The history of locksmithing or a locksmith originates from the term blacksmith. A blacksmith was
an individual who worked with metal and steel. During the middle ages, the blacksmith would create
war/battle pieces for their king and horseshoes for the knights horses. As the job of the blacksmith
started to develop, so did the identity of a locksmith. The locksmith was knows as a person who made
and worked with locks. As the vocation professed so did its popularity. During the early part of the 1900s,
more specifically the 1930s the actual configuration of locks began to change as well. With the onset of
higher crime, the industry was looking for new ways to protect individuals. A new lock was introduced
with the first field-reversible with the typical disassembly mortise lock. This new upgrade made it more
difficult for individuals to pick the lock. It was also during this period that locksmiths began to change
their role in the field. Locksmithing is one of the earlier forms of engineering and security devices. Although locksmithing may seem like an innocent vocation, it did not always steer clear from all controversy. The controversy stemmed from the debate whether the information a locksmith has should remain private or
become public.

During the 1940s, with the onset of WWII, many locksmiths became a priceless commodity. The locksmiths
who were in business during this era did not have time to process the invention in their field but focus primarily
on the war. Many locksmiths were drafted into service while others continued to work as locksmiths during
this era. Those that stayed passed on their trade to their children. For the early part of the trade of
locksmithing, it was a field that was passed on by family members and in some cases adopted for surnames. Since there was not a lot of progress during this period, the same style of locks continued being used.