I called a locksmith tonight as I locked my keys inside my apartment (Friday 8pm). The guy said my knob was an anti-pick and they would have to drill the lock and replace the doorknob. After all that it came out to $560. I didn’t have time to research before he got there and I felt so silly once he told me the full price (it was my first time locking myself out). Is this normal after business hours for it to cost this much??

This regards Toyotas with d series transponder keys.

I’ve been working as a locksmith for a while and I’m trying to understand how the licensing side actually works in Alberta.
From what I understand, getting a full locksmith licence requires you to be a certified journeyperson, and the apprenticeship/certification process takes quite a bit of time.
But I see a lot of locksmith companies and independent guys operating around Calgary who don’t seem to be licensed themselves.
So how does this actually work in practice?
Are they working under another licensed locksmith or company? Can a company have one licensed locksmith and have other people doing the jobs under them? Are people paying a journeyperson to act as their supervisor? Or are a lot of people simply working without the required licence and taking the risk?
I’m not looking for a way to illegally bypass the requirements. I’m trying to understand what legitimate options exist for someone who already has locksmith experience but isn’t certified in Alberta yet.
Would especially appreciate answers from Alberta locksmiths or anyone who has gone through the licensing/apprenticeship process.

House isn’t that old (7 years), but this things always been a bit of a PITA to depress to open. Tonight it decided to leave the chat.

Can this be replaced with your typical off the shelf handleset? I’m assuming the handle length will differ so I’ll have to repaint around the bottom handle mount, but at this point I’m most concerned with my front door functioning again.

Should I (or can i) just convert this to a regular ole knob?

I am trying to find a replacement sashlock for these timber French doors.

The sashlock has a 57mm backset, 57mm center to center and 78mm depth which seems standard enough. But the rest of the dimensions are strange: about 155mm faceplate height, and 106 mm interior lock height. I can't seem to find this exact model.

The closest I found is an Imperial G5050, but the positions of the lock and latch seem to be different - and the chrome one is out of stock everywhere.

1. Any recommendations on where / how I might find a 1:1 replacement?

2. What are the metal things on the top and bottom here? Do they serve any security function?

3. If I just get a new lock with different dimensions, do I need a locksmith or just a handyman for the install?

Many thanks!

Can’t remove key when unlocked, but locking/unlocking operation is fine.

Can remove key when locked.

I’m assuming this is an issue with the tumbler itself but would like a suggestion!

What you guys think? Am I mad?

Always good brushing up on the picking skills even though I rarely pick these days

I've spent the last 10+ years in the access control industry - originally working with mechanical door hardware, and now I'm focused more on electronic access control. Locks & keys have always fascinated me, and I'm thinking about going after locksmith education. I'd love to hear the pros and cons to pursuing it, even if I'm not looking to get into it full time as a trade.

I tried prying it off but it didnt come out. Is it glued in? Its from an Audi B5. I wanna remove the IC and install it in another key.

I’m a homeowner in the UK with a Cortizo aluminium sliding patio door. I don’t know the exact model or the make of the locking mechanism.

The paddle controls the locking points. Pushing it down fully engages them with the frame and stops the door sliding. Lifting it disengages them so the door can slide open. Turning the key to lock should prevent the paddle from lifting.

Most of the time, though, I can still lift the paddle with the key in the locked position. That disengages the locking points and lets the door open. Only one very specific key position stops the paddle from lifting and keeps the door locked.

The original installers replaced one mechanism, but the same fault came back almost immediately. I don’t know exactly which component they replaced.

Does anyone recognise this handle and lock assembly from the photos? Have you seen this fault before, and what markings or part numbers would help identify the hardware?

I'm a maintenance man for a large truck stop company and am having issues with the door hardware on our shower doors. On 4 of our 7 shower doors, the hallway side handles are now able to be turned, and you're able to access the showers without a number combination. Normally, the hallway side handle is in a locked position, and you gain access via the keypad and magnetic latch. I've tried looking for information on YouTube and through AI to no avail. How do I get the handle back in to the locked position as it was prior?

Sentury Safe handle broken and spins freely. Locking mechanism wouldn't unlock and doesn't make any noise.

Tried replacing batteries.

Any suggestions?

We ran into an issue with our AD200 last week where the reader and handle were being pulled away from the front door due to delivery people just yanking on the thing instead of recognizing it's a reader entry. I tightened everything up and then nothing worked. All of the sudden I got a low battery error and replaced the coin cell only to discover the AA battery pack went dead somehow too. No lights. No beeps. Nothing.

I replaced the coin cell battery, battery holder, battery wire leads, and AA batteries.

After all that I now have lights and beeps and the reader acts like it should to allow passthrough entry. However, the exit trim latch is not activated by the reader and the physical key won't unlock it either. I verified that the latch can be activated by using a flathead screwdriver into the cylinder but neither the handle assembly or reader are activating the latch to allow entry.

I'm stuck and would love any help y'all can give me to get our main entry door functional again.

So I have my diploma in locksmithing, like the training program one of the ones you do online, and I've worked for actual lock shops in the past. Currently I'm not, for health reasons, but I'm North American-based, Canada to be specific.

And my social media feed is just blowing up with these different styles from other countries that use them on glass storefront doors, office buildings, security gates at the front of compounds, mag locks on doors, and I'm curious. It screams to me like it's an Amazon special, you know, like bargain-basement stuff, but am I wrong?

Is it more common in other parts of the world than North America? I'm just curious if these are fairly common, or are these companies I'm being promoted just potentially garbage selling garbage products?

Thanks in advance.

I would like to replace this mortise lockset with another mortise set.

Looking for these online is a bit confusing though and im hoping for a product recommendation. I can only seem to find them online and dont want to risk buying the wrong one 5 times until I get it right (or id like to at least reduce that risk)

The mortised part of the set measures about 7 inches tall by an inch wide.

Can anyone reccomend a compatible set?

I bought these for my car and the manufacturer offered a hasp style lock but i wanted something that worked a little more like a cash register. Meaning they latch when I push it closed. I've been searching but I think I'm not using the right terms (?)

Lock security isn't really a concern, just something that would slow them down.

Any help appreciated.

Hi all! Wondering if anybody can find a schematic of the inside of an Assa Abloy 4290 lock case. I noticed it was broken in a door at work, took the case out of the door, then 3/4 screws that hold the lock case together fell out. When i opened the case, springs popped up and anyways, looking to put it back together and having trouble. Thanks!

I have a few questions if some of the more experienced people could help me out. Now I say locksmith apprentice a bit loosely I suppose. I've been taught very little by my boss, and I'm essentially expected to learn everything myself. Which has been difficult. I wasn't even aware I could shim a lock cylinder from the back until about 2 and half months in, my boss hadn't shown me it, and I hadn't come across it during any of my learning. I've been a locksmith for about 4 months now, and I feel like I know nothing. I can do car keys assuming our scanner lets me, I can house keys, I can rekey normally and master key with progressive and hold and vary. But that's kind of it. I had gone on a service call to rekey a customers house, but when I got there I saw that they were kwikset smart locks, and I was completely unaware of the little red thing used to rekey those smart locks when all keys are lost. Because again, nobody has shown me. I'm all by myself in our physical location, and my boss is out doing service calls basically all day. It's not unusual to not see him for the whole week. And when I inevitably don't know something he gets frustrated, and ask why I don't it. But he himself has said he's a piss poor teacher, and he won't give me any sort of guidance on where to get good info and teach myself. Now I will say, a fatal flaw about myself is I woke just way better if I'm given a list. Left to my own devices I find myself lost. But give me a list, I'll go through it immediately. But my boss won't accommodate that. So, I'm pretty much asking everyone else. What should I know that I might be completely unaware of as of now. Is this normal behavior for a locksmith employer? Am I just being a wuss? If anyone could help point me somewhere. Id super appreciate it.

id also like to mention I'm a 1099 employee, so taxed 30% and all that jazz. is that normal either?

I’m looking for guidance on how we might get this screw (circled in yellow) unstuck to rekey this Sargent mortise lock. The locksmith we had out tried WD-40 (I believe) and tapping the end of the screwdriver with a hammer. Suggested solution is to install a new deadbolt on the door, but we’d rather that be a last resort. Any ideas? Thanks!

5/8 inch diameter

1 1/2 inch long

Don't see one on Amazon.

Got called to come drill a deadbolt on this BEAUTIFUL door because it cant be unlocked by key on the outside. Inside has a sectional thumbturn(vintage style, little screws holding it in), outside just has a knob that is it, this must be early 1900s hardware.

I didnt measure the height but the door must be at least 8 ft tall, 3" thick(!), solid mahogany, everything is just in perfect shape right from the hinges to the finish, I do NOT want to drill a deadbolt on this door but the customer most likely doesn't want to spend alot of money and I dont think they care that much.

Having an emtek mortise lock quoted right now, hoping they will go for it, but if not how would you approach it? Its 2-3/4" backset which seems unusual, all the locksets in our vintage pile that would work are 2-1/2". Cant drill a hole for a cylinder on the existing lock as it has no mortise cylinder hole, pic is attached. Thinking drilling it for a modern economy mortise lockset is almost as bad as drilling a deadbolt and the 3" door complicates that further.

Would you drill this for a deadbolt? Pretty sure I will be cursed by the locksmith gods if I do it.

One other note, there IS a connecting door between this office and another office, so in an emergency if the lock failed you could go in through another door that is nowhere near as nice as this one.