Spring has sprung, and broken, and been replaced

A tip of the cap to L&M Lock Service in Linden Square.  I recently  swung by the shop for the first time early one morning to see if they might have a spring I could use to replace the one that broke inside a  140-something-year-old door lock. Most places I went seemed to think I had a better chance of taking the lock, selling it on Antiques Roadshow and then buying a new lock with the proceeds (though a Home Depot associate did give an honest try at helping). Anyway, when I visited L&M  a couple of guys jumped on the case, initially oohing and aahing over the lock, but then fishing through their secret box of assorted springs. None of the springs had the exact same tension, but we did find one that fit and would do the job of at least enabling us to keep the door from staying wide open (more modern locks are used to secure the door anyway). No cost for the spring either.

Meanwhile, while there, I also heard one employee imploring a customer to come down and pick up a key rather than have it delivered and suffer at $100-plus service charge, but to no avail. At least they tried to save the customer a few bucks…