I'm a locksmith and safe technician: Ask me anything.

[SlimJimmy]

28. Wafers (like in car door locks) are not the same for all maufacturers.

For example, most car locks that use wafers, use the double sided type, but not all. That's one reason why one size doesn't always fit. The same thing applies to the springs. BTW, I have a deep and abiding hate of wafers. Unless you use some type of light lubricant, they will fall out of the cam with no effort at all. One advantage though, I find them easier to pick than traditional pin tumbler locks.

I was a physical security specialist for the government, and as part of that job, was offered training as a locksmith. Once completed and after a few years experience, I moved on to safes. Training as a locksmith at an accredited in person school can be quite expensive. Typically from 6-10k when you add in food, travel, and lodging. I've paid (out of pocket) for my safe training, and it runs a bit more. Between school and equipment, I have about 60k invested. The problem is that there are only two nationally recognized in person schools (Lockmasters and MBA). But both are top notch.