Very cool tour of different key materials and shapes, helpful for any #lockboss - thanks PJ! I appreciated your mentioning matching the key and pin materials for reduced long-term wear. It would be great if you discussed the different metals’ effect on cutting wheel longevity too, at some point.
So many keys is right. Thank you for the information clearing up the mistifications. The explanation of the materials used and the shapes of the different heads. And the explanation of the nickle plated pins and the nickle plated key to reduce the wear. #lockboss.
I prefer regular brass finish other than SFIC mostly just for looks. Institutions that don’t want sfic I will use DND or neuter bow keys unless it’s Sargent which is NS anyway. Good stuff I always love a refresher and looking at all my options in one place. Always good stuff from CLK. #Lockboss
Lockboss Greetings: I am retired and 71yo. I grew up in the environs of Queens County New York city. There the predominant key/lock make was YALE. I have relocated to California and have not seen any Yale keys or locks. Back when I lived on NYC Long Island, the dominant key styles were Kwikset & Schlage (?) plus ACE for vending machines and laundromat. What were some other common lock makers? For security in parts of Manhattan, Fox police locks were common (with steel bars between the door center and the floor inside the apartment.)
An old locksmith I used to know (he's passed away now) would rekey with little metal balls underneath the bottom pins, so that they rolled on the key, reducing wear that way. Thank you for the video! #Lockboss
@@clksupplies This was before I became a locksmith, but I suspect it was probably construction balls and then two sets of top pins. I never really spoke with him about the trade (this was many many years ago), but I've been called to lockouts a few times for people I know for a fact had their locks rekeyed by him, and they were all like that. I keep hoping one of his past customers will call me for a rekey or an all keys lost situation, so I can take them apart and see exactly what he did.
Great stuff PJ! I have been using the Hotel style for years on "Loaner" keyrings for vendors so that they are less likely to be duplicated and less likely to be lost. Thank you and CLK for helping me to be a #Lockboss!
That’s an issue, unless you collected and acquired hundreds of keys over a period of time.. some are outdated…that’s another reason for my decision not to cut and make…I’m a Lock out professional…on call 24 7… … maybe later…once I retire... Great information PJ!!!!… #lockboss
Great refresher. For Schlage and Kwikset I use both brass and silver plated, never looked into nickel silver for Schlage and Kwikset, just SFIC. Thanks PJ! #Lockboss
The thing about CLK videos, at least for me, is that I always learn something new. Thank you, yet again, for some great information to aid me along in my quest to become a #Lockboss caliber locksmith!
You’ll definitely want to stock Big head and Hotel Key in SC1 and KW1. Older adults love them as they make finding the key and gripping the key a lot easier for them. Parents like to give them to their kids. They are less likely to get lost and easy to find in a backpack. Most people don’t know they are an optional so make sure people know it’s an option. Display they with your colored/painted keys. #Lockboss.
Good show, very informative, I use nickel silver blanks whenever they are available. I think it’s a bit more professional, and I charge $4 per key, never a complaint.#Lockboss
Interesting information. I have cut big head keys for someone who may have multiple keys on their key ring and wants to be able to quickly find a certain key #Lockboss
Never put a lot of thought into the material used in my keys. Never had anyone come back and tell me that my keys didn’t last. I would attribute part of that to the fact that I rarely duplicate customer keys. #Lockboss
Was it knowing the right Keyway, OR knowing the right Kiwi? (i.e., a person from NZ), ha, ha -- I guess if you want Nickel Silver as a Neuter Bow DND blank, then the Hotel Key would be the closest. Perhaps I need to use some of those for high usage locks, as a quality #lockboss
I did not know the big head key existed. Anyone know what "Do not duplicate" means? It might be one of those phrases whose meaning was lost such as "parking for customer's only", "no turn on red", "55 miles per hour", or "literally ". #Lockboss
I have a Schlage D234 key that broke where can I find this particular key blank? I’ve looked all over Google and Amazon and I can’t seem to find this blank.
Sweet! What about pad lock keys? I recently bought a "lot" of old, "decommissioned" padlocks and they only came with one key. When looking online for blanks, it seems they don't exist for them... Seems to be a standard Murrica Lock Company key but, it's mirror imaged? Anyone have any insight?
Fun fact: It seems like Schlage has given up on nickle silver pins and blanks for at least their residential locks and moved to brass to save money. #Lockboss
I don't believe the Schlage key at the beginning is an SC1. I never knew the purpose of nickel silver is for high usage. Just goes to show you never stop learning in this business.#Lockboss
