HINTS & TIPS
Mortice Lock Identification
Are you one of the many locksmiths who assumes all mortice locks are “ 5-lever Chubb ” locks ?
Why does it matter which make and model the lock is , it ’ s getting drilled anyway ?
Drill enough holes and it will open eventually ?
It sounds complicated but it really is quite simple . First , you need good reference material in the form of a Mortice ID manual , or these days apps are very popular . I ’ m old school and prefer a manual but you need to make sure it ’ s up to date . This usually means if you come across something that isn ’ t in your manual you make sure , after you get it open by whatever means , you open the lock case and take photos and measurements and add them to your manual , so you know what you are dealing with next time .
‘ drilling open mortice locks “ properly ” is a skill in itself and requires the locksmith to know exactly which model of lock they are dealing with ’
Asec / Legge ( silver )
3u114e / Union 2134e
» WELL BELIEVE IT OR NOT , DRILLING open mortice locks “ properly ” is a skill in itself and requires the locksmith to know exactly which model of lock they are dealing with to enable them to use the smallest hole to open the lock without inflicting unnecessary damage to the customers door .
How can a locksmith look at the keyhole on a door and work out which lock they are dealing with ?
The way I do it is like the board game Guess Who ? It ’ s just a process of elimination , remove all the locks it can ’ t be then you have a short list to work out exactly what you are dealing with .
Now , with a good quality app everything should be constantly updated so the developers do all the hard work for you . I have recently been shown the app from Locksley ( Google it ) and was very impressed with the quality and ease of use . It is a small monthly subscription and I am not affiliated with it but I would recommend it for any new or established locksmith that is currently struggling to ID mortice locks in doors .
When looking through a keyhole , what are you looking for ?
Well , first try and give yourself the best possible chance by removing any door handles or escutcheons allowing you to see as much of the lock as possible . Now the obvious thing to look at is the colour , but I would suggest leaving that until last . Simply because the colour might be rust , many locks are branded under different names and each reseller uses their own colour . Securefast is a classic example . You often see them branded with different names on the faceplates and different colours but they are all based on the Securefast lock . Yale and Union also do the same thing with the PM560 and the Strongbolt and many others .
Colour aside what else should you be looking for ?
Well , the gauge size is a good starting point . You can pick up a set of gauge keys from ebay or various online sellers . But as a basic set just get yourself a 7g , 5g , and 5.5g blank key and cut the flag off . This will serve you well for most of the common locks in the UK today .
Once you have established the gauge you can eliminate all the other gauges so that will narrow your search down . Then
‘ Try and give yourself the best possible chance by removing any door handles or escutcheons allowing you to see as much of the lock as possible ’
12
NOVEMBER 2023
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