Bear Lock & Safe Service

Bear Lock & Safe Service Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Bear Lock & Safe Service, Locksmith, Baltimore, MD.

Bear Lock & Safe Service is a family owned and operated, Christ centered business that specializes in professional safe opening and servicing, and commercial locksmithing.

These old ones are fun. Not real complicated. But fun. 🙂This was in one of the OLD John Hopkins Hospital School of Me...
02/16/2026

These old ones are fun. Not real complicated. But fun. 🙂

This was in one of the OLD John Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine buildings, built in 1926.

29 locker cam locks changed out with new masterkeyed locks! Fortunately, only a few had to be opened first. But becaus...
12/19/2025

29 locker cam locks changed out with new masterkeyed locks! Fortunately, only a few had to be opened first. But because of original installations when the cabinets were made, a lot if things had to be tweaked a little. (Strikes, hinges, etc.)

It took me three hours! But that works out to about 6 minutes a lock. So that's not TOO bad. :)

After an almost embarrassing 4 1/2 hours, I swung the door on a FIRE safe! Turned out the lock was not only NOT the one...
11/18/2025

After an almost embarrassing 4 1/2 hours, I swung the door on a FIRE safe! Turned out the lock was not only NOT the one I was expecting on that safe behind THAT particular dial, it also had a mechanical issue that had me chasing my tail for far too long!

But it's open, repaired, and back in service! :)

I got one of my first lessons in "business ethics" when I was a young kid. But it stuck. And I remember it vividly to ...
10/24/2025

I got one of my first lessons in "business ethics" when I was a young kid. But it stuck. And I remember it vividly to this day.

Many years ago I was out shopping with my mom, and there was a "Hot Pretzel" stand outside the store's entrance. As we were leaving, my mom got one for me, one for her, and mentioned that she would get one to take home to my dad.

The lady in the booth overheard her and told her, "You probably don't want to do that. It's not going to taste as good by the time you get it home and it's cold". So my mom didn't get the third one.

The lady lost a sale. But she'll never know the lesson she taught that little boy that night. Be honest. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. And the rest will just fall into place.

10/24/2024

Just some thoughts...

You eventually develop an appreciation of the term "oldtimer" in the trade. It comes right around the time that you realize you ARE one. ❤

On a related note, there's been a longtime debate in the locksmith industry over whether Locksmithing is a "trade", or a "profession". I actually believe it's both. But I take more pride (if you will) at it being a trade.

Anybody can be a "professional". I mean, there are "professional panhandlers" :)

But being good in a "trade" takes a skill set that not all posess. And even better, most people I know in a trade actually enjoy their work. (I honestly can't imagine doing anything else for the last 44 years.)

But in any trade, you also need to be a professional. And that's a whole 'nother skill set. And BOTH, together, are how you get to eventually be called an "old-timer". :)

03/15/2023

When you love your job, sometimes the longest half hour of the day is the one that you spend waiting to get on the road to go to your first job.

I love solving people's problems.

"The '0' button stopped working."Gee, I wonder why!:)This usually happens when people with long fingernails use their na...
06/20/2022

"The '0' button stopped working."

Gee, I wonder why!
:)

This usually happens when people with long fingernails use their nails - or a ballpoint pen - to press the buttons. If you do this, instead, try using a stylus or a pencil with a good eraser. They won't damage the membrane buttons.

Considering the safe that this was on, this could have been a very expensive opening. ;) Fortunately the customer was able to get it to open one more time. So I just replaced the $355 keypad.

06/27/2021

The lowest price is seldom the best deal.
:)

Caller: "I bought an old antique safe at a flea market. But it's locked and we don't know the combination. How much to open it and give us a working combination?"

Safe Technician: "It would be a $95 Trip Charge and $350 to open it, repair the hole, and provide a working combination."

Caller: "I ONLY PAID $100 FOR IT! How much would it be worth once it's usable?"

Safe Technician: "About two hundred bucks."

Caller: "Well why should I pay you $445 on top of the $100 I paid for it???"

Safe Technician: "You probably shouldn't."
:)

Yes. I get these calls quite often. People will "find a great deal" on a locked up safe, buy it cheap, haul it to and into their house, then start calling around, and get sticker-shock when they find out what it's going to cost to get it open and working. The fact that they paid $100 for it is irrelevant. It's a safe!

Now, are there lowballers out there that will "open it" for $150? Probably. And because of their lack of experience (that's why they're lowballers!) they'll usually end up destroying the safe in the process. Leaving the person with a 500 lb buoy anchor - and an invoice for $300 "because it was harder than they thought". But... "It's 'open'"!

Am I saying "Don't buy a used safe"? Absolutely not! If you can find a decent used safe for half the cost of a comparable new one, go for it! You can even get a good deal on some that are OPEN, but they don't know the combination. It's still going to cost you to get it working. But WAY less that having to pay to have it opened.

So if you are ever tempted to buy a locked up safe, call us FIRST (and send some pictures) to find out what it's going to cost to open it BEFORE you buy it.
:)

Okay. I'm just gonna leave this here...:)
06/12/2021

Okay. I'm just gonna leave this here...
:)

Can't wait to get back to work tomorrow!Between opening bank safes, opening ATMs, and opening GSA containers, it's been ...
10/25/2020

Can't wait to get back to work tomorrow!

Between opening bank safes, opening ATMs, and opening GSA containers, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. And this coming week is shaping up to be just as blessed!

But don't worry! If you have a problem that we can help solve, we'll fit you in, too!
:)

Address

Baltimore, MD
21222

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 1pm - 8am

Telephone

+14102850101

Website

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