Patriot Locksmiths are professional locksmith services provider in Venice. We provide all kinds of locksmith services including Residential locksmith services in Venice. Call us today!