Locksmiths used to hold a high place in society, times have changed but the art is still alive on the streets of Vietnam.

An old locksmith working on the sidewalk

Young locksmiths serving their customers

Using key-copying machines

Car keys can also be copied

Locksmiths were once considered respectable artisans and were highly appreciated in Vietnam’s society. At that time, locksmithery was grouped together with such industries as coppersmithery and woodprinting which were widely popular trades for hundreds of years. Over time, locksmithery has gone through its ups and downs but it still has its place in the everyday life of Vietnamese people.

Walking through the streets of Hanoi, very often you can come across a locksmith’s stand occupying a small place on the pavement. Almost all streets in Hanoi have one or two of such stands but the busy Luong Van Can is probably considered the locksmith street. With only a small box containing essential tools like pliers, a hammer, files, all kinds of keys, and a key-copying machine, a locksmith stand quietly exists among other simple stands such as those of a bicycle repairer, a shoes repairer, or a xe om waiting for guests. Stepping into their world, one can learn many interesting stories.

I had chance to chat with Nguyen Ba Lan, one of the most famous locksmiths in Hanoi, about his life-long career. Lan was once famous for unlocking safes and strongboxes in all embassies and agencies in Hanoi. Starting this work when he was 12, the old artisan had many interesting stories to share. “To learn this job, you need time, caution and patience, but if you want to follow it as a career, you must have a pure conscience,” he said. “Because with just a little too much curiosity, it is very easy for a locksmith to become a thief." The old locksmith smiled when recalling a story from about ten years ago: A strongbox in the Embassy of China was stuck. Seven locksmiths from China had been invited but nothing changed after 12 days. Then he came and solved the problem in just 10 minutes. Skillful and honest, Lan was famous and trusted by many embassies and agencies, both local and foreign. “The Ministry of the Interior had invited me to work full-time for them but I refused because I had many other clients and especially, I had a small workshop with more than 10 understudies trying to learn the trade,” the retired artisan recalled.

In the past, without assistance of machines, good locksmiths depended entirely on the skill of their hands. When making a new key, they meticulously filed the rough draft following the cog of the old one. To be able to solve some other complicated tasks like unlocking safes, boxes or repairing locks, they had to accumulate experience for many years.

Today, however, with the help of key-copying machines, a new key is done in few minutes with high fidelity. Tong Viet Ha, a 15-year-experienced locksmith revealed that when hearing about the machine, he immediately bought one at VND6 million and it is helping him increase productivity greatly. These machines can work on all kinds of keys, even keys for some luxurious cars like Mercedes, Lexus, etc. “A modern locksmith should have 4 kinds of machines to make different kinds of keys. We always have to update new techniques from lock makers so as to treat the most complicated and safest locks,” Hoang said, “However, sometimes machines cannot replace the hands. For example, in the case of losing a key, locksmiths must use their skillful hands together with experience."

The price for making a new key normally starts from VND4,000 for a simple one goes up with the more complicated ones. Locksmiths also earn money from repairing and unlocking services.

Besides these stands, we can also see many “mobile” locksmiths. They have no machine or stand. With some acceptable skills, and a box containing essential tools, they can start going around crying “Sửa khoá đi (Do you want to repair lock or make new keys?)." Such “mobile” locksmiths are not difficult to find in Hanoi. “When I started this job, it was the best way to make money as well as learn a skill,” Vu Ngoc Tu, a 19-year-old ‘mobile’ locksmith explains. “With an experienced and renowned locksmith, clients would come and find him but as a starter, I have to find my clients.”

Tu has followed this job for 4 years since finishing high school. He learned the skills from his uncle who has a stand on Nguyen Cong Tru street. “I want to set up my own stand and buy some machines so now I am saving money. Nowadays, few young people take locksmithery as a career but I think as society develops, people will still need us."