Room Escape Artist

The News

On a seemingly normal day in June 2022, the news hit the escape room owners groups: the Master Lock 1500iD Speed Lock, known better by its nickname, “the directional lock,” was dead. Initial reactions ranged from disbelief to placing massive orders of the iconic escape room lock. The rumors were true. The 1500iD was dead. 

In short order, the price of the directional lock soared at online retailers who retained stock. For a time, 1500iD locks sold for nearly $80 per unit. Some escape room owners claimed to have purchased upwards of 200 units. Before discontinuation, they usually sold for less than $10 per lock. Two years later, supplies do continue to persist at greatly elevated prices of $30 per lock at press time. 

The History

The 1500iD had a complicated and interesting history. It began as an invention of Israeli Yehonatan Knoll, who filed his patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in May 2002. His company Knollan Ltd. licensed the patent to Master Lock Company LLC., a notoriously large purveyor of low- and medium-quality lock hardware. 

In a grand twist of irony, the 1500iD stood out in Master Lock’s lineup as cheaply constructed, yet unpickable. Truly. Searching YouTube will deliver zero results of reputable locksporters successfully using non-destructive attacks like picking, bypassing, or decoding the 1500iD. It is susceptible to destructive attacks, but if you hit anything hard enough it will break. The 1500iD was a remarkable combination of security, technology, and uniqueness for a shockingly low price. This was what made it an iconic mainstay in escape room design. 

If the 1500iD was a good product, why did Master Lock choose to kill it? While neither Master Lock, nor Knollan responded to a request for comment on this story, the cause of 1500iD’s death appears to be intellectual property law. In 2022, the Knollan’s patent expired and with it, their licensing deal with Master Lock. It seems that Master Lock killed the 1500iD due to an end of exclusivity on the underlying technology. 

Looking at the innards of the 1500iD, it functions very differently from anything else in the Master Lock lineup. This uniqueness likely means an atypical manufacturing process, lower margins, and decreased efficiency. In the end, the 1500iD probably died of the same cause of death as most good, interesting, and unique products: Someone with an MBA strangled it to death to move a stock price a fraction of a point. A sacrifice on the altar of efficiency. 

The Future

Looking forward, there are a few possibilities for the directional lock now that it is patent free and discontinued: 

1. It stays dead. 

2. One or more mediocre manufacturers produce terrible clones. 

3. One or more manufacturers produce an equal or better product. 

The 1500iD is dead, but the directional lock is free. Hopefully it rises again better and stronger. 

Sources

• Buy the Master Lock 1500iD on Amazon (while supplies last)
• Knollan Ltd. (Patent Holder)
• Patent for [Directional] Combination lock (US6718803B2)
• Master Lock Product Page 1500iD (Discontinued)
• Master Lock 1500iD Amazon Price History
• Lock Analysis by BosnianBill

The RECON Observer

This piece was first published on August 18, 2024 in The RECON Observer, a print publication distributed at RECON Los Angeles. While the complete newspaper and all of its secrets were only available at RECON Los Angeles, we’re making a few columns available on Room Escape Artist for all to enjoy.

Attend RECON

RECON returns this August as an online event that you can access from anywhere in the world.

RECON Remote 25 will take place August 17-18, 2025.

The event includes:

• 8 speaker sessions with live Q&As
• An exhibit hall and live product demos from sponsors
• Facilitated discussions for professionals (and aspiring professionals!)
• Community conversations in our virtual venue
• An exclusive game designed just for this event
• And so much more!

Learn more about RECON here. Tickets are on sale now!