Locksmith Refuses to Turn Over Master Keying Information to Customer - What to Do?

Example of Master Key Chart

Too many locksmiths are holding their customers hostage, especially when it comes to turning over the master-key codes and bitting lists after the keying job is done. The reason locksmiths will not offer to give you the keying information to the lock job you paid for is because they want to keep you from being able to hire another locksmith. It is really that simple. I know a locksmith who does this:

1. Promptly changes the locks at a business.
2. Gets paid.
3. Stops showing up promptly for the little jobs.
4. Is asked by the customer to turn over the keying information and refuses.
5. Doesn't care because he knows the customer is now at his mercy.

Why should you require the lock keying information before the job is started? Because, if you don't, you will never get it. Without the keying information, you will not be able to expand your master key system. Why? Because, without it, the next locksmith may create a key that will inadvertently unlock a lock it is not supposed to unlock. If this happens, everyone can get sued.

Now, you know the truth and, hopefully, you know to ask for the key bitting charts before the locksmith begins your job. Oh, by the way - your locksmith will say, "The lock chart is intellectual property." Hogwash. The guy has a computer program that does it for him.

What does the bitting chart and codes sheet have on it?

1. Key numbers. In our illustration, the key numbers are 1AA, 2AA, etc.
2. The key cutting information (adjacent to the key number. 6AA - 546767).
3. The bottom and master pin numbers, pins used in the key cylinders.

Without this information in your possession, the locksmith who did the original work can give you shoddy service and raise his prices.

How do you get around not having the master key charts and bitting lists? A good locksmith can take a pair of calipers and measure every cut in every key you have and determine the system. That, however, takes time and money.

The moral of the story? If you are an office manager or a maintenance supervisor, you must ask for and receive from your locksmith, in writing, before the job begins, that he will turn over to you all of the keying information. If he refuses, call HL Flake in Memphis, Tennessee, and ask them to design a key system for you. Then, look for another locksmith.

Masterkeying Problems - Your Incompetent Locksmith Has Filed Down Your Cylinders

Chances are there are some locksmiths in your area that are highly incompetent. They drive the vehicle, wear the shirt, and have the advertisements; but they have no real clue about quality work. In Nashville, TN, even some of the oldest locksmiths are destroying customers locks so that they cannot be master-keyed securely. You would be surprised by who it is, because they are highly regarded in the community. When an incompetent locksmith re-keys your locks, he removes them, puts the wrong sized tumblers in the chambers, and grinds the lock cylinder down on a grinder or he hand files them. When he does this, he is removing from .020 to ,045 of an inch of valuable metal from your lock. He is ruining your lock!

Now, let us say that you call another locksmith in to master-key the locks. When a lock is master-keyed, a master key works the lock and an individual, different key works the lock as well. In fact, a master key system can have more levels than just two. But the problem comes when your incompetent locksmith files the cylinder plugs down to fit his wrong tumblers. Why? Because there are master pins that start at .024 of an inch. If he files the plug down to .045 of an inch, you can see that a .024 inch master pin will float in empty space and jam your lock.

There is a way around this problem, however. Today I did a small master key job where a locally famous, incompetent locksmith preceded me. The plugs were all filed down and some of the chambers were mauled. Because the master key system was small, I designed it to take larger master pins. Instead of making small two-step increments in the system, like a #2 cut in the master and a #4 cut in the change key, I went to a #5 in the change key. The difference between the #4 and #5 was sufficient enough to compensate for the filed cylinder plugs. So, the difference between a #2 master key cut and #5 change key cut is 3. A 3 master pin is thicker than a number 2 master pin.

I will tell you just how prevalent lock cylinder filing is. A number of years ago there was locksmith school here in the southern part of the country. The owner told me to insert the pins, grind the cylinder, and that would take care of the job; and this guy was grinding away a fourth of the cylinder. His excuse was that the lock was not pick-proof anyway. What he did was to make the lock no longer fit to be keyed. He also made the lock easier to pick and made the chances greater that a wrong key could "jiggle" the lock open.

So, if you want your locks master-keyed, you will need to know if your locksmith has filed the cylinders down. If he has, and he won't tell you they have been filed, he will have to sell you replacement cylinders. The cost of your job will be double.

If you suspect that your locksmith is filing your cylinders, have another locksmith install a new cylinder and call the suspect locksmith to key it. Have the first locksmith inspect the work. If the lock has been filed, fire the old locksmith.