CJS LOCKSMITHS : MY JOURNEY AND THE FUN & FROLICS OF LOCKSMITHING
» WE CAUGHT UP WITH CJS Locksmiths in Partick , whose claim to fame is having one of the largest keycutting shops in Glasgow , possibly even Scotland ! Ran by Colin Smith since 2005 , who employs two members of staff and has five cut-to-code machines for cutting security keys , CJS provides general locksmithing , auto locksmithing and sells to the trade , as well as online .
How did you get into locksmithing ?
Colin explained : “ I have been in locksmithing since I was 16 years old . My first job was working for Aardee Spring and Lock Company , in Glasgow . It was owned by Robert Duncan when I worked there , who was famous for inventing things . Robert actually invented the indoor golf putting box mechanism – the thing you hit the ball into . It was a big company , they also manufactured and fitted roller shutter doors , and made springs for everything : cars , guns , locks , whatever needed a spring , they made it .
“ I found out about the job through a friend whose mother worked for an airfreight company who knew Robert Duncan through their connection with transporting diamonds from mines ; Robert Duncan made security seals , and was asked to make a ‘ one time ’ padlock to secure the diamonds during transportation . Robert was looking for help and I became his apprentice locksmith .
“ Back in the day there was no locksmith training companies , all the training was done in-house on-the-job . Nowadays , people that are interested in locksmithing can learn the trade at lots of dedicated training facilities , however , Scotland is still fairly limited .”
Tell us about your USPs
“ We are one of the largest key-cutters in Scotland and have five cut-to-code machines for cutting security keys . We supply standard JME keys and security brands such as ABS , Maxis and Mul-T- Lock .
“ We sell online via our own webshop www . igotthekey . co . uk and also on Amazon , Ebay and Etsy .”
What I like about being a locksmith
“ Something different happens every day , the variety is immense ! You seriously never know what ’ s going to come in next . I ’ m the type of person who ’ s got ‘ ants in their pants ’ and I get bored easily , so locksmithing suits me ; I like the challenges . I ’ ve done work for the Ministry of Defence ( MOD ), Police and Ambulance Service , I get to see things other people in other trades don ’ t get to see – I ’ ve even worked on a submarine .
“ I was escorted there by high security guards on to the Naval Base . The fun seriously never stops ! I ’ ve made keys for vintage cars such as a DeLorean car ( like in Back to the Future ) and a Nissan Figaro , racing cars and even off-road Monster Trucks .”
Any funny Stories ?
We ’ re not surprised when we hear of funny locksmith stories ; people get themselves into quite some fixes … Colin told us : “ I often have prank calls , which I ’ m sure every locksmith does from timeto-time , so when you receive a bizarre telephone call you have to take it with a pinch of salt , and then , of course , it could end up to be true .
Notice Board
“ I have unlocked a doctor stuck in a real pair of handcuffs ! Yes , a doctor ! She didn ’ t have a key and was too embarrassed to go to A & E . Sometimes it ’ s best not to ask too many questions , I picked the handcuffs ’ locks and also made a key for her .
“ Also , a lady somehow got locked out of her flat without any clothes on ! It happened when the door closer on her front door did its job too quickly and slammed shut too soon - her neighbour called me and I helped her regain entry . Unfortunately , these embarrassing situations do happen and it ’ s quite funny .”
Planning ahead
“ This year we are concentrating on building trade sales and have a few things in the pipeline , lots of different things happening behind the scenes and we will tell you more in due course .”
CJS Locksmiths , Hayburn Street , Partick Glasgow Mobile – 07814 078255 cjslocksmithsltd @ gmail . com
APRIL 2024
5
Issue Takeover locksmithjournal . co . uk