Keymaker Patrick opens a new business: ‘I know 8,000 types of keys by heart’

On the outside, the new store in the Leyens shopping center looks just like a jewelry store. But behind the royal blue and gold walls there are no rings and bracelets but… keys! Keymaker Patrick Baldew (47) wanted to get rid of what he thought was a dull image and opted for a modern interior.

In the former gift shop Bijoux & Gifts Robania at Broekwegzijde 159 you will now find Patrick’s Sleutelpunt. Here you not only find new and counterfeit keys, but also safes, cameras, electric lock openers, key boxes, hinges and locks.

Lives in the Leyens

Patrick worked in security for years until he saw a vacancy for a locksmith more than twenty years ago. He applied, got the job and mastered the craftsmanship. His employer asked him to take over the business, but that fell through. “There is only one key maker in Zoetermeer,” says Patrick. He lives in the Leyens himself and saw the building in the shopping center vacant. “I decided to start my own business, nice and local”

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Question from abroad

Over the years he got to know more and more types of keys. If someone was looking for a copy of a special model, Patrick went looking for it. Sometimes even from abroad. “I now know 8,000 models by heart and I now have the top 500 in the collection in my store.”

Have the cylinders replaced immediately when your new-build home is completed

Outside without key

In addition to sales, Patrick helps people in need who accidentally close the front door and lock themselves out, or open a safe where the key has disappeared. Nowadays he increasingly gives advice about cylinders and locks. “Fat bikes and cargo bikes are increasingly disappearing from gardens. This means people are suddenly starting to think about locks and security.”

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On, off, on, off

According to Patrick, rogue locksmiths, who open your closed front door for a lot of money, usually work from cars. This is why Patrick chose a physical store so that people see a face. “In my opinion, that creates a more reliable feeling.”

Patrick experiences all kinds of things in his work as a locksmith. “Sometimes I look like a social worker because people want to share personal stories with me. They tell good news, such as about a new home, but also bad news, such as a burglary.” The craziest thing he ever experienced was a couple who decided to separate and get back together for three consecutive years. “I kept changing the locks,” Patrick says jokingly.