What is glass relocking?

If you have started to do some research on safes before you buy, you may have come across the term, glass relocker or glass relocking and thought what is that?

A relock system serves to block the bolt mechanism of the safe from operating. If triggered the safe becomes "permanently" locked; It will require a locksmith or safe technician to open, often with brute force so could also require significant repair.

One of the most common relocking systems uses a piece of tempered glass as the triggering system. Tempered glass is the glass that shatters into thousands of little pieces. Tempered glass used to be used in automobile windscreens extensively but has now largely been replaced with laminated glass.

This is what tempered glass looks like when broken.

It literally explodes into pieces when subjected to shock. This is the feature that makes tempered glass ideal to use as a triggering device for a safe relocker. A glass relocker is based on installing a piece of tempered glass within the walls or doors of a safe. Attached to this piece of glass are one or more spring-loaded bolts. When there is an attempt to penetrate the safe where the glass is located, it shatters explosively into thousands of pieces and the locking bolts spring into place, locking the door permanently.

So, the purpose of a safe relocker is to try and prolong any attempt to gain entry to the safe. The longer the break in takes the higher the probability that the thieves will be caught or compromised and leave the scene without gaining entry. Even if the safe is destroyed in the process.

So safe relockers are considered to be commercial or very high-end home safe features. Unless you are keeping large amounts of cash, gold or jewellery in a safe, the installation of a high-quality alarm or video system that covers the location of the safe is a more economical alternative.

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