bluefoxicy

Some guy came in, told the LBS that their locks were better, then proceeded to cut up a bunch of Kryptonite and ABUS locks ... repeatedly demonstrating the better engineering and harder compounds of ABUS locks. Bike shop immediately ceased purchase of Kryptonite stock and has been restocking with ABUS.

Now, I don't think they did the bottle jack test with ABUS locks. They're harder to cut, harder to saw, but unless the steel is very ductile it's going to break under bottle jacks. Their marketing literature says it resists leverage and freezing, so I assume it's still fairly malleable and ductile, enough that it won't shatter under force (hard, malleable, ductile steel resists all attacks; hard, brittle steel resists cutting attacks more, but falls to shattering and leverage attacks).

So ... they're getting ABUS U-locks and ditching Kryptonite. They've never carried Evo, or New York, which are what I've been looking at. ABUS also seems overly expensive, although my LBS claims they're harder to cut than Kryptonite. Kryptonite uses a hardened dead bolt and their locks are well-constructed; I don't know about ABUS construction.

The one thing that kind of puts me off about ABUS is they make their own steel. This is not something a lock manufacturer should be doing; outsourced materials are far better, because you find a specialist materials manufacturer and buy their high-quality, consistent product.

Nermal

You sure about that? Making one's own steel would be quite an undertaking, especially for a small company. Even Buck Knives and all the custom makers buy their stock.

Doug5150

ABUS and Kryptonite are both good as far as I've heard.
Having either would be okay with me, as long as it's one of the higher-end (more expensive) models. Kryptonite is a lot more common in the USA though.



Knowing what little I do about steel manufacture, I also would be surprised if any lock company makes their own steel.

wahoonc

Both make good locks and both make marginal locks. You pays your money and takes your choice.

Aaron

bluefoxicy

This is something that the ABUS rep pitched to the bike shop I went to; I immediately told the bike shop that steel is a very complex thing, and started going on about metallurgy and different grades of steel I've played with and like for various applications, and the role of various alloying materials. The security concerns for locks are varied by type of lock, and thus the material requirements will change. Chains? As hard as you can get. U-Locks? Hard, but malleable and ductile to resist cracking under leverage (bottle jack). Braid cable? Laughable; the softest, most ductile steel you can get, minimal malleability, for this, and it'll still cut easy.

Making your own steel is a good way to make crap steel. Unless your business is selling high-grade steel, you should be buying high-grade steel.

wahoonc

Sounds like a salesman running his mouth off about something that he knows little about, or was misinterpreted by the LBS. I could see ABUS specifying a special steel vs manufacturing it. ABUS is a reputable company they make an entire range of locks, not just bike locks. I have a couple of their brass padlocks that have been here on the home place for close to 30 years and still work fine.

What ABUS does have that Kyrptonite does not is their Folding Lock series.

Personally I don't see why the shop doesn't carry more than one line of lock.

Aaron

Doug5150

From what I understand, a steel mill must be kept running 24/7 since the temperature changes with heating up & cooling down the furnace do a significant amount of damage to it. The volumes that mus be produced are likewise tremendous, compared to what any one lock company would use.

Broke link!
https://www.abus.de/us/main.asp?Scree...ArtikelGrID=11

Because part of the dealer agreement with the lock company says that the shop won't carry any other brands.

JusticeZero

Well, that's the right of the bike shop to decide what products they want to sell. I'm trying to figure out what your point here is; it seems to come down to "Joe's Bikes decided to be an exclusive ABUS supplier and I don't like ABUS!" Okay, so don't go to Joe's Bikes for a non-ABUS lock. I fail to see the issue here.

himespau 

+1

bluefoxicy

Don't know if ABUS is worth what they're charging, or any better, or any good. I've never heard of them. Now I'm back to figuring out what lock I want; I was thinking a Kryptonite Evo-4 or Kryptonite New York.

billyymc

They also mine their own iron ore with a bucket wheel.

And they smelt it by flying it close to the sun in an alien spaceship. The end hardness depends on how close they get.

fietsbob

Abus Link locks are excellent, 6 plates of hardened steel joined by recessed hot forged Rivets.

the whole thing 6 links and the lock mech fold up and stow in a pouch that straps to the frame .

Abus makes much more than U locks , in Germany.. [J&B, distributes them in the US]

the ring lock and chain combo is a good combination, lock stays on the bike ,
closes around the rear wheel , chain goes around the stuff you are going to lock Onto..

I got a Kryptonite U lock as part of their replacement program , the Bic pen Cap scare.

they are a China contract made import product now.