Locksmith Blog

Stories Related to Locksmiths Source: Flickr Locksmiths encounter some interesting situations in their line of work. In one instance, a locksmith received a lock cylinder from a car door taken off the car because the owner lost the keys. In another instance, a locksmith had to open a mausoleum niche so that a potato chip can be removed. Someone had taken the body's remains out of the hallowed space and left the can in place. Locksmiths get frantic calls in the hot summer to unlock car doors when preoccupied mothers or fathers accidentally lock their keys in the car with their infants or toddlers. They get calls in the winter when parents lock their keys in the cold cars or the cars that are left running. Unfortunately, these stories don't…

Source: Flickr Ninety percent of burglary prevention is physical security. If your complex is locked up and unauthorized entry is made difficult, time-consuming, noisy, and visible, chances of a successful burglary are kept to a minimum. The burglar will pass up your business and look for an easier target. PREVENTION LOCKS on all outside entrances and inside security doors should be double-cylinder deadbolts with moveable collars. The deadbolt should have at least a one-inch throw containing a hardened steel insert and protected by a latch guard. PADLOCKS should be of hardened steel, mounted on bolted hasps, and always locked to prevent exchange. Serial numbers should be filed off to prevent new keys from being made. DOORS (all outside or security doors) should be of solid construction, metal lined, and secured…

Are Bump Keys a Threat to Locksmiths? Source: Flickr The public knowledge of bump keys did not make the locksmith industry happy. It opened up public scrutiny and negative images for locksmiths because it spread open knowledge of how vulnerable the public can be with the locks on the market. Privacy was made insecure and uncertain. Bump keys gained popularity and gave the public a glance into the world of the locksmith. The glance, however slight, made the job seem easy. A locksmith faces many challenges aside from the types of locks that can be opened with bump keys. But the public knowledge brought forth both positive and negative attention to locksmiths. In some aspects, it showed that more credibility needed to be gained from those legitimate in the business…

  There have been several press reports and on television recently about a weakness in the locks on UPVC doors. In some UK areas, notably West Yorkshire, Police are reporting that thieves are clearly exploiting this weakness. This is a growing problem throughout the country. No special tools are needed, and a burglar can break these Euro Profile Cylinders in a matter of seconds. Although we know the methods used, we will not disclose them in detail as a precaution against “copy-cat" burglaries. This type of lock is commonly known as a Euro Profile Cylinder and is used worldwide on uPVC, PVCu, aluminum, and some wooden doors. However secure or elaborate the multi-point locking mechanism is, it is the cylinder that is the vulnerable area. The cylinder is the part…

    The sight of a uPVC door on your home immediately acts as a potent visual deterrent. Burglars know that not only are these doors more secure than their wooden counterparts, they are also fitted with multipoint locks: a locking mechanism that secures from several points (from a basic 3 point to the ultimate 7 or 10 points).An experienced burglar can force a wooden door open in a matter of seconds. They only have one security point (the mortice lock) situated in the center of the door. The same potential burglar, faced with a multipoint locking mechanism, does not know where the door’s weak areas are - their job is 3 to 10 times more difficult. For this reason, homes fitted with security such as this are unlikely to…

Unfortunately, car theft and car break-ins are a part of life. And even the newest cars with state of the art security systems can not keep the thieves at bay. Auto security devices Luckily, you can take a few measures to make sure your car and its belongings do not become another crime statistic. First and foremost, your car should have an alarm. Car security will often come down to which has the best security equipment. If your car has an alarm and a steering lock in place, most thieves will move onto a car that is not so well secured. So, having these two car security devices in place is a good idea. There are also plenty of other auto security devices you can choose from, including wheel clamps,…

Not so long ago, people did not feel the need to lock their doors or windows. But times have changed, and so needs to use locks for protection. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, most individuals do not have the proper lock security. Only half of Americans have dead-bolt locks on all of the entry doors to their homes, and nearly one in five have none at all. The National Crime Prevention Council recommends checking and updating old locks on all doors and windows and replacing them with ones that protect keys from duplicated without your knowledge, such as Medeco Security Locks. Also, it advises you to make sure your locks have a long enough bolt so that the door cannot be pried open. Installing quality locks is the…

Source: Flickr When you don't have the right key, lock picking is a great way to open just about any lockout there. Normally, picking locks is something we associate with crime and illegal activities, although crime isn't always the case. There are a lot of instances where locking picking skills can come in real handy. Take, for instance, a lost house key or locking your car keys inside your car. Even though you could always break a window, calling a professional locksmith is the best to go - it can save you a lot of money in repairs and get the lock open fast. To properly pick a lock, you'll need the right tool kit. Even the most basic lock picking kit will contain a lock pin and a tension…

Some prisons have been known to teach locksmith skills to inmates. There has been some controversy over this for obvious reasons. Why would prison officials give someone the tools to become an even better criminal? To learn the craft, the group has access to tools that can be made into weapons. Prisoners are quite creative in learning how to make and hide weapons. They're also creative in the weapons they do make with what few tools they are provided. So, allowing the prisoners to become locksmiths not only teaches them a skill to enhance criminal behavior, but it also provides access to something that could later harm another inmate, guard, or nurse. But there has been much information and attention on reforming criminals instead of merely housing them during their…