What I do on a broken-key extraction
First, do not touch it with a paperclip, a toothpick, or any other household tool. I see this constantly, a key snaps, the customer tries to get it out themselves, and drives it further into the cylinder. What was a 10-minute extraction becomes a drill-and-replace because the cylinder pins are now damaged beyond lubricating.
When I arrive, the standard tool is a spiral extractor, a small barbed wire that threads down the keyway alongside the broken key, twists 90 degrees, catches the key’s edge, and pulls it out. For slightly larger breaks I’ll use a double-hook extractor that grabs the break point directly. Neither tool damages the cylinder; they simply remove the blockage.
The extraction itself is usually 2–10 minutes. What takes longer is the diagnosis afterwards: if the key snapped because the cylinder is worn, gummed up with dirt, or mechanically failing, the same thing will happen again next month with a different key. I’ll tell you honestly if your cylinder needs replacing. If it does, a 3★ anti-snap replacement is the flat £120 upgrade. If it doesn’t, a quick clean and relube and you’re done.
If the break happens in a mortice deadlock (older wooden doors), the same techniques apply but the angle is different, I work from inside the lock body. Slightly longer job, same pricing.