Hames and Sons Locksmiths

01/06/2026

28/05/2026

Another timber door security upgrade finished today in Deal.

The old standard night latch had seen better days, so I upgraded it to a Yale British Standard night latch and freshly fitted a British Standard 5 lever deadlock for extra security and insurance compliance.

A proper lock upgrade on a solid timber door makes a huge difference.

✔ British Standard Yale night latch
✔ BS3621 5 lever mortice deadlock
✔ Fresh installation and clean fit
✔ Better security and peace of mind

All work carried out by me personally — DBS Checked, Checkatrade Vetted and over 25 years experience. No call-out fee.

Hames and Sons Locksmiths – Local locksmith covering Deal and the surrounding Kent coast.

26/05/2026

🚨 “Why does every locksmith feel like a scam now?” 🚨

I saw this question online earlier and honestly… it’s a fair one.

The locksmith industry in the UK is completely unregulated.
That means literally anyone can buy Google Ads, stick “24/7 locksmith” on a website and start taking calls.

And unfortunately, a lot of customers only realise the difference when it’s too late.

Here’s some genuine red flags homeowners should look out for 👇

❌ “Locksmith from £39” ads
Nobody is driving across Kent, gaining entry, supplying parts, paying insurance, fuel, tools and VAT for £39.
Those adverts are designed to get the phone call… not honour the price.

❌ No fixed quote before arrival
A real locksmith should give you a realistic guide price before attending.
Not:
“We’ll see when we get there…”

❌ Drilling immediately
A proper locksmith will usually try non-destructive methods first.
If the drill comes out within 30 seconds without even trying… alarm bells.

❌ No real local presence
Some companies use fake local numbers and fake addresses to appear local in every town.
Always check:
• Google reviews
• Facebook activity
• Real job photos
• How long they’ve actually been around

❌ Pressure tactics
“You need all this changing immediately.”
“Your lock is illegal.”
“Cash only.”

Fear selling is massive in this industry.

The truth is… customers are more cautious now because they’ve been burnt before. And honestly? I don’t blame them.

At Hames and Sons Locksmiths we’ve spent years trying to educate people on this because one bad experience damages trust for the whole trade.

That’s why we:
✔️ Give fixed prices before work starts
✔️ Don’t charge call out fees
✔️ Prefer repair over replacement where possible
✔️ Use non-destructive methods first
✔️ Show real work from real customers across East Kent
✔️ Explain what’s actually failed before touching anything

Not every locksmith is a scammer.
But homeowners absolutely should ask questions before opening the door.

The cheapest quote online is often the most expensive lesson later. 🔑

22/05/2026

Recent jobs carried out across Margate, Canterbury and Herne Bay this week — helping homeowners get doors opening properly again, replacing failed locks and bringing back a little peace of mind.

From jammed uPVC doors and failed mechanisms to lock upgrades and new homeowner lock changes, most people call us when something suddenly stops working… and usually at the worst possible moment.

One stiff handle.
One door that won’t lock properly.
One key that suddenly stops turning.

That’s normally how it starts.

The good news? Most problems can be repaired before they become a full lockout or complete mechanism failure.

If your door has started feeling stiff, dropped, difficult to lock or needs “a little lift” to work properly… don’t ignore it. That’s usually the warning sign.

✅ Family locksmiths since 1997
✅ No call out fee
✅ Fixed upfront pricing
✅ Non-destructive entry wherever possible
✅ Local independent locksmiths covering East Kent

Helping secure homes across East Kent one lock at a time 🔐

22/05/2026

Recent jobs carried out across Margate, Canterbury and Herne Bay this week — helping homeowners get doors opening properly again, replacing failed locks and bringing back a little peace of mind.

From jammed uPVC doors and failed mechanisms to lock upgrades and new homeowner lock changes, most people call us when something suddenly stops working… and usually at the worst possible moment.

One stiff handle.
One door that won’t lock properly.
One key that suddenly stops turning.

That’s normally how it starts.

The good news? Most problems can be repaired before they become a full lockout or complete mechanism failure.

If your door has started feeling stiff, dropped, difficult to lock or needs “a little lift” to work properly… don’t ignore it. That’s usually the warning sign.

✅ Family locksmiths since 1997
✅ No call out fee
✅ Fixed upfront pricing
✅ Non-destructive entry wherever possible
✅ Local independent locksmiths covering East Kent

Helping secure homes across East Kent one lock at a time 🔐

18/05/2026

Not every day I get asked to open a church door.

This one was a proper old timber church door with a huge surface-mounted lock that had completely seized up.

Managed to get it opened without damaging the door.

These old timber doors are a completely different world compared to modern uPVC doors, but after 25+ years working on locks across Kent, I still enjoy jobs like this the most.

DBS Checked
Checkatrade Vetted
No Call-Out Fee

Hames and Sons Locksmiths
Local independent locksmith since 1997. 

14/05/2026

Called out to Canterbury today.

Customer’s sash lock had failed internally, so I stripped it down and replaced the internal levers rather than fitting a whole new lock.

I also cut extra keys on site, so they’re sorted there and then.

Canterbury locksmith work carried out by Ross — 25+ years experience, DBS Checked, Checkatrade Vetted. No Call-Out Fee.

#

14/05/2026

uPVC Door Lock Repair in Brook, Ashford

Customer in the beautiful village of Brook, near Ashford, couldn’t lock their composite door properly. The door had dropped slightly and the cylinder was becoming unreliable.

I replaced the cylinder, serviced the multipoint door lock mechanism with lubricant spray and realigned the door correctly. Now locking smoothly again and working like a brand new door.

A little bit of TLC goes a long way before a lock completely fails.

✔ Cylinder replaced
✔ Door realigned
✔ Multipoint lock serviced
✔ No Call-Out Fee

I cover Brook and surrounding Ashford villages for uPVC door lock repairs, gearbox replacements and anti-snap lock upgrades.

DBS Checked • Checkatrade Vetted • 25+ Years Experience

📞 Ashford Locksmith

06/05/2026

This is exactly why uPVC door problems should never be ignored when the door first starts becoming difficult to lock.

The customer had been having to pull the door hard every time they closed it just to get the locking points lined up properly. Over time, all that pressure was being forced through the handle instead of the door mechanism working smoothly as designed.

Eventually the handle gave up and snapped clean off.

We replaced the broken handle, fully realigned the uPVC door, and checked the mechanism to make sure everything was operating smoothly again.

Now the door closes and locks properly without forcing, lifting, or pulling.

A stiff uPVC door is usually an early warning sign that something is out of alignment — and catching it early is often far cheaper than waiting for parts to fail completely.

Hames and Sons Locksmiths
Family-run since 1997.

29/04/2026

Another Canterbury job.

Door wouldn’t shut.
Latch stuck out… completely seized up.

New mechanism fitted, all sorted.

Signs to look out for 👇🏼👇🏼

• Latch sticking
• Handle dropping
• Key hard to turn
• Door not locking properly

It’s worth getting it looked at early.

Catches it before it fails completely.

Best to catch it early.

Contact us on 07713118306 to book your appointment.