24/04/2026
๐ Congratulations to Shane Hales of Haleslocks โ winner of the BLACK X Modular Challenge at last weekend's MLA Western Region Meeting in Weston-super-Mare!
Here's how it worked. Every locksmith sat down at a table with a fully assembled BLACK X Smart Lock in front of them. Against the clock, they had to:
๐ง Remove the BLACK X secure smart device from the cylinder ๐ง Fully disassemble the cylinder
๐ง Add a 5mm extension piece and reassemble
๐ง Reattach the BLACK X secure smart device
๐ง Press the pre-paired xKey fob to activate the smart lock
The learning? If you can do it at a table, you can do it in your van. You can do it at a doorstep. No special tools, no special environment โ just the confidence of knowing the system is genuinely installer-friendly from the ground up.
Shane was the fastest to complete the challenge. ๐
A huge thank you to the participants who completed the challenge โ the enthusiasm in the room was brilliant, and the feedback about BLACK X from the locksmiths who got hands-on with it has been fantastic.
That means everything to us.
๐ Weston-super-Mare | MLA Western Region Meeting
Master Locksmiths Association MLA Shane Hales
