The Case for Repairing, Restoring and Rethinking Replacement

Walk into almost any home, church or workplace and you'll find locks that have quietly done their job for decades, sometimes for over a century. Yet when one starts to struggle, the advice is increasingly the same: it's obsolete, it's beyond repair, replace it.

At H Harrold and Sons, we think that vintage locks deserve looking after and maintaining; not just to preserve beautiful workmanship, but also to save money and energy.

Repair first

Older locks were built to be worked on. Many can be dismantled, cleaned, adjusted and given new parts made by hand. A perfect example of this was profiled by our very own Rob Stapleton back in April.

When a churchwarden near Barnsley brought in a 150-year-old church key bent almost 45 degrees, we didn't write it off. Careful heat brought it back into shape with its original finish intact. We then hand-made a spare from a bow and a bar of metal. Together, this took around 16 hours of work.

Not only did we repair a unique key, meaning the original lock was also saved from replacement, but we also created a spare so that this issue can be avoided going forward.

Restore, don't compromise

A modern replacement often won't suit an original door. It can change how the door looks and, in some cases, its integrity. When a Victorian Hobbs lock arrived damaged by forced entry, replacing it would have compromised the door it was made for. Restoring it kept both intact. Just like the church key example above, repairing an original lock does more than fix the lock – it preserves original doors, windows, chests of drawers, wardrobes and more too.

The Master Locksmiths Association notes that antique locks are usually handmade, so parts often can't be bought and have to be made from scratch. To us, that is a skill worth keeping alive. It’s also something Rob spoke about in his previous blog, which you can read here.

Rethinking replacement

None of this makes replacement the enemy. Sadly, some locks are beyond saving, and security standards matter. The MLA points out that upgrading to BS3621 locks may be needed to meet insurance requirements, for example.

But, the point is that replacement should be a considered decision rather than the default answer. And in many cases repair and restoration should be the first option.

So, before you bin that key or lock that’s sat on the side, bring it in. We'll give you an honest assessment of what you have, whether it's worth saving, and what it would take.

Have an old lock or key that's been called 'scrap'? Call us on 0114 272 4742 or visit us at Security House, Shalesmoor, Sheffield.