GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician

GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician Expert GSA certified safe and vault services including safe and vault opening, repairs and electromechanical combination lock retrofitting.

GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector Dave LaBarge of LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians provides complete GSA safe and vault opening and repair services throughout New York state and the northeastern United States. Dave LaBarge of LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians is factory certified for the Mas Hamilton/Kaba Mas X-07, X-08, X-09, and X-10 and the Sargent and Greenleaf 2740 A/

B GSA Approved combination locks used to protect classified information on security containers and security vault doors. Factory Certified S&G 2890B technician and installer. Dave LaBarge is a certified GSA safe and vault Inspector (GSAI) providing government and military customers safe and vault inspection services to customer's security containers, safes and vaults missing the "GSA Approved" labels which are required to be affixed to the container to store classified materials. If the "GSA Approved" label is missing the security container may be inspected. If it passes the inspection process a re-certification label will be attached certifying it can again be used for storing classified information. If the security container fails the GSA Inspection recommendations can be made to bring it into GSA compliance or if it has to be replaced due to unapproved modifications of the container.

This post originated from a question about my safe database and/or safe library from yesterday's Popular Mechanics post....
10/03/2025

This post originated from a question about my safe database and/or safe library from yesterday's Popular Mechanics post...

So, you want to be a safe and vault technician???

Over the last four decades I've seen many people enter the safe and vault industry from around the country only to leave a short time later. The investment in equipment and tools is many times a large investment depending how far they really want to get into the industry. This leaves many to decide to move on to other types of work...

Besides equipment and tools a safe tech should be willing to invest in education and build a safe library, or today more likely, a safe and vault database. When I started in the safe and vault industry computer databases were non-existent. Today, some are available for purchase.

Safe and vault libraries and databases include many things such as manufacturer's technical manuals and printed materials usually received at conventions, trade magazine articles, industry distributor sales brochures, convention class handouts, and old safe makers catalogs (if you can find them...). Back before digital cameras 35mm pics made up a large portion of safe libraries too.

Here's a number of pics of my safe and vault library which consist of about a total of 280 labeled and unlabeled binders which I started back in the mid-1980's. All labeled with specifically made and logo'ed labels that well over two decades later mostly look fairly good although some of the binders aren't fairing too well in recent years due to age and usage... There are some mistakes on some of the labels since they were not all printed at the same time with the spacing on some a bit different. I'm also sure there are some mis-spellings too but I can generally find what I'm looking for in this library than I can in a laptop. But that's only me. I might just have a future winter project to add more labels to the unlabeled binders...

One section in the 5th pic is dedicated to only GSA work although the black binders are unlabeled, they also include many brochures and manuals some for locks that have already been discontinued over the years. Others contain info on the newest locks used by the US government agencies and military as well as defense contractors.

Even old distributor catalogs and brochures can offer information not found elsewhere. The 7th pic shows a collection of Lockmasters and other distributor catalogs and brochures going back to the mid-1980's as well as catalogs from Sargent & Greenleaf, LaGard, and safe manufacturers Meilink, Knight and others.

I've also accumulated a lot of of Mosler and Diebold service catalogs as well as a catalog from an association many in today's industry have never heard of...Safecrackers International which went defunct about three and a half decades ago.

Lastly here's a few pics of many of my antique safe makers catalogs. Even though there's no real information for the opening of their safes in these type catalogs they do help to ID the safe and sometimes the lock within the safe.

So, you still want to be a safe and vault technician???

Would you invest your time accumulating and organizing this amount of information??? I'm sure this has taken an untold number of hours, days, weeks, and even months over the last four decades but I feel it's been worth the time and effort...

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I

LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians

The Safe and Vault Historian

518-271-0783

Where have the last four decades flown by to???The month of October marks four decades for my business LaBarge lock and ...
10/01/2025

Where have the last four decades flown by to???

The month of October marks four decades for my business LaBarge lock and Safe Technicians. I decided to start my own business at age twenty four in 1985 specializing back then in automotive as well as safe & vault work. Now, 40 years later I can honestly say I've enjoyed almost every single minute of it.

Having opened or worked on an untold number of safes and vaults over the years I've always enjoyed opening antique and historical safes more than the ho-hum safes being manufactured in recent decades. The craftsmanship of a century to a century and a half ago will never be seen again...

This is why several decades ago I coined the term "The Safe and Vault Historian" and have used it ever since.

I just happened to be in the right place geographically in United States and also in the right timeframe to see much of the lesser used safes and vaults that decades ago helped keep vast quantities of currency secure. However, today the use of cash/currency is barely a fraction of what it used to be.

Not too long ago I was told that in a recent calendar year that less than one hundred new bank vaults were built in the US. The industry has sure changed with the largest part of the safe industry now being the gun safe market.

Where is the industry heading to? Will I make it to fifty years a decade from now? I don't know? Time will tell.

But, as I said earlier, I've enjoyed almost every single minute of it!

To "celebrate" my four decades I've decided to post some of the more memorable things that occurred and that I've encountered over the years. The first occurred twenty years ago this month.

Back in mid-2005 I was contacted by Popular Mechanics magazine for their feature "This is My Job" which was published in October 2005.

I'm not sure how they found me at the time but Popular
Mechanics magazine flew in a photographer and assistant from Texas for a photo shoot taking hours for a single pic to be used in their magazine. Arranging and re-arranging my equipment, lighting changes, and reviewing hundreds of pics taken that morning I hoped that they picked a "good" pic for the magazine since I don't consider myself to be photogenic. I was happy with the results.

Now another two decades have gone by, the hair is now mostly grey and the body aches are a little more frequent from the years of drilling and manipulating safes and vault open but I'm still having fun! Many people cannot say they can go to work for the day and really enjoy their work, I can and still do.

So, as we enter into October I'll post pics of long ago as well as in recent years, I hope you enjoy them as much as I've enjoyed my job!

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I
LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians
Certified Professional Safe Technician
Certified Master Locksmith
GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector

518-271-0783

The "Safe and Vault Historian"

www.labargelockandsafe.com

Celebrating 40 years of Professional Safe and Vault Services!

1985-2025

Can you see what's wrong here?The Kaba Mas' X-09 back cover pin was never installed as well as the serial number sticker...
08/19/2025

Can you see what's wrong here?

The Kaba Mas' X-09 back cover pin was never installed as well as the serial number sticker #265685 on the back cover was never removed...

08/18/2025

In less than six weeks Class 3 and Class 4 GSA Approved security containers will no longer be able to be used to store classified information...

On October 1, 2025 older Black Label Class 3 and Class 4 security containers can no longer be used... All black label security containers will be phased out by October 1, 2028.

Here's a pic taken from the Security Facts newsletter with the "End of Service" dates for various classes of security co...
07/09/2025

Here's a pic taken from the Security Facts newsletter with the "End of Service" dates for various classes of security containers.

Class 2 ended last October. Classes 3 & 4 end October 2025, while all other black label security containers can no longer be used after October 1, 2028.

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I
LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians
Certified Professional Safe Technician
Certified Master Locksmith
GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector

518-271-0783

The "Safe and Vault Historian"

www.labargelockandsafe.com

Celebrating 40 years of professional safe and vault services

The most certified, experienced, and well-equipped GSA Safe and Vault Technician in New York State and New England

1985-2025

That's not good!A defective LCD on a Kaba Mas X-09... Time for the drill!
06/19/2025

That's not good!

A defective LCD on a Kaba Mas X-09...

Time for the drill!

A customer "testimonial" from long ago...Back in early 2004 I was asked to go to Brooklyn to help the U S Marines at Flo...
01/28/2025

A customer "testimonial" from long ago...

Back in early 2004 I was asked to go to Brooklyn to help the U S Marines at Floyd Bennet Field with a number of their safes and vaults. The main issue was a vault lockout while others were various security containers with lock problems of which I replaced a number of the locks with Kaba Mas X-09's which were still fairly new at the time coming out in mid-2002.

Recently while going through old paperwork I found this copy of their "testimonial" for the "hard work and wonderful service" which were provided "as promised and on time exceeding their expectations".

I've provided many safe and vault opening services and repair services over the last four decades for various military locations throughout the northeastern US but I think this is probably the only location that appreciated my services so much to put it in writing. Most often it's a verbal "Thank You for your services!"

I intentionally left out the Staff Sergeant's name since it was long ago... I'm sure he's long retired or gone now but it's still nice to feel your work, back then and today, is appreciated which makes my work still enjoyable even forty years later!

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I
LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians
Certified Professional Safe Technician
Certified Master Locksmith
GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector

518-271-0783

The "Safe and Vault Historian"

www.labargelockandsafe.com

While looking through some old Mosler 1960's GSA brochures recently I saw something I never noticed before... Today's G...
01/26/2025

While looking through some old Mosler 1960's GSA brochures recently I saw something I never noticed before...

Today's GSA security containers, safes and vault doors must have a "Open/Closed" or "Open/Secured" double sided magnetic sign on either the control drawer or safe/vault door. There were many styles & sizes from the various manufacturers of GSA security equipment that were made over the last five or six decades.

I have a small collection of the various magnetic signs sometimes acquiring types I didn't have before by offering my customer's free signs supplied by the Department of Defense Lock Program to replace their old magnetic sign. These free DoD magnetic signs are good to have around since they have the 1-800 number to call the DoD Lock Program for information or technical support.

So, how long have these type of double sided magnets been around? What came before them?

As shown in the pics I found recently of various GSA information and brochures that I was sorting into binders they used a crescent moon shaped "slide-in" to the drawer handle type of "Open/Closed" sign.

The second and third pics shows one of the "Open/Closed" signs in the top drawer handle of a Mosler Class 6 security container. The fourth Pic shows the same type of sign on a Schwab Class 5 vault door at the top left.

I highly doubt there are any more of these type signs out there today!

So, if your location is missing the double sided magnetic "Open/Closed" signs feel free to contact the DoD Lock Program and request them. Remember...they're FREE! ;)

And, is you happen to have any old/unusual magnetic signs similar to these types feel free to contact me so I might be able to add them to my small collection!

Dave LaBarge, CPS-CML-GSAT&I
LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians
Certified Professional Safe Technician
Certified Master Locksmith
GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician and GSA Inspector

518-271-0783

The "Safe and Vault Historian"

www.labargelockandsafe.com

Safe moving 101...Safe moving can be hazardous to your health!Don't let this happen to you... Hire a professional to mo...
01/04/2025

Safe moving 101...

Safe moving can be hazardous to your health!

Don't let this happen to you...

Hire a professional to move your safe...or else! 😉

www.labargelockandsafe.com

Ready for 2025? I'm off and running...wondering what 2025 will bring?Last year was a Great year for my business: www.la...
01/04/2025

Ready for 2025?

I'm off and running...wondering what 2025 will bring?

Last year was a Great year for my business:

www.labargelockandsafe.com

LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians
From safe and vault openings near and far in several northeastern US states, to safe repairs, to mechanical and digital safe and vault lock replacements and retrofits, to safe lock manipulation on modern and antique safe locks.

LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians can provide the safe and vault service you require to keep your safe or vault operational.

Dave LaBarge is also a GSA Certified Safe and Vault Technician for US government agencies and US military customers. We provide GSA Approved safe and vault services for Department of Defense Contractors throughout the northeastern states.

We're factory certified for every GSA Approved government and military use lock from the Kaba Mas X-10 and S&G 2740 used to store classified information to the S&G 2937 mechanical safe lock used for GSA Approved Armory vault doors and weapons safes.

We're also certified to install the LKM10K, the S&G 2890, and Kaba Mas CDX-10 pedestrian door deadbolt locks. Whatever your needs are whether to store your classified information or weapons storage we can provide your location with the security required for your site.

Here's just a small batch of pics of 2024's safe openings and repairs from portable bank vaults, antique and modern safes, to gun safes and specialized GSA safe and vault openings and repairs, we do it all at LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians!

Dave LaBarge of LaBarge Lock and Safe Technicians is also a GSA Certified Safe and Vault Inspector providing services when the GSA Approval label is missing from the GSA Approved safe or vault door maintaining the container for use by US government agencies or various branches of the US military.

A reason why "GSA Certification" and additional training is a good thing for the average safe tech...Here's something I ...
11/18/2024

A reason why "GSA Certification" and additional training is a good thing for the average safe tech...

Here's something I came across today... A Kaba Mas X-09 lock installed on a Mosler vault door that was previously drilled, years ago, by an unknown "safe tech" who apparently was given some accurate drilling information but his knowledge of GSA specs and Federal Standard 809 is far from desirable.

Let start with his repair. The tapered plug was never welded and I would guess that it's not one of the specialized safe saver repair plugs required to be used on GSA safes & vaults. The paint was never textured and the "repair" is easily noticeable. Not good.

Now, the Kaba Mas X-09 lock, check out the LCD display.

Whoever repaired this vault door decided to install the X-09 lock and then repair his drill hole with the unknown tapered pin or plug and then grind it directly towards the X-09 lock leaving grinding debris melting into the LCD screen and dial ring.

Great Job!

Seeing things like this makes me believe that GSA Certification training should be required for everyone who works on, or wants to work on, GSA Approved safes, vaults and security containers...

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Watervliet, NY
12189

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518-271-0783

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