A Simple Upgrade
We have always highly endorsed the value of getting a high-security lock for your residence or commercial property. The reason. We stand so strongly behind them is because they elevate your security in so many ways. They can be pick resistant, kick down resistant, or bump resistant.
Nowadays, elevating security is all about extending the time and effort it takes for someone to break in. Standard locks are traditionally easier and quicker to fail when someone is attempting to break in. If a robber has to spend several minutes or make tons of noise to get into your location, the odds go up that they will give up in hopes of finding an easier target.
While high-security locks have many advantages that increase the difficulty of a break-in, all the features can tend to come with a higher price tag. However, we have some good news! Spending a large chunk of change isn’t the only way to elevate your security. As we said, three large aspects make a high-security lock “high-security.” One of the big three pick resistance. They are extremely difficult to pick, and the average thief will not be able to get them open. unfortunately, standard locks are not. With millions of tutorials and easy-to-access tools available on the internet, anyone can learn and practice standard lock picking. Of course, it takes the proper tools and practice, but if you really want to learn, you can. This means that lock picks have become easily accessible and highly learnable. For some people, it is more than the simple fun of pretending you’re Macgyver. This simple skill can become very dangerous and harmful in the wrong hands.
But what if there was a simple and affordable standard lock and make it more resistant to picking? Well, we are happy to report there is a way! This solution is called “spool pins” or “mushroom pins!”
What is a spool pin?
Otherwise, known as “mushroom pins” spool pins are specialized keypads in the lock cylinder that are designed to make it more difficult to pick. This means it will take someone longer to attempt picking and increase the odds of them giving up if it takes too much time. A normal key pin is a simple and solid cylinder shape whereas a spool pin is more similarly shaped to a hand weight.
Why do they work?
When someone is picking a lock, they are relying on the feedback they get from the feeling of the lock pins going up and down. The unique shape of the pins sends false signals to the person attempting to pick the lock. When picking with normal pins, the picker will feel when they have pushed the pin up the right amount. With spool pins, they will get that same feeling, but as a false alarm. Therefore, it is more difficult to know if they can trust the feeling or not. The unique shape also assists in making it more difficult to bump.
Is this as good as a high-security lock?
While this solution is certainly better than having regular pins, it still can’t compete with a high-security lock. However, this solution is substantially cheaper. High-security locks can run you in the $200 – $500 range per lock. Depending on all the features you may want, they can get even higher than that. Opting to switch out your regular pins for spool pins with us is just a small fee per lock. That being said, high-security locks have the big three covered. Pick resistance, break down resistance, and bump resistance. Spool pins only cover two of the bases, and they still aren’t covered to the extent that a high-security lock can. Certain high-security locks have measures that make it more difficult and times consuming to break down a door that spool pins can’t give you.
A Cost-Effective Solution
All in all, spool pins are a cost-effective and simple upgrade you can get without even changing your locks. You are simply replacing the current pins with new ones. They allow your lock to be more difficult to pick or bump and can buy precious time if needed.