Author: Bjørn Madsen

New locks come with factory cut keys and they usually work very smoothly. Simply insert the key into the lock and turn, and voila! The door is unlocked. Unfortunately this is not everybody’s experience. That is because, contrary to popular belief, reproducing keys is an analog process. People think they can make a copy of…

This bicycle lock did its job. Someone tried to pry it off, or maybe they used a car jack, but it held on. Unfortunately the owner still had to pay me to remove the bicycle lock since the key didn’t work it anymore. If a smaller U lock was used, it would be harder to…

If you need to lock your vehicle up you could do much worse than slicklocks. Canopies are notoriously insecure so this setup might actually be better than the keyed locks usually seen on truck canopies. Even so, had to take a picture of this.

I just got paid $1800 to rekey a building in the University District because their master key was compromised. There are a few lessons to learn from this. exercise appropriate key control. Lock keys up in a really secure location that can’t be accessed by brute strength, and maybe don’t leave master keys on site.…

I had to go rekey an apartment unit for a lady whose keys were stolen when I noticed that the front door to her building was missing the deadlatch that came with the lock. The guy who installed it either didn’t have the right backset or took the deadlatch that came with the lock to…

I know how keys are commonly stolen. This is because people call me to rekey their house when their keys are stolen. Some people hide their keys in common places like in/under flower pots next to the door, under welcome mats, on top of door frames etc and criminals find the key. Sometimes they’re stolen…

Anybody who’s hired me to unlock their door has probably heard my spiel about correct strike placement so that the lock’s deadlatch is functioning correctly. This is particularly important on doors that only have one lock, a requirement for many doors due to fire codes in commercial buildings. If your strike plate isn’t correctly installed…

If you have a lock cylinder that spins around 360 degrees or more when you try to lock or unlock it, you can’t pull your key out, or you pulled the cylinder out with your key then chances are that the retainer cap pin sheared off. This is fairly common with Baldwin and Emtek deadbolts.…