Category: Blog

Your key worked fine yesterday! If it isn’t turning today it is probably because the steering lock is engaged. Try turning the steering wheel hard to one side and the other while trying to turn the key. Try sticking your key in the ignition  and tap it on the end with a hard object like…

The world wide web has set information free.  Good information and bad information. Recently the Washington Post publicized photos of the TSA’s keys on their website and that was all that was needed for people to start replicating them. When the physical key is displayed then you can mathematically deduce the cuts that need to…

There are lots of interesting security models in the lock manufacturing industry, and most of them are based on complicated machining of either keys or pins or both.  This, along with patent protections, prevents illicit key blank production. Somebody could study a key blank and make a production run of them but it would be…

Just got my cloning device in the mail.  I am now in the cloning business.  You are not limited to getting more keys from the dealership. I can clone your key for less money. I can’t do remote head keys with the buttons on them (though my friends at Broadway Locksmith can) but I can…

Today a customer asked a very good question of me: how do you prevent somebody from hiring a locksmith to open your door?  Most locksmiths have a list of prerequisites to fulfill before they will open a door for somebody including challenge-response authentication or by address on a state-issued license, but how do you help…

Schlage is being dragged into 2015’s market for the residential networked electronic lock.  August, Kwikset, Yale, and even Samsung all have viable entries in this market so no doubt there was pressure on Schlage to innovate.  Schlage’s update to the BE365 is the BE469NX.  The BE469NX has a few advantages and a few disadvantages when…

These locks are pretty cool.  If you want to be able to lock or unlock your door remotely, these are a great deal for the money.  You have to know how to set up an automated system using something like a Nest controller because I don’t offer that service, too many bugs right now and…

I am testing out my Miracle A9.  I am on my way to paying it off; I have cut multiple laser keys successfully with no problems reported by my customers, so I invested in Miracle’s conventional sidecut key clamp, which at $250 you hope will work (you probably have to cut well over 100 keys…

A lot of people are asking me about how they can get a lock they can remotely change the combination to.  A lot of them want to be running AirBNB or rentals.  I have answers for you! My favorite lock for an AirBNB situation is the Schlage be469nx.  Schlage wants you to pay them $9…

I have been getting a few calls recently from homeowner’s associations and commercial property owners who have experienced break-ins after criminals forced a door open.  They did so in two cases by merely pushing a commercial lever down really hard.  You would think that door hardware manufacturers would design their levers to fail secure, that…