Cracking Codes and Carrying on Tradition: Geoff Gall on 100 Years of Kat Keys

ST. PAUL, MN – SEPTEMBER 2025 –

Few people can say they’ve been breaking into things professionally for 35 years. But for Geoff Gall, locksmith at Kat Keys, it’s been both a career and a calling. On a recent episode of Beyond the Breaker, Gall offered listeners a glimpse into the hidden world of locksmithing – equal parts tradition, technical skill, and helping people on their worst days.

“We Open Doors”

When asked what a locksmith does, Gall’s answer was simple: “We open doors.” But that undersells the scope of his work. From unlocking homes to moving 4,000-pound safes, to opening vaults for coin dealers or families settling estates, locksmithing often feels like something out of a movie.

His colleague Scott, Gall explained, is the shop’s “safe tech.” Armed with a drill and a scope, he can read the wheels of a locked safe and crack it open – almost like Hollywood, just without pressing an ear to the steel.

A Century of Kat Keys

Gall’s roots in the business go back generations. His great-great-uncle, Omar Katke, founded the company more than 100 years ago in St. Paul. Originally a jack-of-all-trades – “private investigator, watch repair, locksmith, whatever you paid him to do,” Gall said – Katke set the foundation for what became Kat Keys.

From there, the business passed through family hands until Hunt Electric acquired it two years ago. Though selling after so many decades pulled at heartstrings, Gall says it still feels like family. “Everybody in the Hunt community has been so helpful,” he said.

Training the Next Generation

With formal locksmith schools closing in Minnesota, Gall sees training as an urgent need. “If I win the lottery and disappear to an island, everything in my head goes with me,” he joked. To avoid that, Kat Keys is training new hires directly, passing down knowledge from veterans like Gall and longtime colleague Larry Bloom.

Gall started himself at age 15, riding the bus to the shop and moving safes alongside his dad. Today, he’s the one teaching. “It’s about making sure that information gets passed on,” he said.

Stories from the Field

The episode was full of colorful stories – like opening a family safe only to find shelves of “personal items,” or helping police rescue a child locked inside a bedroom. “You help people out in a bad situation, and they’re so thankful,” Gall said. “That’s what I find most gratifying.”

Of course, not every job ends smoothly. “Sometimes you have to walk away when people are just dropping F-bombs at you,” he admitted. “You’re part technician, part therapist.”

Old Tools, New Tech

While technology has changed, Gall still treasures the tools passed down to him. One, a small pinning tool, belonged to his grandfather and is still in use 70 years later. “You don’t throw away tools like that,” he said. “You fix them, and you keep using them.”

At the same time, he’s seen locks get both better and worse. Poorly made locks, he noted, are sometimes harder to open because they break under pressure. Other times, new devices make jobs more efficient – but Gall still likes to rely on the fundamentals.

A Perfect Fit with Hunt

For Hunt, Kat Keys brings skills the company didn’t have before: safe removal, retail locksmithing, and specialized security expertise. For Gall, Hunt provides resources and a broader family to lean on.

“It’s been a good fit for both sides,” Gall said. “We’ve even been called to job sites where someone left behind a 3,000-pound safe. Now, Hunt’s got a guy for that.”

The Sound of Success

Asked what it feels like to finally crack a lock after hours of effort, Gall smiled. “It’s the click,” he said. “That sound is like angels singing. You did it. You got it.”

Want to know the full story of how Kat Keys became part of Hunt Electric? Click here to read more.