Over the last few years we have seen a lot of new standards coming out for Euro cylinders. Each standard has a different meaning and now as there are so many standards it can be very confusing for locksmiths let alone customers. In my opinion the new cylinder standards are a complete mess! Let me explain, when a customer is looking for a product whether it’s a lock or a completely different type of product the British Standard kitemark is a sign of quality and gives the customer the piece of mind that the product they are buying has been rigorously tested to a high standard. Take mortice locks for example a British Standard mortice lock is generally more secure than a non British Standard lock and incorporates more security features. The problem we now have with euro cylinders is that a British Standard cylinder does not have to pass the most common break in technique (lock snapping) which seems a bit ridiculous! So here’s a break down of the standards and what they all mean.
BSI TS007 :2012
This is a revised British Standard for cylinders which does mean the cylinders go through a snapping test but doesn’t mean they have to pass the snapping test to be awarded the kitemark, confusing? YES! This is where the star rating system comes into play. 3 star is the highest star rating that can be awarded. If the cylinder passes with 3 stars it means the lock has passed all the BSI TS007: 2012 tests and the newly included snapping tests. If the cylinder is awarded 1 star it means it’s passes all the BSI TS007 :2012 tests except for the snapping tests. So one of these cylinders will still have a kitemark on the front but with only 1 star engraved above it. The 1 star doesn’t necessarily mean the lock was designed to be anti snap but failed the test, it can also mean the lock was never designed to be anti snap at all but was designed to pass all the other necessary BSI requirements. Try explaining that one to a customer!
Sold Secure Diamond Standard
Sold secure diamond is the highest possible test for an anti snap lock. The test is being tweaked all the time to combat the more up to date and evolving techniques used to snap cylinders. The Sold secure test allows the use of locksmith tools which are readily available to the public online. I believe these types of tools are not used in the BSI TS007 :2012 tests.
I think that the standards are a total Cock up! In my opinion What should of happened right from the start is that the BS Kitemark should have been used as the highest possible standard using the most rigorous tests and therefor only awarded to the most effective anti snap locks right from the start because the British Standard Kitemark is what the public put there faith in. A customer who knows nothing about locks or standards could go out and buy a British standard 1 star euro lock believing it to be a top quality product and putting there faith in the kitemark only to find a few days or weeks later somebody snapped the lock and gained entry to there home in under 20 seconds!
Hopefully this guide helps explain the cylinder standards a little bit better!
No Comments