Becoming the first impressioning world champion really paved the way to become a full time lock-professional. After that I left my comfort zone and signed a contract with Lockmasters Technologies, Inc in 2012. I am one of their European distributors and assist them in any way I can (working from Amsterdam). So far it has been a dream come true.
Besides the work for Lockmasters Technologies, Inc I run some lock-related classes from Amsterdam (and on location in Europe) with my private company Wels Security Solutions / Lock-Experts.com.
Last but not least my company “intact locksmith services” opens doors, safes and cars in a non-destructive way. In reality I forward a lot of the intact support calls to locksmith colleagues that do have time to take the job. So working for Intact has my lowest priority but is a nice way to keep my skills sharp and stay in touch with what happens in the real world.
I could never have come this far without the help of my friends in the locksport community. I am very fortunate with the friends I have made over the years. And I am happy to see that others have made the step to the lock industry as well. Just to name two: Han Fey and Dr. Torsten Quast are now working for Assa Abloy, the largest lock manufacturer in the world. It is my believe many “lock enthusiasts” will follow…
I decided to transfer my Toool (NL) leadership position in 2013. New Toool president Walter Belgers and vice president Jos Weyers are perfect for the job and have my full trust and support.
One of the things they did is to extend LockCon by one full day. The dates for the three day event are: September 19/20/21. This is the weekend before the security show in Essen (to encourage international travelers to come). The extra day will be used for more presentations and workshops and I am already looking forward to attend it. The LockCon request for talks / presentations is open.
The end of an era
All good things come to an end and so does this weblog. This is the last post before it closes.
This does not mean I will be completely off the radar. Lockmasters Technologies, Inc just started a newsletter that I am contributing to. I am sure you will enjoy some of the articles there.
And there is the regularly updated “Intact locksmith services” facebook site for you to visit and “like” (thank you!).
I have not made up my mind what to do with BlackBag’s content. If you want to capture any of the information: the blog will be at least up until September and I will make a decision after that.
Thank you for your interest and support over the years.
Feel free to contact me for anything related to locks and security.
Blackbag signing out.
I’m amazed there are no comments yet!
Guess I’ll be the first to say thanks for all your contributions to the world of lock sport. You’ve done a great job moving things forward.
I know I’ll see you around, even if not on here, & I’m glad TOOOL have taken it on as this is a great resource.
Once again, thanks. And see you soon!
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Thank you! I have been visiting this blog for as long as it has been up. This has helped me alot in my own education in lockpicking and also in the education of others(I do a few crash course presentations now and then). I’m glad you have made your hobby into your job, the good way. I wish you well in your new quests and just hope I can find the same path in life.
This blog was one of the highlights of my day when I was in high school and it gave me something to look forward to. Even though I’m not involved with locksmithing these days, I still liked to check back sometimes and see what new stuff had been posted.
Congratulations on your new venture and I wish you the best of luck. Thank you for the incredible content you posted all these years. It was a real privilege learning from your posts.
All the best,
TOWCH