Jack Mathes
Owner, ABC Lock and Safe, Portland
Jack Mathes owns ABC Lock and Safe in Portland, Oregon. The shop has worked on Portland locks and safes since 1993, and Jack has spent more than forty years at the trade.
His shop does residential and commercial lock work and opens and sells safes. That mix is why his advice leans toward fixing what you have before you buy something new.
On Locksmith Listing he writes the guides and course lessons on locks you live with every day: when to rekey, how to pick a deadbolt, whether a smart lock is worth the money, and how master key systems and safes work.
What Jack Writes About
- Rekeying and lock replacement
- Deadbolts and smart locks
- Safes
- Home and business security
- Master key systems
Guides, Lessons and Posts by Jack
- Can I Get My Locks Changed for Free?
- Can a Locksmith Make a Key From a Lock?
- Can a Locksmith Open a Safe? How It Works and What It Costs
- Does Home Depot or Lowe's Rekey Locks?
- How to Rekey a Lock, and When to Call a Locksmith
- Pin Tumbler Theory
- Rekeying
- Deadbolts and Grading
- Doors and Frames
- Blanks and Keyways
- Machines and Accuracy
- Key Control
- Master Key Theory
- Interchangeable Cores
- Codes and Life Safety
- Ratings and What They Promise
- Locks on Safes
- Opening a Safe
- Moving Safes Safely
- How a System Fits Together
- Electric Locking Hardware
- Fail Safe and Fail Secure
- Rekey or replace your locks
- Locks to change when you move in
- Key broke off in the lock
- How to choose a deadbolt
- Are smart locks worth it