Ryan Clark grew to love the hobby of legal lockpicking, which eventually led him to start his new business, Noble Locksmith Tristate.
Clark said the hobby began with scrolling YouTube, learning the craft, and applying his new knowledge. After testing it on different things, he realized he could combine his skills with his passion for cars to offer a service to commercial, residential, and automotive lockouts and locksmithing.
“It’s a blend of fun and technical. It’s a technical skill. There’s a lot of analytical thought that goes into how the lock works; it’s very mechanical. Then, on the automotive side, it gets into some very high-end electronic programming,” Clark said.
As many would assume, no two locks are the same, meaning Clark has to approach each one with a blank impression but with the same technique. Before he could start the business, Clark said, he had to complete different certifications to be authorized to clear the locks.
Noble’s services include creating locks and keys for residential and commercial businesses as well as remote and physical keys for vehicles.
For vehicle-related keys or fobs, he has access to the same databases that manufacturers use to program cars as they’re being built.
“It took 6 months to really get everything set up and all the business paperwork done, as well as the program, getting the certification, and the background check done. It’s a very time-consuming process going through all that. Locksmithing is at a high level of scrutiny right now,” Clark said.
Clark said that the industry’s scrutiny often comes from the belief that the workers use their abilities negatively — being able to enter homes, cars, etc. — which makes him want to lead an example of the industry’s positive sides.
“You’re getting somebody into their home or vehicle. So they have to be someone you trust because of the access,” Clark said. “We’re not copying keys. We’re making them stretch. So there’s a high level of security to go along with that.”
Clark said to visit the company’s Facebook page for more information on the business.
