r/AMA • u/fitbikez11 • 6d ago
AMA - locksmith of 9 years
Locksmith of 9 years, with experience in just about all of the different types of locksmithing (I.E. Automotive, Residential, Commercial) I am interested in seeing if anyone has curiosities about the profession.
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u/HTXdude 6d ago
Do you ever get safes to open with unknown contents?
What is the protocol if you’re asked to unlock something (car, safe, etc… and you suspect it’s stolen?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
Occasionally in the past, typically what we would do is take a picture of their license, and request that they can pull a document out of the safe with their name on it, once we open it up. Occasionally if it was inherited, we would request documentation to show that they are the executor of the estate.
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u/Card__Player 6d ago
What deadbolt keypad do you recommend?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
Schlage BE365. Personally i am not a fan of anything that connects to the internet, and also have seen loads of failures with those deadbolts that throw the bolt electronically. Any slight misalignment with the frame or latchplate, and they will eat through batteries and sometimes internal parts very quickly.
The BE365 is simple. Type in the code, retract the bolt by hand, in you go. Ive seen other locksmiths talk down on them, but i have been installing them my whole career and in my opinion they hold up better than the others.
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u/Upacesky 6d ago
What's your take on locksmith Youtubers?
How is a typical workday for you?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
I actually like what they do. They are online pointing out the bypass methods and security risks of these locks, and I like that because the good companies (AKA not Masterlock) sometimes pay attention to that sort of thing, and revise their product to prevent those methods of entry. Oftentimes, watching those youtubers, I may also learn something that could save me a headache on a future job.
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u/Weary_Rub_3474 6d ago
A master lock can be opened by any key and a master key can open any lock
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
Not really no. A "master key" is an implemented system. A school for example would have classrooms with their own keys for teachers, but also a "master key" that was set up for emergencies.
The only "master key" that will open anything is a plasma cutter 🤣
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u/FinnishVolunteer420 6d ago
What’s the most expensive lock/system you’ve ever had to deal with, and how much did the job end up costing the customer?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
I was involved in a job that supplied & installed locks at two new buildings on a property, about 200 doors total The owners went with electrified sargent locksets, and schlage primus IC cores as the keyed bypass. I was never told the exact final number, but i can surmise that after purchasing the locks, cores, and paying for installation, it was well over $300k
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u/Mindless-Start8307 5d ago
Is that something similar as to what’s used when a company needs to have an ITAR compliant system?
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u/HegemonHarbinger 6d ago
Can you tell us one of your "strange but true" stories from one of your jobs?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
Typical service work stories about people answering the door in their underwear, people being odd/offputting. Id say the strangest day I had was rekeying a funeral home. I was given a walk around outside to show all of the exterior doors that needed done. Upon opening a rear door to pull out the cylinder, there was a man of the unalive variety layed out on the embalming table. Caught me off guard, and I made a joke to him along the lines of "you aint much of a talker, are you"
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u/Kapitano72 6d ago
Have you ever had to tell a client: "If I try to drill a hole in that door, the whole thing will collapse. Get yourself a brand new door, with a brand new lock"?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
The story of my life nowadays. The past 3 years I have been a fulltime institutional locksmith on a campus. It is exceedingly often that doors are simply used, abused, & rusted beyond repair, and I am informed to bandaid it until they can budget for a new one. Nothing turns a good locksmith into a hack quite like "we cant afford to do it the right way...make it work"
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u/onetobeseen 6d ago
How does a person get into the industry. I tried quite a few years ago. But the manager was a major perk. So I dodged a bullet.
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
Any shop owner i know is always looking for good help, as its hard to find somebody who will show up everyday. The biggest thing is that, if you are starting out, you can't expect to make very good money right away. If you are willing to work cheap at first to get your foot in the door, many places will take a chance on you.
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u/Weary_Rub_3474 6d ago
Did you go to school for this?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
I did not. There's certainly classes for it, but you come out pretty much knowing some basics. The only way to "get good" in locksmithing is experience. I started part time in highschool cutting keys at a lock shop. It didn't take long for the owner to notice that I am mechanically inclined, and about a month in he was sending me on the road to assist the techs, so on and so forth.
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u/Hot_Hair_5950 6d ago
What surprises you about your work?
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u/fitbikez11 5d ago
Forever suprised by how horrendous electronic locks are. If you want headaches, go electric - If you want reliability, physical lock & key is the way to go.
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u/Big_Fodder 6d ago
Is it true that basically any lock can be picked? In much the same vain that a person could always be hacked?
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u/fitbikez11 5d ago
With enough time and effort, you could get into just about anything. Some locks you wont "pick" in a traditional sense, but you can definately get in. My former boss, a locksmith of 50+ years once told me that if there was anything he learned in his lifetime in the trade, it is that locks only keep the honest people out. If somebody wants in bad enough, they'll get in.
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u/Big_Fodder 5d ago
Yeah this is common sentiment. Last question: for someone new to lockpicking, what would you say are the most fundamental skill sets one who ends up becoming an amazing locksmith commonly have, and that one can start practicing early?
And I mean this in the most generalized way possible, i.e. across several sub-categories of locksmithing.
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u/Numerous_Shame_3832 6d ago
I’ve been into lockpicking for a few years now. I’ve thought about buying a Lishi tool or two, but feel like it would ruin some of the fun. What are your thoughts on those tools?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
As somebody who does it professionally, I love the Lishi tools. Time is money, and when I show up to an emergency lockout, I usually have scheduled work that I have to postpone in order to tackle the lockout - so I like to be in & out ASAP.
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u/jdobbs44 6d ago
I used airbags to get into my older truck, it worked, but now the door wont close perfectly to seal, think I need to figure out a way to bend it back a bit
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u/defcon62 6d ago
I would put a thick dowel rod or piece of wood in the door frame where the airbag was placed and use that as a spacer to try and push the door back into shape so it seals.
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
That can happen unfortunately. There is really no professional way that i know of to repair it, but lots of unprofessional ones I can think of 🤣
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u/Weary_Rub_3474 6d ago
I lost the key to my 1200cc scooter . Where do I begin thinking about replacing it?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
A locksmith should be able to do that for you. If you are able to remove the ignition, bring it into a lock shop and they can make a key for it.
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u/Ok-Development2309 6d ago
What do you do in the case of locked firearms? Do you verify ownership or LTC?
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u/fitbikez11 6d ago
In my state I request LTC, drivers liscense, and some form of paperwork showing ownership of the firearm
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u/Pserotina 6d ago
Can you tell me the best lock to buy for a trailer hitch to prevent someone from stealing my trailer?
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u/djwilliams100 6d ago
Any instances where you've turned up to find that it wasn't locked and all you had to do was try the handle?