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Carl Zipf Lock Shop

About us

Carl Zipf Lock Shop Inc. has been a family owned and operated business since 1911. Our goal is to supply the needs of the Columbus community with security and protection to ensure their safety. We operate a complete and extensive lock and key shop that can meet your every need. We also have hard to find items. We have experienced and trained personnel ready to meet your needs and find a solution to your locksmithing problems. We serve residential, commercial and industrial customers

Business highlights

114 years of experience

Services we offer

Commercial & residential. Locksmith. Key duplication.

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.882 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
90%
4
6%
3
0%
2
2%
1
1%
Showing 1-25 of 82 reviews
Janet B.
Mar 2018
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
Excellent response time. I had contacted another company and they were a no show. I left a message with Carl Zipf and Buddy returned my call within the hour. He had someone there within 20 min. Locksmith was professional and did an amazing job! Highly recommend this company!!

Irene B.
Aug 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They’re the best one in Central Ohio, that’s pretty much common knowledge. They have a lot more blanks then Lowes or Home Depot. They’re a specialty lock place. They’re the best lock shop in town. Everything went fine.

ALISON H.
Jul 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$132
Locksmith was pleasant and friendly, explained what he was doing and how the lock worked.

Tom H.
Apr 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
perfect! Arrived as scheduled. Work was excellent. I love it when our recommended contractors come through. It makes us look good!

Anita G.
Jun 2016
2.0
$2
I needed a quick key copy made before person with the original left town. (I should have listened and taken the key to Lowes for a copy)   There was only one tech in the office (he said he is usually out in the field).  The copy he made was off.  The notches are located too far from the shoulder.  You can see the difference when you line it up with the original key.  I have to pull the key out of the lock about a sixteenth of an inch for it to work.  

Nathan H.
Apr 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$36
unknown

Kevin M.
Apr 2016
5.0
unknown

DEBORAH N.
Oct 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$12
unknown

Shirley T.
Oct 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$160
unknown

Brad P.
Sep 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
.

Timothy S.
Aug 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$21
It went great. I called earlier in the afternoon to see if they could do the work. They told me to get there by 5:00pm and they'd get it done. Everyone was super nice. They had 4+ staff members all working on things when I arrived. Everyone ahead of me seemed to be a regular, which was a good sign. When I called the guy told me it'd be at least $10, but it all depended on the type of safe, locking mech, etc. Final cost was $20 + tax, which I thought was more than fair, particularly since it was same day. They had their pricing posted clearly in the shop for a bunch of typical jobs (e.g. cut keys, install deadbolt, etc), which I appreciated seeing because I've dealt with other companies in the past that seem to make up pricing as they go along.

Ron B.
Aug 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$288

The counter staff helped me select the appropriate keypad deadbolt for my door by discussing the pros and cons of the different locks.  The lock was installed by Mark who also provided instructions on how to operate it.


Anita G.
Jun 2015
1.0

I had a key duplicated (walk in service)  and the copy did not work.  I measured the copy and discovered it had been cut .003" deeper than the original.   I returned the key and explained the problem.  The man behind the counter said that that amount of difference would not make a difference.  

I had a lady at the counter remake the copy.  I asked her to use tape to shim up the original to compensate for the amount that their machine was out of calibration.   She acted like she had done as I asked but in reality, she did not and the new copy was off by the same amount as the previous copy. 

I called the lock shop to explain the problem.  The old guy running the lock shop told me the problem was my key and hung up on me. 

I took the key to my local hardware store.  Their machine is out of calibration by .004" the other way, not cutting as deep as the original key.    Their copy worked perfectly.

Bottom line. - the key I brought in was not the original that came with the lock.  It was a copy that was slightly off.  The out of calibration machine at Zipf made a copy that was even more "off" and wouldn't work.   They would not admit their machine was off, they tried to deceive me, and they have a very poor attitude when it come to working with the customer. 

I had 12 copies made the week before.  Fortunately their machine was only off by .001" that week.  



Ron B.
May 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$111
unknown

Theodore B.
Jan 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$12
unknown

Jennifer F.
Mar 2014
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
.

JUDITH J.
Mar 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$107
Representative was very polite and told me exactly what he was doing.

Andrew Z.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
Excellent experience, very knowledgeable locksmith who walked us through some options and even made a suggestion to consolidate some of our keys.

Jennifer B.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$30
We broke off a key in the front door lock, so we called for a mobile locksmith. The were to come out later in the day, but they also offered to do it in the shop if we could get it off, and that would save us a service call, which would have been $100 during normal business hours, time and a half after 5:30pm. Since we could get the lock off (with a little coaching from the shop over the phone, which we appreciated) we took it in and they performed the service on the spot. Broken key was removed, and they pointed out another broken piece. We got a replacement part for that and they showed me how to put the lock back together. Finally, we had some keys cut. Overall, we found them friendly and knowledgeable, and we would use them again.

Susan B.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
We hired them to change the locks on our new house. A bit expensive, but they were here fast and on time. The guy who did the work was friendly, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.

Patricia C.
Dec 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
I have no issues with them. They were fine. I was kind of surprised at how much it cost.

Douglas S.
Nov 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$220
It went great.  We were looking to change out the lock assembly itself, but came up with another alternative.  We were very happy with their service and their timeliness in taking our call.

JAN S.
Aug 2013
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
We've used them for years and they always show up on time.  We will continue to use them  whenever we need them.

Kate M.
Jul 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$325
We were redoing all the locks in one house.   It was really my fault for not researching all the great things that can be done with locks and keys.  So I ended up having a lock re-done.  If you have more than just one lock, go to their store front and they will give you lots of help and advice.
For instance, Zipf helped me set up the following:  The house key they made for me works equally well for garage passage door. BUT if I want to give the landscaper access to the mower in the garage, i can give him a specially made key that will ONLY work for the garage.  No need for me to fuss with two different keys, but the house says secure.

Diane C.
Jul 2013
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$50
Took them 3 days to get to us. We're supposed to come one day but did not show up. I called them next morning and they did not return my call but later in the day someone did come to do the work. My front door couldn't be used for 3 days while I waited on them. The guy who came to do the work was very good. Finished the job fairly quickly and seemed very knowledgeable. I have no complaints about him.
Showing 1-25 of 82

Licensing

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FAQ

Carl Zipf Lock Shop is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.

Carl Zipf Lock Shop accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

No, Carl Zipf Lock Shop does not offer free project estimates.

No, Carl Zipf Lock Shop does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Carl Zipf Lock Shop does not offer a senior discount.

No, Carl Zipf Lock Shop does not offer emergency services.

No, Carl Zipf Lock Shop does not offer warranties.