No more locksmith shops?

I needed a collection of house, office, saddlebag, filing cabinet, car and motorcycle keys so I figured that I would hit a Locksmith and do it all at once. I drove to my local shop and it was no longer. So I drove to every other one I could remember in this area, and they are all gone. So I got online, found some more, checked to make sure they had a website, even saw them on Google Earth, but when I drove over, they were all gone too. Doh!

It was my first trip to a locksmith ever, so I shouldn't be surprised that they no longer have storefronts. Some research shows that most people go to the big box stores for keys, or to the car dealer, so locksmiths are completely mobile now. They specialize in coming to you wherever you may be locked out. No need for a store anymore.

Sign of the times I guess, but it will take forever to get all these copies made!!!

call one up and have them come to you..

There used to be a bunch around here too... now there is only one. He has a big shop and also does safes

im lucky to have one near me - and he is very good.. but saddly he is thinking of retiring and closing up also

Sadly, the days of the skilled tradesman are dying. My grandfather was a locksmith for decades, and when he retired, the shop he worked for was not open much longer. Locks are cool too.

Try an older, established hardware store, they usually still make keys--even made keys for the mazda and triumph! Sign of the times--when you really need one, when is it? When you've locked yourself out--so it makes sense to go mobile.

Now find a shoe maker or a tailor--NOT in a large city--better yet, a typewriter repair company, or even a NEW typewriter.

trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

The local Ace Hardware store still have a key cuttin' machine.

Ace is always great for everything!

Whenever I needed a key made in the small town I used to live in I would just call up the mobile guy and stop by his house in the evening to drop off the keys, come back the next day and they would be ready.

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

Come on up to the non Ny-NJ border of Ct and you'll feel right at home. When I had my keys made, they cut 4 before they got one right, charged me for one. Costs more, but, they won over some of my business by going the extra mile.

EDIT add: there are automated and the older manual key cutting machines. The automated ones are in the big box stores; if you have an unusual key, or odd ball, seek out someone with a manual cutter. Fun to watch, too.

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

Or...

Maintenance Mechanic wanted: Local manufacturing facility has immediate opening for multi-talented maintenance mechanic. Must be able to arc weld, MIG and TIG weld as required. Must be able to read electrical schematics, trouble shoot and maintain electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems. Repair electric, gas and oil fired heaters, furnaces, steam and hot water boilers, chillers and HVAC equipment, transformers, bussbars, water towers, cooling towers, pumps, valves, compressors, water cooling systems, sprinklers and plant air systems. Must pass drug screening. Universal Refrigerant license required. Competitive pay: $12/ hr.

Maybe that's why we build new schools rather than maintain what we have. I remember janitors doing everything, now they wax the floor, maybe. Ct. loves to ignore the schools until they're falling apart, then it's float a 10million bond issue for a new school...apalled me when I moved up here from MD.

So true so true...

I applied for a job (Auto shop) and the list was something like that but was $13 a FLAT RATE HOUR !!!! The sad part was I think someone took the job

fasted58 wrote: Or... Maintenance Mechanic wanted: Local manufacturing facility has immediate opening for multi-talented maintenance mechanic. Must be able to arc weld, MIG and TIG weld as required. Must be able to read electrical schematics, trouble shoot and maintain electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems. Repair electric, gas and oil fired heaters, furnaces, steam and hot water boilers, chillers and HVAC equipment, transformers, bussbars, water towers, cooling towers, pumps, valves, compressors, water cooling systems, sprinklers and plant air systems. Must pass drug screening. Universal Refrigerant license required. Competitive pay: $12/ hr.

If you're looking for a key-maker, a good hardware store can usually do that. If you're looking for a real locksmith (make keys from the lock, pick locks, etc.) call a towing company, they will likely either have someone on staff or know someone that does. Repo companies do, too, but they don't advertise to the general public usually.

Donebrokeit wrote: So true so true... I applied for a job (Auto shop) and the list was something like that but was $13 a FLAT RATE HOUR !!!! The sad part was I think someone took the job

fasted58 wrote: Or... Maintenance Mechanic wanted: Local manufacturing facility has immediate opening for multi-talented maintenance mechanic. Must be able to arc weld, MIG and TIG weld as required. Must be able to read electrical schematics, trouble shoot and maintain electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems. Repair electric, gas and oil fired heaters, furnaces, steam and hot water boilers, chillers and HVAC equipment, transformers, bussbars, water towers, cooling towers, pumps, valves, compressors, water cooling systems, sprinklers and plant air systems. Must pass drug screening. Universal Refrigerant license required. Competitive pay: $12/ hr.

Sounds a bit like my job, School Bus Maintinence Mechanic, must have experience in both gas and Diesel engine repair and maintinence, must have own tool sets plural, one big one for the shop and a second less exotic set for the service truck you will be issued.2yr Degree in Automotive and/or Diesel prefered, must have skill in fabrication and welding mostly MIG, as well as body work on a smaller level. Must be able to obtain class B CDL with passenger and tanker endorsements, class A with wrecker driving certification prefered.Must obtain state inspectors lisence and esoteric Shool bus inspectors lisence, ASE certifications prefered but only will give you a pay increase for the esoteric School Bus ASE's starting pay 11.65 hour and after 28years and all your bus ASE's you might see 15 hr. It is at least a state job with limited benefits and retirement.

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

Get into industrial trades.

Going rate for a maintenance mechanic here is in the $30/hr range. The big shops pay even better.

pinchvalve wrote: I needed a collection of house, office, saddlebag, filing cabinet, car and motorcycle keys so I figured that I would hit a Locksmith and do it all at once.

Thankfully, we have a good one locally. They've survived by also selling bicycles (For anybody in central FL, it is Anderson Cycle & Key)

Broward County Schools has a custodian instructor that is paid 105,000.00 per year. To teach them how to clean. Landscapers making over 50K. Laying off 1500 teachers because of cutbacks. I live next door to the Queen of Hearts.

I hate getting keys cut. I normally end up having to fix them myself. If the hardware store sold blanks, I'd just cut my own. Certainly wouldn't be the first time I've cut a key with a file.

Locksmithing is something I should probably get into. I used to do some lock picking as a sport. I got quite good at it when I was active. I got bored with it when I got down all of the common locks, like your Kwiksets and Schlages.

As it stands, without having to call a locksmith, the only place I can get a key cut that will work is Ace. They have an old manual machine next to the automatic POS. You have to go in there when the guy that can run the manual cutter is in there. If it gets cut on the automatic machine, it's kind of a crap shoot.

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

I hesitate to say this, because it might turn this into another political thread..but one thing I've noticed at our local Wal Mart is that the guys in the auto service section (yeah, I'm guilty..but at least the Bravada was the only thing we ever took over there) are all older guys who once ran their own "mom & pop" stores, before they got priced out of business. Weird thing..the guy over in the sporting goods section was the guy I loved to talk to at the local gun shop before it closed. Can't help but wonder if that's where all the locksmiths went as well.

Anyway, most of the "real" locksmiths here don't have storefronts anymore..they have vans full of equipment and big ads in the Yellow Pages.

friedgreencorrado wrote:

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

I hesitate to say this, because it might turn this into *another* political thread..but one thing I've noticed at our local Wal Mart is that the guys in the auto service section (yeah, I'm guilty..but at least the Bravada was the only thing we ever took over there) are all older guys who once ran their own "mom & pop" stores, before they got priced out of business. Weird thing..the guy over in the sporting goods section was the guy I loved to talk to at the local gun shop before it closed. Can't help but wonder if that's where all the locksmiths went as well. Anyway, most of the "real" locksmiths here don't have storefronts anymore..they have vans full of equipment and big ads in the Yellow Pages.

In reply to mtn:

(Re: KOTH episode)

First time I saw that one (I used to work at Cartoon Net/Adult Swim), it raised the hair on the back of my neck. So true, so true.

Or as Hank would say, "Yup."

Cutting keys was always a small bit of the locksmithing income. The machine is small and easily set into the back of a van. So if a shop doesn't have a couple of locksmiths, they were invariably out in the field unlocking something for someone.

Instead of just showing up on the locksmiths door, give their phone number a call and find out when they are actually going to be in their office.

triumph5 wrote: Now find a shoe maker or a tailor--NOT in a large city--better yet, a typewriter repair company, or even a NEW typewriter.

Funny you should say that, the last typewriter factory in the world shut down about 6 weeks ago. Why? Because nobody was buying them. Not many people buy mechanical adding machines either.

As for the shoe maker, I know of a couple here in town. We've got a population of 100,000 if you count the entire region, so it's not a large city. I know where the locksmith shop is too. Professions come and go, that's the nature of change.

Zomby woof wrote:

mad_machine wrote: trust me.. I know that skilled tradesmen are on the way out. I am one.. and the current atmosphere in some of the casinos in town is that we can be replaced by any old monkey off the street

Get into industrial trades. Going rate for a maintenance mechanic here is in the $30/hr range. The big shops pay even better.

No thanks.. I make 37/hr.. or at least I have made 37 an hour up till July when our contract talks start. I hear they are pushing for an almost 10/hr DECREASE in our pay.. so I will probably wind up back at where I started 10 years ago.. 30/hr.

As for locksmiths.. I recently had a Key made for a man lift. Got tired of "borrowing" the company one and had one made for myself (no they didn't mind) I stopped at one of the big box stores and a real locksmith was manning the booth.

While he did not have the correct key.. he was able to cut down one to fit before putting the teeth into it. Works perfectly!