But first, a bit about Craig and his background...
Can you tell us about your background — how long have you been working as a locksmith, and what does your typical workload involve?
I started locksmithing at the age of 14 years old and even did my work experience as a locksmith at 15. I was fortunate to live next door to a well-established locksmith who enrolled me with the "Master Locksmiths Association" and this is where my journey began.
I then worked full time locksmithing learning how to open, repair, replace locks on aluminium, wood and uPVC doors for residential and commercial customers. Over the next few years i became very proficient at locksmithing and even completed jobs on my own. I passed the MLA BLI exam at just 18 years old and this was a massive milestone in my locksmith career. I was the youngest locksmith ever in the UK to pass this exam and i had now earnt the title of "master locksmith". Having the title master locksmith is special as this accreditation is a benchmark of locksmithing excellence in the UK and it shows that you have passed the written and practical examination set out by "The Master Locksmiths Association". In 2009 i then set up AA Lock and Key locksmiths in Bristol became an MLA approved company and started to build my reputation in Bristol and all surrounding areas.
Now 16 years later i have completed thousands of jobs and earnt a 5-star reputation in Bristol, gaining a massive amount of regular repeat work, word of mouth and new customers, at this point in my locksmithing career i have over 23 years' experience in locksmithing and security. My typical workload is around five high quality jobs a day mostly reactive locksmithing where a customer has a failed uPVC or composite door lock and they are unable to secure their property, non-destructive entry lock-outs, lock fitting, repairing, changing, when customers move home and lock and security upgrades including 3-star lock fitting.
I have now started "the perspicacity life" a national locksmith marketing company promoting local locksmiths across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
What prompted you to start The Perspicacity Life, and what kind of conversations or issues are you trying to spotlight through it?
The main aim of "the perspicacity life" is to connect customers with high quality local independent locksmiths. Locksmiths who join tpl will also generate more high quality local leads and this is imperative if they wish to grow their locksmith business and hit financial goals. I can speak confidently on this as I have done it and scaled locksmith businesses and I really know what it takes to dominate.
In your experience, where is the biggest disconnect between how security products are specified and how they perform in real-life installations or repairs?
The biggest disconnect here is between the security product and the customer. To sell a lock or security product the "brand" would pitch to locksmiths via trade shows, cold calling, account managers, locksmiths would buy the product and then sell to the customer. The issue is customers will not pay premium price for a product they simply don't understand and locksmiths don't have time to show specs and options on every single job that needs completing.
For example: If I get a call and get asked to attend and replace a front door euro cylinder, I have budget, one-star, 3-star diamond standard locks on the van at my disposal, I can tell you most customers will simply pick the cheapest option. If I show and explain the options normally the customer will pick a different option.
If you were to ask locksmiths the difference between 1-star and 3-star euro locks i think you will also find most locksmiths are not one hundred percent sure, then there is TS007 which is a separate UK security standard for door hardware and locks. Then there is a diamond standard for 3-star locks which have performed above and beyond during testing by sold secure, are you now confused? As I can tell you locksmiths and customers are.
This leads to lack of sales by locksmiths and lock brands as consumers just are not asking for something they don't know they need. The trouble is euro locks are also the most popular lock out there fitted to millions of doors right across the UK. Fitting budget or inferior euro locks can leave your house open to burglary due to budget locks do not have the latest anti bump, pick and snap resistance and they definitely have not been tested. In my professional experience this disconnect needs to be looked at moving forward in 2025 and beyond.
From your perspective on the front line, what are the most common issues you see with doors that already have 3 star cylinders fitted?
Customers don't always like the fact their 3-star lock has keys that are not easily duplicated or the cost of replacement keys is high. I have seen a high failure rate of 3-star locks in 2025 as generally the general public don't know what to lubricate their lock with and i have seen some cheaper 3-star locks hitting the market that definitely have quality issues.
Do you often see examples where a 3 star lock has been undermined by poor installation, incorrect fitting, or misaligned doors — and how preventable are those problems?
Do you often see examples where a 3 star lock has been undermined by poor installation, incorrect fitting, or misaligned doors — and how preventable are those problems?
No I have not seen many issues, however I have seen 3-star locks fitted with the anti snap side on the inside and the retaining screw tightened with an impact driver and way overtightened.
How big a role does correct cylinder sizing play in maintaining the actual security of a 3 star rated lock — and is this often overlooked during specification or supply?
How big a role does correct cylinder sizing play in maintaining the actual security of a 3 star rated lock — and is this often overlooked during specification or supply?
I would always recommend that the 3-star lock fits flush with the handles externally and ideally internally. The main reason for this is if the handles are snapped you want the least amount of euro lock on offer to attack or manipulate, this will give your door maximum security, here is the exact way to professionally measure your euro cylinder lock.
Have you been called out to break-ins or attempted burglaries involving 3 star cylinders, and what can we learn from how they performed in those scenarios?
Have you been called out to break-ins or attempted burglaries involving 3 star cylinders, and what can we learn from how they performed in those scenarios?
I have been called out to an attempted burglary on a house with a 3-star lock fitted but lock was damaged but entry not gained and the lock did it's job. 3-star euro locks generally perform very well keeping your property safe if attacked even locksmiths can have difficulty with various branded 3-star locks from time to time. Locks are designed to keep you out and the 3-star euro locks are tested by sold secure and are the best of the best.
The process for fitting all 3-star locks is the same but some locks are more secure and reliable in my opinion. 3-star lock brand leaders currently in 2025 are Apecs and Mul-T-Lock.
In your opinion, does combining a 1 star cylinder with a 2 star handle perform just as well in practice as a dedicated 3 star cylinder — or are there real-world differences worth noting?
Both of these options are really good. Most customers choose just to upgrade their lock to 3-star standard usually as this is normally more cost effective and quicker and something sometimes they may even undertake on their own.
Do specifiers and fabricators always consider long-term maintenance or servicing of cylinders — and how might better planning here benefit the whole chain?
Do specifiers and fabricators always consider long-term maintenance or servicing of cylinders — and how might better planning here benefit the whole chain?
When door manufacturers supply door and frame sets they very often come with 3-star euro locks which is excellent. The only issue is very often customers don't know where to obtain the security keys from and what lock lubrication to use recommended by the lock brands. This can cause issues with lock operation and life span of the lock long term.
How well do end users — whether commercial or residential — understand what a 3 star rating really means in terms of day-to-day security?
How well do end users — whether commercial or residential — understand what a 3 star rating really means in terms of day-to-day security?
3-star rating is not well known by commercial or residential customers in general.
Have there been cases where you've advised against fitting a 3 star cylinder — and what were the practical reasons behind that decision?
If a customer is against having security keys and wants easily obtainable keys, I have opted to fit 1-star euro locks which are a good basic level of security and also suit customers budgets.
What’s one common specification or supply decision that, in your view, needs rethinking based on how things actually play out during installation or repair?
What’s one common specification or supply decision that, in your view, needs rethinking based on how things actually play out during installation or repair?
When choosing a brand of 3-star euro locks to fit it is very important to pick a brand that has quick ordering, delivery, warranty process to ensure the process is slick and easily repeatable. Locksmiths have a lot of choice in 2025, so the bar of expectation is high.
Do you think there’s enough dialogue between manufacturers, specifiers and the people who install and maintain their products?
Do you think there’s enough dialogue between manufacturers, specifiers and the people who install and maintain their products?
What could improve that feedback loop? In my opinion some lock brands need to listen to locksmiths a little more when faults and failures are pointed out with products. Brushing off well known faults pointed out by locksmiths will only cause lock brands and manufacturers more problems with warranties and failures in the future, leading to a distrust in the product and inevitably this will cause a complete lack of sales.
Looking ahead, do you see 3 star cylinders becoming the default standard — or will there continue to be a place for mixed approaches depending on the context?
Looking ahead, do you see 3 star cylinders becoming the default standard — or will there continue to be a place for mixed approaches depending on the context?
The door and hardware industry has moved to installing 3-star euro locks as standard on all new door and frame sets in 2025, but with the lack of knowledge on the 3-star lock specifications by consumers it is preventing sales in the UK.
www.theperspicacitylife.co.uk
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