Broken Key Extraction
Snapped your key in the lock? Stop — don't poke at it. We extract the broken piece without damaging the lock, then cut you a new key. Call 07425 435697 now — open 24/7.
Put the tweezers down
Almost every broken-key job we see has been made worse by someone trying to dig the piece out first. Tweezers, pins, glue — they push the fragment deeper, score the inside of the lock, or snap off leaving you with two problems. If the key's broken in the lock, the best thing you can do is nothing. Call us instead.
Why keys snap
- Worn or weakened blade. Years of use thin the metal. One cold morning is all it takes.
- Twisted in a stiff lock. The lock was already seizing; the key paid the price. We'll sort the lock too, or it'll happen again.
- Cheap duplicate snapping. Poorly cut copies from market stalls are a classic. The original would have held; the copy didn't.
If your lock was stiff before the key broke, say so on the phone — extracting the key without addressing the lock just sets up a repeat.
What happens when you call
- Call us — and leave the lock alone.
Tell us where it broke: door, boot or ignition. That changes the tools we bring.
- We come to you and extract it.
Proper extraction tools, no damage to the lock. The fragment comes out; the lock stays intact.
- We cut you a new key.
From the broken pieces, or from the lock code if the pieces aren't usable.
- We test it properly.
In the lock and the ignition, several times. If the lock was stiff, we'll tell you what it needs.
What it costs
- Where it broke — door, boot and ignition are different jobs.
- How deep the piece sits — a fragment near the surface is quicker than one buried deep.
- Whether you need a new key too — most people do, and we can cut it on the spot.
Exact price on the phone. And if the lock itself caused it, we'll quote that separately and honestly — no bundling surprises.
Broken key questions, answered
Can you get it out without damaging the lock?
Almost always, yes — that's the whole skill. We use extraction tools made for the job. The lock survives; only the broken key doesn't.
Half the key is still in my hand. Is that useful?
Very. Keep both pieces — we can often cut the new key from them. Don't throw anything away.
It broke in the ignition. Is that worse?
It's a more delicate job, but we do it regularly. Don't try to turn the remaining stub with pliers — you'll damage the ignition barrel and turn a key job into a barrel job.
The lock was stiff for months before this. Related?
Almost certainly. A seizing lock stresses the key until it gives up. We'll extract the key and then look at the lock — fixing one without the other just schedules the next snap.
Broken key extraction across Birmingham
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