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We totally get it. You don’t want something that will give you trouble. A digital lock that wasted your time more than a mechanical lock is really torturing.

So we heard you ask, which brand is good?

Actually we have to correct you here. Even so-called good brand will have some crappy models that are the black sheep. But they have more good model than bad models. So we can give them a pass as good brand. And because we all almost every renowned brand, we have to be honest here, as it’s not possible that ALL are good.

Today we wanna exposed this good brand: SCHLAGE.

If you have a door knob at your home/ work place, you’ve touched a Schlage already, even though that knob is some random china’s banana brand. Schlage invented cylindrical lock. With a long history, and a famous brand among lock enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of it. Very famous in USA and Canada, more than Yale (Surprisingly Yale is more famous in Malaysia as it’s more affordable)

This is a good brand for digital door lock as well. The digital lock, electronic lock is WATERPROOF! Even got a professional rating of IP54! Now beat that!

But the main thing that convince us, is the lack of client’s complaint, and also we discovered good mechanism and thick metal used when we fully disassembled it for fun (sorry Schlage!).

Have you ever been in trouble with your door lock? Like get locked-out or locked-in, or can’t lock it due to damaged lock?

No doubt you have. If you’re the type that always buy cheap locks, possibility is that you’ll have to face this problem each year.

If you’re the one who look for quality stuff, your lock will stay with you for more than 10 years, some exceeds 30 years above up to 100 years (might become a historical monuments).

What are the difference? No doubt, the material. There are so many options as to what material to be used to manufacture a door lock. It will affect the quality, shape, finishing and pricing. Here are a few famous one:

1. Zinc Casting: This is the weakest among all. Zinc is not a strong metal. It will break apart if constantly push/ pulled daily (which you do with your lock handles)
2. Zinc Alloy: Mixed usually with aluminium, it produces stronger metals compared to casted zinc alone. But they’re still not the strongest material for a door lock.
3. Brass: Brass is strong, plus it has beautiful appearance of golden colour. Won’t rust and durable, this material has been traditionally used to product good quality locks for castles, historical buildings, etc. Many famous and premium lock company uses brass when they started, and remains with using brass as a tradition for producing door locks.
4. Stainless Steel: Strongest & longest lasting material for door lock. Period. Highest tensile strength, high melting point, high strength and anti-rust. But, still this is not the most preferable material for lockset.

Which do you think is the most preferable material for locks?
It’s brass. It’s not the strongest material, but it is strong enough to last up to 100 years. It’s easy to machine, to be shaped into beautiful design. With long history and long processing experience, you can get many nice stunning aesthetic design for your door. Stainless steel, although extreme durability, but there are less manufacturer, slightly younger material and inexperienced production, and hence more boring design.

Do you prefer stunning look? Or extreme durability?
www.finelockshop.com

It’s 100% sure that any door can be fitted with at least some variation of smart digital door lock. The real question is, “which type can be fitted to my door?”

Some door has a really small stine that it’s not possible to be fitted with a standard handle type. In that case, we’ll fit it with non-handle type.

Non-handle type backset can be adjusted freely. So even if your door is a steel or aluminium door, it can still be fitted in. And even if your door has narrow stine, it can still fits in.

Whatever your door are, there is a smart digital door lock for you.

Are you ready to free yourself from “key-slavery”?
www.finelockshop.com

Previously we don’t call electronic lock as smart door lock. Few years back everybody call it by the name Digital Door Lock. After some models add the smartphone access function, slowly all seller change the name to Smart Door Lock, as a smartphone can open it.

So smartphone opens smartlock. Seems like a logic name?

For a standalone lock, this model is the smartest:

How smart?

• If you keep your phone bluetooth always ON, the lock will know when you’re about the reach home.
• When you’re about to reach home, the lock will automatically unlock for you. (you don’t even have to touch it or scan anything – it’s like tony-stark-style).
• If you don’t like it to unlock automatically, in the setting you can change it to be like those keyless function in BMW or Benz. Touch the lock, and it will unlock. Your phone becomes like that BMW Fob (smart key)
• It knows whether you’re inside the house, OR actually went out to buy stuff and come back. It will not unlock if you’re just inside the house standing near the door. Only if you’re outside and go out far enough, then only the auto unlock works.

Other than that, you can also use passcode or use smartphone app to unlock. You can also give your friend limited time access, from this-date to that-date. And when they enter, the phone app will give a notification pop-up to inform you who entered your door.

So is this lock smart enough to be called smart door lock?
www.finelockshop.com

This is everyone’s primary concern. What happen when a smart lock, or digital lock gets into trouble? Like the bolt jammed, runs out of battery, or for whatever reason just won’t unlock when you want it to?

Many seller might tell you it won’t happen, or seldom happen, or tried to give you impressions that it has never happened and hence will not happen. D.O.N.T…T.R.U.S.T…T.H.E.M

As long as a product is electronics, there are chances of failure or unpredictable event. Even Boeing or Airbus aeroplane failed and crashed in some cases due to electronics. So who are you, smart door lock, to say that you won’t fail?

Yes, smart door lock do occasionally fails to operate normally. If you buy really cheap digital locks from china, it happens really often. They use cost-saving material, they save money on quality control, save money on final inspection, save money here and there, and that’s how you got the cheap price. Be prepared to be locked out.

However, if you get a reliable and stable model (usually not cheap), the chances are really low. Some good brands really really REALLY seldom give trouble. Among 100 pcs, maybe only 1-2 will give problem. The rest 98 pcs you can use probably up to 10 years or more. So the key here, is to choose selectively the models that is stable.

So how do we know a smart lock is stable & reliable? On our side at Kuching, in the beginning we test and open every single one we’re about to sell. We check material, weight, do full disassemble, and ask other seller or distributors who have sold this product for feedback. But now we ourself are also an experienced seller for many brands & models. So we have already knew models that gives trouble. Of course as our brand name is FINE Lock Shop, we skip immediately cheap smart locks. We do buy to play and have fun, but definitely not selling it.

And we usually recommends models with backup keys. In case anything happens (which one day it will), you can still operate the lock as normal non-digital lock. Just make sure don’t lost the keys.

How about you? What other question you have regarding digital lock? We will gladly provide you with honest answers
www.finelockshop.com

With more than 50 models to choose from at our place, this is one of the MOST frequently asked question: Which one should i buy???

It you’ve met with our engineer or assistant, they should be able to narrow down till 3 best models that suits you.

How did we narrow down from 5+ models down till 3 models? Below are the list of criteria that we subconsciously use to guide our client:

1. Door and lock suitability: Not all smart digital door lock can fit into your door. Even if they do fit, another thing to consider is the security. Firedoor, solid door, engineered door, premium plywood door, metal door, single leaf or double leaf, etc all have different internal structure and this influence the choice of lock type
2. Required functions: Do you need biometric? Entry tracking? Phone unlocking? All sorts of your different needs that we need to know.
3. Design: What design you like? Antique? Contemporary? Modern? Minimalist?
4. Quality: Do you want to often change the smart door lock design to keep up with latest trends?(silent tips-this is Samsung)? Or you want a piece that will last more than 10 years?

Don’t be overwhelmed by the choice. And don’t limit yourself to one or 2 brands. There might just have the other brand that you really love the design.

Come to us if you need some guidance.
www.finelockshop.com

This is the latest feature of smart digital door lock. Wifi function. Although just recently available, we have been, since 5 years ago, anticipating manufacturer to develop this functions. Remotely using internet to fully control the smart digital door lock.

And it’s available already 2 years ago at Western country, and now in Kuching. By us of course. Like this lockset here.

Samsung Smart Digital Lock with Wifi/ Z-wave connectivity
www.finelockshop.com

We remember telling one client this: “this lock is strong and durable” while pointing to a solid brass Italian made lock. He tell us “where got people buy this lock anymore, now everyone use digital lock”. Even though he’s the one telling us he wants a durable lock.

We used to sell a lot a lot those lock that we can say “durable till your grandchild will still be using it”. Mechanical door lock. Those using keys. Stainless steel lock. Brass lock. From England. From Italy.

Sold a lot of these locks. Abloy. Yale. Union. Olivari. Frascio. But not anymore. It’s not that we don’t have these. We still have these locks. But nobody appreciate them anymore.

Feels like Nokia 3310. Extremely durable. (Have you seen people making fun images of it? Compare it to a bomb, throw to you & you’ll die but the phone still alive). So durable. And the battery life? Heck, the charger will get dusty first and it’s still not yet recharging time!

Yes, so durable. What a powerful battery. But are you using one now? Of course not. Things change. The world change. The trends change. No matter how durable the product is.

Just like the door lock.

All of us, willing or not, have to follow the trend of “no-key” or “key-less”. The car is already inside the trend. Push button start, instead of key-ignition. Smart-unlock door, instead of using key/ remote.

And your house door? Well if you still need to search for key when you reach home later, we have to tell you this: you’re outdated.

Even our client tell this to our face. He ended up with Schlage, an American brand of lock (and digital lock). Schlage invented the cylindrical lock, and are famous among locksmith for producing high quality & high security locks.

There is a saying among some locksmith: “Hardware store knows Yale, Locksmith knows Schlage”. Actually both Yale & Schlage are famous lock brands, but well, you know what it means.

**Schlage S6000 digital lock installed by Fine Lock Shop Kuching**
www.finelockshop.com

2018 is wonderful for us. We met many good, nice and humble person. We’re happy to be able to help you all this year.

Hope to see you all again next year.

From the Fine Lock Shop Team,
Thank You.