What are the Types of Locks Locksmiths Cannot Open?

The services locksmiths render are a vital part of any community, and they’re relied upon to keep people safe. However, many locks that can be used to secure homes and businesses can also be challenging for even the most experienced professionals to open without damaging them.

Many people believe that locksmiths are the only ones who can open any type of lock. In truth, there are many different types of locks locksmiths cannot open without specialized training or tools. These locks can be particularly difficult and may require a different approach or expertise. In this article, we have a list of them. Before you get a locksmith over to crack your lock, discuss with them the kind of lock you have and make sure they can do something about it.

You can skip ahead to mechanical locks.

Electronic Locks

Electronic locks are not easy to get past without damage. They usually require that the locksmith have experience in IT to crack them. Some types of locks locksmiths cannot open include advanced electronic locks that are designed with high-level security protocols.

1. Electronic safe locks

Some safes are electrical and require a code before they grant access to the treasures they hold inside. If you’ve lost your code, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to open it yourself. Even a locksmith can find it difficult to overcome, as electronic safes are among the types of locks locksmiths cannot open easily without the right tools or knowledge.

This is because the way most people know to get past a lock is by picking it. For a lock to be picked, however, there must be a keyhole. This is a feature electronic safes have no need for.

A locksmith who wants to open such a safe will need IT knowledge to unlock it without going so far as to damage it. If you don’t care about damage, just about any experienced locksmith will be able to open it using drilling equipment.

2. Smart Locks

Evolution is the natural progression of things. Over time, just as we moved on from horse-drawn carriages, we’re moving on from locks with physical keys to smart locks one can only access with a code, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or near-field communication.

These locks aren’t made like normal. They’re basically small computers and have none of the locking mechanisms that have become conventional over the past few centuries. In fact, these smart locks fall under the types of locks locksmiths cannot open using traditional methods. Lock picks and other specialist equipment are useless in cracking these. What works is an expert with experience in advanced IT and programming. A bit outside the capabilities of your garden-variety locksmith, isn’t it?

3. Biometric Locks

Biometric locks are those that require unique human traits like facial recognition or fingerprints, which comply with preset dimensions before granting access. As a part of types of locks locksmiths cannot open, these locks, like all electronic ones, consist of hardware and software that cannot be cracked without expert knowledge of IT and programming—skills that don’t typically grow on trees.

If you have no way of getting through such a lock, your local locksmith can only get you in by breaking it. If you’d prefer it intact, it’s best to call the company that made the lock. However, it’ll likely be weeks before they can send someone over.

4. Electronic Vault Locks

Generally, vaults are more complex and more secure than safes. If you’ve lost your combination, there are likely not that many locksmiths with the necessary IT knowledge and experience to bypass the lock without causing damage. This is because vaults often fall into the category of types of locks locksmiths cannot open without using advanced techniques or specialized tools. You’ll save more on specialist locksmith labor hours by hiring a more common locksmith equipped with specialized drilling equipment to access the locking mechanisms.

Mechanical Locks

1. Combination Safe Locks

This should make you happy. It shows manufacturers know what they’re doing and someone with some experience cracking padlocks can’t get at your valuables. When it comes to types of locks locksmiths cannot open, safe locks stand out as incredibly complicated – by design. Their locking mechanisms are no joke, with the costly ones complicated enough to have hundreds of thousands of possible combinations.

Unfortunately, all that security adds up to the necessity of special tools in the hands of a true expert if you forget your combination. While locksmiths are highly skilled, there are certain types of locks locksmiths cannot open without causing damage, as they are designed for maximum security. Most locksmiths learn through hands-on practice, and the number of jobs from people who’ve forgotten their combination is probably less than you think.

Also, artisans are more likely to buy the tools for a job they expect to do sometime in their careers. Why expect something you’ve never faced before?

But among the staff at Alcatraz Locksmith, who’ve been around for the last 30 years, you will find the expertise you need to crack your stubborn safe.

If you can’t contact us, reach out to the manufacturers of your safe.

2. Combination Vault locks

If safes can have millions of possible combinations, their big brothers, the vaults, have hundreds of millions, maybe even billions, of them. Vaults are among the types of locks locksmiths cannot open without specialized skills and equipment. They can’t be cracked except by a highly-trained, experienced locksmith. If you legally own a vault you’ve forgotten the combination to, simply call us over.

3. Old or Rare Locks

Remember that all things evolve, and now we live with the products of that evolution.

Locks made a very long time ago are different from those made today. They were made using techniques that either are lost to time and are now mysteries or have been modified. Such locks can be a challenge for modern locksmiths, often falling into the category of types of locks locksmiths cannot open without risking damage.

Besides, these locks are pieces of history important to locksmiths. There is only so far a locksmith is willing to go when cracking them, for fear of damage (it has to do with our professional pride).

4. Unpickable Locks

There are locks whose keys are like something out of a child’s imaginative rendition of a key, all curves and jagged pins. There are some with uniquely placed magnets along the blade. HYT even has a lock that requires a flexible chain key. It all depends on the manufacturer’s imagination and execution.

When it comes to types of locks locksmiths cannot open, these innovative designs take the spotlight. The point is, these locks are specifically engineered to be unpickable, and a surprising number of them still hold that title. If you have one of these, all you can do is call a locksmith to change it (and by changing it, we mean destroying the old and putting in a new one).

Get the Best Agency to Preserve your Security

With Alcatraz Locksmith, you can have the peace of mind to let a stranger have a look at your security. We have been providing services for up to 34 years, and we’re confident we can help you with any lock-related problems you might have. Simply call us anytime you need us.