We cannot list all items or brands - this is merely a selection! If you do not find what you need here, please ask us. We have been in the lock, panic hardware and door ironmongery business since 1975 and our people have 100 years of cumulative experience! Please ask us to assist you.
Some of the better-known types of locks and principal brands are:
B & B Locks: A range of locks suited to Guest Houses, B & B and Air B & B operations. We offer locks that can be operated by pin-code, by BlueTooth, tags or mobile app. Visit our Guest House Locks page.
Biometric Locks: A Biometric Lock is usually a self-contained battery-driven lock that is activated by a valid fingerprint (Often confused with Biometric Readers – which can use facial identity or fingerprints to activate a (separate) electric lock, striker or other electronic device. For detailed information go to www.virditech.co.za or www.anviz.com
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Cupboard and Drawer Locks
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A range of locks suitable for drawers, cupboards, duct and shaft doors. They can be lever locks, disc-tumbler locks, and the better ones are usually pin-tumbler or cylinder locks
Cylinder Locks: A generic term used to refer to locks that are driven (operated) by a lock cylinder. Read Cylinder locks preferred to understand why Cylinder Locks are the PREFERRED LOCKS for most security applications. The cylinder mortice lock is protected by being morticed inside the door, and the removable and interchangeable cylinder offers great flexibility – including the ability change the cylinder whenever a key is lost or stolen. Cylinder locks are preferred for most new buildings and upgrades to older buildings. Read Master-Keying and Keying-Alike to understand how Master-keying and Keying Alike of cylinders can simplify security.
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Most lock cylinders can be removed when the door is open, using only a key and a screwdriver, and changed as often as necessary to suit the changing needs of the business – or whenever a key is lost or stolen. Cylinders can be bought separately – hence there is no need to change the lock or handles when keys need to be changed.
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The cylinder mortice lock illustrated (designed for timber doors) is the lightest lock that should be considered for any external application. Heavier cylinder deadlocks are available that can withstand huge amounts of side pressure and are well worth the extra cost.
Dead Locks: A generic term used to refer to locks that have no 'live-action". They are usually locked and unlocked only by means of a key (or sometimes a thumb turn on the inside). Deadlocks require no handles, and are often fitted in addition to the lock used for opening and closing the door. Deadlocks are ideal for additional security in in situations where the existing lock and handle need to be retained for uniformity with other doors in the building. Available in satin chrome, brass and other finishes, they can be fitted with a vast array of standard or high security cyinders, keyed-alike or master-keyed
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Digital & Tag Locks: A locking device operated by inserting the correct digits (usually in the correct order and often within a certain time-window). The name is also often used to describe a digital keypad operating as a switch for an electric lock or striker. Digital padlocks and cam locks are also available.
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Battery-operated with no wires or power supplies needed. Can be programmed to operate via pin codes, tags or cards. Suitable for swinging or sliding doors on lockers, cupboards, drawers, or duct cupboards. For more information click on Digital Tag Card Cabinet Lock
Drawer Locks: Small locks intended to be fitted to drawers. The locking bolt moves up and down instead of left-to right. The better ones are fitted with pin-tumber cylinders . Abloy, CISA, First Lock, Guub, Hafele, Siso, Solid
Drop-Bolt locks: A lock with a locking bolt that can be withdrawn using 12 or 24 volt power. They are available surface mounted and mortice mounted, with fail-safe or fail-secure locking bolts. Fail-safe locks will UNLOCK in the absence of power. Fail-secure models will stay LOCKED in the absence of power and can be ordered with a key by-pass.
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​Electric Locks are locks that generally operate on low voltage and are used for access control. Click on Access Control components compiled by David Miller – an abbreviated selection of the most commonly used access control hardware.
Gate locks: Hundreds of different gate locks are available in the marketplace. Sadly most of the lever locks with double-sided keys are of very light quality. These light locks take only seconds to break with a crow-bar and should not be used to protect business premises and homes.
NEVER accept a quotation for a gate, or approve a drawing for an electrically released gate until the lock has been specified and agreed upon; cutting the lock into the gate after it has been galvanised creates opportunities for rust. Rather give the gate-maker the lock/s or a drawing and have the gate made to suit the lock/s. A variety of electric gate locks are available – ask us for more information. Armalock, CISA, CISA Elettrika, Elzett, Union. For more information go to our Security Gates page.
Glass Door Locks: For glass doors, swinging or sliding. Abloy, CISA, Dorma, Henderson. For cabinets and showcases: Hafele, Huwil, SISO
Guest House Locks: A range of locks suited to Guest Houses, B & B and Air B & B operations. We offer locks that can be operated by pin-code, by BlueTooth, or mobile app. Also locks with the facility to send codes or access permission remotely to Guests before they arrive. Visit our Guest House Locks page.
High Security Locks: A broad term that includes hundreds of different articles, Tell us what you are locking, what the doors are like, who needs to have keys, the nature of the risk being protected etc. and our Loxperts will find a solution. We specialise in high security lock-cylinders, padlocks and cam locks using CISA ASTRAL TEKNO SO1 and CISA C3000 T06 keys (see Astral Tekno S01) or C3000 T06 for more information.
Jimmy Proof Locks: A surface mounted lock that cannot be ‘jimmied’ open due to an enclosed vertical locking bolt. Often used on double-leaved doors because it locks the two doors to each-other.
Knobsets: An American style of doorknob with a built in lock cylinder. Knobs have fallen out of favour because they are hard for handicapped and arthritic people to operate. We do not promote the sale of such locks.
Latch Locks: The Term “latch’ usually refers to a lock which latches automatically (as opposed to a deadlock which needs to be locked and unlocked manually). The common Night Latch (or Yale Lock as it is often called) is a Rim Mounted Latch. For better security a morticed night latch is preferred. See SIWRS Latchlocks for auto-locking for more information.
Mortice Latch Locks can be used in conjunction with an electric striker in access control applications. See Access Control components for some examples. Abloy, Chubb, CISA, Dorma, Iseo, Legge, Union, Viro Yale
Locker Locks: We have a range of locks for lockers, cupboards and cabinets, operated either with keys, pin-codes, cards or tags. Also see Cam Locks as well as Digital & Tag Locks above.
Magnetic Locks: Commonly referred to as ‘Mag Locks’ – these locks cannot function at all in the absence of power. Often fitted by people who do not understand lock hardware, mag locks will always require a good battery backed power supply to stay locked. Read more by clicking on SIWRS Magnetic Locks to see the pros and cons.
Motorised Locks: The locking bolt of these locks is usually driven by a small 12 volt motor. They are available surface mounted and mortice mounted, in fail-safe and fail-secure. A key bypass can be ordered for many of these locks.
Mortice Locks: A broad description of locks that are morticed into the door. The best ones for most applications are Cylinder MoMortice lock in doorrtice locks because the cylinder can be changed whenever a key is lost or stolen. Click Cylinder Locks Preferred to read more. The lock is protected by being morticed inside the door, and the removable and interchangeable cylinder offers great flexibility – including the ability change the cylinder whenever a key is lost or stolen. Read Cylinder Locks Preferred to see why cylinder locks are preferred for most new buildings and upgrades to older buildings. Cylinders can be master-keyed or keyed alike (read SIWRS Master-keying to understand the difference between Master Keyed and Keyed-Alike). Cylinder locks can be removed using a key, and changed to suit the changing needs of the business when keys are lost or stolen..
Motorcycle Locks: A range of locks with long shackles or with chains, made for motorcycles and bicycles. Master Lock Co.
Night Latches: A Rim mounted lock often referred to as a Yale lock. Most of them can be opened using a credit card or tools, and can also be bumped off the door using force. Abloy, CISA, Union, Viro.
Padlocks come in many shapes and sizes.
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The normal brass padlocks that are so popular should not be used on external applicatPadlocksions because the shackle is easy to cut – unless the padlock is on a very heavy hasp. Using steel bodied padlocks with ball locking, and close shackle padlocks – are some of the ways to make the padlock harder to cut. The better quality padlocks can be ordered with varying degrees of key security such as C3000 T06 and Astral Tekno S01. Learn more about padlocks by clicking on SIWRS-Padlocks
Padlock Seals: Tamper-evident seals for padlocks. Note that padlocks may NOT be used on Fire Escapes or Emergency Exits.
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Panic Locks: Although often referred to as such – panic hardware is NEVER locked from the inside. This hardware is only 59810-reversedlocked against entry from outside – escape must ALWAYS be free. Also known as Emergency Exit Hardware, Panic Bars, Fire Escape hardware, Crash Bars, Panic Handles, Fire bars.
See our PANIC HARDWARE page or go to www.allandel.co.za for information on Fire-Rated Doors.
Rim Locks: A Rim Lock is a lock mounted on the surface of a door or gate. The black steel locks that were formerly fitted on yard-gates are a very low security example. Night latches Electric Rim Lock(also called Yale locks) are another example. Most of them can be opened using a credit card or tools, and can also be bumped off the door using force. The surface-mounted electric lock (seen at right), commonly used on gates and doors are also Rim Locks, but are much more secure owing to the way they are secured to the gate or door. They usually require 12 volts to operate electrically, and can also be opened with a key.
Safe Locks: We sell a range of replacement locks for safes. Furnish full details of size and position of keyhole when ordering.
Sliding Door Locks: We offer a range of mortice locks and surface mounted locks for both aluminium and timber sliding doors.
“T” and “L” Handles: A range of grip-handles into which the key is inserted – for locking steel doors, canopies, duct doors etc. Assa Abloy, Firstlock,
Window Locks: A wide variety is available – from very poor to better ones that are well made – you will get what you pay for. When enquiring you will need to state what type of windows (side hung, top-hung, sliding) and whether they are timber, steel or aluminium. This is not an item that should be bought over the phone; words like ‘normal’ and ‘standard’ are not a good description. Send pictures with your enquiry to info@lockshop.co.za
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