The Origin Story
It all started when Chris was eight years old. His mother installed an old-fashioned telephone with a rotary dial, and he discovered the joy of prank calling. To stop the fun, his mum added a lock to the phone.
That was his first encounter with lock picking. Using nothing more than a nail clipper's gunk scraper, young Chris managed to unlock the phone. A lifelong fascination was born.
His interest deepened as he learned about Harry Houdini. On trips to central London, he would stand outside a shop under Charing Cross, admiring a set of lock picks in the window. They wouldn't let him in, but he was captivated by the possibilities.
“Twenty years later, when the internet finally gave me access to real lock picks, I ordered them immediately. After months of dealing with unresponsive suppliers and poor-quality tools, I knew there had to be a better way.”
That frustrating experience with poor suppliers became the catalyst for creating UK Bump Keys, and eventually the Dangerfield brand. The mission was simple: provide quality tools with genuine customer service and proper education.