Notice Board
You ’ re ( Not ) in the Army Now : Safe Picking Tools & Training
We caught up with Stuart Game of Eight Ball Engineering cofounder of the locksmith tool design company along with Mark Santi . Stuart and Mark have recently formed Certified Locksmiths & Security training locksmiths on mortice lock picking , non-destructive entry and safe / vault opening .
From The Army to Locksmithing
I left the Army in 2012 and became a locksmith , initially doing non-destructive warrant work while developing my locksmith business through contracts with utility companies . I had dabbled in lock picking before I left the Army , so was already interesting in becoming a locksmith .
My interest in safe openings began after having a go at a few openings and achieving success . I learned and perfected the craft of safe picking independently , investing in tools and spending countless hours practising .
Founding Eight Ball Engineering Eight Ball Engineering was founded through a collaboration between myself and Mark Santi , with whom I served in the Army . We lived in the same street and served in the same troop during our service . When Mark left the Army , he reached out to me about becoming a locksmith and I , along with a few other locksmiths , mentored Mark as he established himself as a locksmith . Mark and I have always approached tasks in the military in a similar way so it was no surprise that we would have the same ideas when designing a locksmith tool together .
Established as a locksmith tool design company Eight Ball Engineering created tools like the Ultra Pick . For every tool designed , manufactured , and released , the company offers training on its use . The company reached out to locksmiths in the trade for input on course content and , both of us being military instructors , we designed a structured training programme that focuses on the locksmith succeeding in opening .
Eight Ball Engineering has five directors : Richard Barry ( marketing ), Philip Levy ( website ), Steve Brown ( logistics & packaging ), Mark Santi ( MD ), and the Stuart Game ( R & D and training ). The company continuously explores tool ideas to support the locksmith industry with innovative designs .
Collaborations & Training Eight Ball Engineering travelled to various locations such as Leeds , Bristol , Tunbridge Wells , Stansted , Scotland , and attended events like Key Print ’ s open day , followed by training sessions . Key Print also distributes the Ultra Pick .
We assisted with safe openings , picking , and decoding of 11-lever safe lock using new magnetic charts to plot gates and aid in lock picking . Certified Locksmiths & Security is a brand of Eight Ball Engineering , that holds nationwide training events which included the charity weekend ( covered by the Locksmith Journal in July ) camping outside the YMCA in Reading . At this event , I did a demonstration of picking an 11-lever double-bitted safe lock in front of forty locksmiths , which was not planned , so no pressure at all !
NEXT EVENT : We ’ re doing it again on 9-11th May 2025 .
Career in Safe Opening My interest in safe opening grew after successfully opening a few safes . This led me to close my locksmithing business in 2015 and work for three of the main safe providers in the UK . I first worked for Associated Security before joining the Swedish company Gunnebo which acquired Chubb Safes as part of its service arm . From 2017 to 2020 , I was promoted to Technical Engineer , handling technical calls with customers . In 2020 , I moved to Safe and Vault Company just as the lockdown began ; this company was later acquired by Burton Security .
A year ago , at Burton Security I was promoted to Engineering and Installations Manager , responsible for both safe engineering and locksmithing , as well as managing a team of locksmiths . Furthermore , I designed and implemented a modular training system to enhance the skills of our engineers . Throughout my career , I have participated in lock expos and provided training sessions for the Burton Security engineers . I have also trained numerous small organisations in Ireland and have always been eager to pass on my knowledge to others .
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JANUARY 2025
locksmithjournal . co . uk