At Farró, locks are repaired and grilles are manufactured.

Can a locksmith also be a blacksmith? What's the difference between a locksmith and a locksmith? Consulting dictionary definitions, there seems to be a consensus that a locksmith encompasses the practices of both locksmithing and blacksmithing. Locksmith: "Craftsman or technician specializing in making, repairing, installing, and adjusting locks, keys, bolts, and various metal objects, especially for buildings and furniture." Some definitions use "locksmith" as a synonym. Others, however, maintain that a locksmith is strictly an expert in door locks. Well, be that as it may, at number 2 Gleva Street, we find La Gleva Locksmith, which has been Javier Redonnet's daily home for twelve years. It all started the day he passed by and saw that the previous locksmith was about to retire and agreed to take over the business. Javier has known the trade since he was very young. At 17, he took a welding course and developed a taste for the profession. He worked for others for several years until he found this little corner in the fantastic Farró neighborhood and set up his own business.

Javier works alone, and the neighborhood orders mean there are days when he can't keep up. Right now, he's working on a curved stainless steel railing for a neighboring building's ramp. He's finding it tough to get his foot on the neck. But he'll manage, of course. His specialty is ironwork. He's an expert at replacing building entrance doors, making grilles for doors and windows, iron shelves and furniture, installing mailboxes and ladders, and welding all kinds of utensils. Some people bring him a pot from the kitchen to have a handle welded on that's fallen off. "It might be cheaper to buy a new one at the hardware store," he suggests. But as we know, we can get attached to the everyday utensils we use, and the welding job gets done.

What does he do when he's commissioned to do a job in a building entrance? He goes, takes measurements, shows sample photos of previous work, and carries out the project. He installs the glass if necessary, the lock, connects the intercoms, etc. He has a regular clientele of property managers and also private individuals who require his wide range of services. Recently, a gentleman who still uses butane gas in his house asked him for a small iron shed to store the cylinders and protect them from the elements.

Orders of all kinds

Other unusual or strange commissions? A shelf to hide a safe, welding pieces for a trophy that needs to be delivered soon, repairing a broken iron sculpture you've had at home for years, adding legs to an old brazier to turn it into a table, bar stools that need fixing or reinforcing, seats that need weaving, welding a spike to become a Nazi army weapon for an exhibition.

Perhaps Javier's strongest point in the business is door locks. It's the most financially interesting and profitable aspect. A common request is to change the lock, but also to repair it. The essential parts are the cylinder—the piece where the key is inserted—and the keyholes—the plates where the key's teeth fit. These are precision mechanisms that require technique and in-depth knowledge of the trade. And Javier is a guarantee of that.

This corner of Farró has been a locksmith's shop since 1860. It has seen every possible era and stage. It's a small but well-utilized space that for many years housed a forge. Some of the machinery is very old and works like new. There's even an old anvil for manual ironwork with a hammer. A relic of the past that still does the job.