From fireproofing to panic rooms, here’s what you didn’t know you needed to know about safes

OREM, Utah — Safes have long been considered fortresses for guns and cash. Phil James, sales director of Fort Knox, wants people to think bigger and smarter about what they are protecting.

The family-owned Utah company has spent more than four decades refining its safes and vault doors, offering products that safeguard not only firearms but irreplaceable family heirlooms, business records, and even digital servers.

James is part of the second generation, along with his two brothers, taking the reins from his father, the founder of Fort Knox. Dad, who is 94, built Fort Knox before handing it off to his oldest son, Tom, in 1992. From there, the brothers built Fort Knox for the next 30 years, making it the powerhouse it is today. Their youngest brother Phil rejoined the company in 2019 as sales director. All three of Tom’s sons are a part of Fort Knox today.

The third generation is now stepping in to answer the phone and learning the ropes.

Size matters more than you expect

One of the biggest mistakes James sees is underestimating how much space will be needed.

“The number one mistake people make when they buy safes: they buy it way too small,” he said. “I’ve had people come back and thank me five years later for talking them up into a bigger safe — and still claim they could have gone bigger.”

He continues, “ If used properly, you will fill the safe with what matters most and those items are safe from fire and theft.” Some items that James noted for safe storage were pictures, collectibles, hard drives, taxes, Social Security numbers, children’s vaccine records, titles, deeds, you name it.

 The rise of the vault room

Fort Knox’s top-selling product is its vault door, accounting for roughly 20% of the company’s business. In Utah, vault rooms are often built beneath porches or garages, thanks to construction techniques common across the state.

“Most homes in Utah use it as a food storage room,” James said. “All we’ve got to do is put a door on there, maybe finish it out a little bit. This will make a breach and fire resistant room”

Vault rooms serve multiple purposes: secure storage, storm shelter, panic room and even home office server security during remote work.

“If you get an in-swing vault door, you can use it as a panic room,” James said. He recalled stories from customers about surviving home invasions and tornadoes by taking refuge in these fortified spaces. One client needed the vault room as protection from a home invader, and when they moved to Utah, they installed another vault door for peace of mind.

Safes tested against modern threats

James emphasized that today’s threats are more advanced than ever, with power tools making break-ins faster. Fort Knox designs its safes to resist these attacks, using high-grade metals such as stainless steel and ARMAKNOX AR500, a material known for its cut and drill resistance properties.

James said, “We’ve looked at how people have attempted to breach our safes then we make our products better.”

Invest 10% of your valuables’ worth in security

James recommends customers spend a minimum of 10% of the value of what they are locking up on a safe itself.

“If you’re locking up $50,000, you should spend a minimum of five to six thousand dollars to keep that safe,” he said.

Many buyers, he noted, underestimate the total value of what they want to protect — especially when factoring in sentimental items and collections.

Lifetime warranty, even for tornadoes

Fort Knox safes and vault doors come with a lifetime warranty, covering break-ins, fire, and acts of nature.

“We’ve had safes picked up by tornadoes and thrown 150 yards. Everything inside was saved,” James said. “Maybe a little dinged up, but it was all accounted for.”

In one recent case, a safe from 1988 that survived an attempted break-in was replaced with a new, upgraded model at no charge.

Fort Knox is, and always has been, built in Utah

Fort Knox products are built in Orem, Utah, with a focus on using American-made materials.

“Everything’s bent, welded, painted, assembled right here in Orem,” James said. “We’ve been in the same place for 43 years.”

Despite rising costs and supply chain challenges, James said Fort Knox maintains production, relying on U.S. steel and local labor. The company avoids ecommerce only stores, preferring customers to experience the build quality in person at its network of dealers nationwide.

“When you open a Fort Knox, you can feel the quality,” James said. “You know exactly what you’re getting and what you’re leaving behind.”

For those readers interested in seeing the products firsthand, James extends an open invitation. “Come see where they’re made. I’ll give you a tour of the factory,” he said.

To learn more about Fort Knox, visit their website.