Stocking key blanks

[Solid]

How do i know what key blanks to stock as a beginner? Is it best to start with a key board and just replace what i use? I might not use half of whats on the board? How did you guys start?

[rapidlocks]

are you a shoe repairer , key cutter or locksmith ? if a locksmith , shop based or mobile ? as this will determine whats best for you to carry.

[k4mrc]

best advice is to get davenport burgess boards, whether house or car (even if you cannot afford to fill them) then as time goes on with customers asking you to supply keys to them, you will pick it up along the way and know from any pictures/numbers of keys which to stock, and not waste time buying blanks you may never use!

[SKS_User]

Key stock is always a balancing act between what you want to be able to do (most of the time I get asked for EVERYTHING! ) to what is sensible as a business to keep as stock holding. Generally we advise customers to keep their intial stock holding low and build up, as the business demands it, so you aren't left with a load of keys you might never use. For example, a mobile locksmith might not even need a keyboard, and can get buy with a shoebox with the various keys to the locks they fit stored inside.

 

If you'd like information on our range of keys, drop me or Technical John a PM and I can send you some PDF's showing what the various ranges cover.

[kobblers]

 

If you'd like information on our range of keys, drop me or Technical John a PM and I can send you some PDF's showing what the various ranges cover.

 

yeah but isn't the point he's trying to make is that he doesn't know what's popular as yet so pdfs full of keys are only gonna baffle him

 

try these as startup, fairly popular cylinder blanks: (all silca or HD codes)

 

YA1E (silca)(THE most popular, commonly known as 1A) (you'll need AT LEAST 100 of these)

 

35B (HD) 36M (HD) WAG 1 (HD) ML1 (HD) WHS 1 (HD) UL1 (HD) UL1R (HD)

UL2 (HD) 16HL (HD) N9CS (HD) NS9CS(HD) AB27(HD) CS6 (SILCA) CS7 (SILCA)

56B (HD) 85P (HD) 87R (HD) LF85 (HD) WMS8 (SILCA) 104AS (HD) 104A (HD)

ASEC 1 (HD) ASEC 2(HD) AB6540(HD) AB6550(HD)

 

1045(HD) 1046(HD, SAME BLANK AS 1045 BUT DIFFERENT SHAPE HEAD WHICH YOU WILL ENCOUNTER)

 

62US(HD) L62US(HD) CHV19HD) CS17(HD) CS17R(HD) CB7 (HD) O1EG (HD) RO1EG (HD) O1EN(HD) O1EL(HD) 25B(HD) H176 (HD) 62GE(HD) L62GE(HD) 137B(HD) 136H(HD) LAS21(HD) LAS22(HD) LAS23(HD) LAS24(HD) LF18(HD) LF78(HD) LF29(HD) LF40(HD) LF93(HD) 1092(HD) 1092R(HD)1092-6OOO(HD) 1092-7000(HD) 1092DS(HD) 1092J(HD) 1092D(HD) MS19(HD) WMS5(HD) KBTR1(HD) 9PT(HD) 136H(HD) REN1 (HD) REN1R(HD)RCH1(HD) ROY1(HD) ROY2(HD) SI1R(HD) 402/2(HD) SQ4(HD)402(HD) 43(HD) TG1(HD) TCE1, TCE2, TCE3 etc, up to TCE18(HD) TL9, TL9R (HD) TL10, TL10R(HD)TL11, TL11R(HD) TL12, TL12R(HD) CHB2, CHB3, CHB4(HD) UN131, UN131R, UNI32, UNI32R (HD) WE3(HD)WR5R(HD) YAX5(HD)18E(HD) 41E(HD)

EV2, EV6, 62EV, EV6L, L62EV, EV3R(HD) these are but a small sample but you will get most, if not all of these at some time during your first few weeks)

 

if i get time tomorrow i'll post the codes for the popular mortice and bit key blanks)

 

rick.

[Lee]

thats a top quality reply Rick.

 

A good list of the top key blanks there, which will see you on your way Solid

 

Lee

[Mark A]

ascap29,

In all fairness to SKS they do supply key boards of the most popular blanks, and further boards in order of popularity for cylinders, mortice etc.

 

So the offer of the PDfs outlining these may well be far more helpful to the OP than you initially thought.

 

Mark

[kobblers]

fair enough mark, i'm giving him the codes here because i know from experience that these are popular, i've seen many manufacturers' boards and they never fail to have a blank or two that shouldn't be on there anymore.

 

i'm also giving it from the horse's mouth as all suppliers exist to make money from as many sales as possible and i'm hoping that by hearing it from somone out in the field everyady that the OP can hopefully save some money by not being sold what he may not need to start up. (i'm talking from experience and i'm not gonna name names but this has happened to me when i first started up)

 

my point about the pdfs still stands tho, if i read the OP's post right then he has little or no experience and again, a loada pdfs detailing more blanks than the ones i listed would just bamboozle him.

 

to the original poster: (solid) when stocking up on key blanks try to resist the urge to buy only what you need of certain blanks, say 6 of something just to top up as most suppliers charge more for buying less than ten (split-pack rate), if you're buying 7 of summat then you may as well go the hog and get ten as there will hardly be a price difference between buying 10 or 7 of the same blank.

[Solid]

Thanks guys and ascap29 that was what i was looking for. I want common blanks from your peoples experience. I am new to key cutting and was worried if i buy a key boards i would be left with keys i wouldn't use very often. I wasn't sure how good the key board selection would be.

[ponsaloti]

Solid,

best thing is to buy the key boards and re-stock when needed.

Each area is different and it's a good way to learn and identify profiles.

if you think your going to get stuck with the blanks, I'm sure you can sell them on ukbk.

[Technical Tony original]

We do have 2 x keyboard (PDf's) that we class as " MOST Popular " Keys for the UK ,

 

1 x Cylinder

 

1 x Mortice

 

Please feel free to PM me if you need further details on these - thanks .

[Solid]

We do have 2 x keyboard (PDf's) that we class as " MOST Popular " Keys for the UK ,

 

1 x Cylinder

 

1 x Mortice

 

Please feel free to PM me if you need further details on these - thanks .

 

Thanks for those pdf's john. Just what i was looking for

[Gordon Dinnage]

Found this thread while looking for the most likely four top rim cylinder blanks as an offer to buy my first stock with one of my own numbers printed on them.

The majority of my key cutting is after the supply and fit of new cylinders to blocks of flats comunal front doors for the agents. That way both the agent and all the residents and such like will get to know my number. primarily for lock work hopefully not for cutting the odd key.

The minimum requirement is for 250 of any blank, and at least four different keys, so aside from the blanks for cylinders I will provide, I have so far picked out;

U-5D
U-6D
Yale 1A
UN-11

Any other thoughts on this potential order would be most welcome.

Cost of the bundle of blanks is not an issue, the biggest cost was the machine, bought at auction. 

Im have three books of the key profiles available and a number of accounts with suppliers all who offer many blanks.

[Lee]

Yale 1a’s how times change! I used to buy those a thousand at a time, now I buy 50 at a time!

[rmarsters]

if you're mainly going to be cutting keys for cylinders you supply, check which blanks those cylinders take!

[Gordon Dinnage]

16 hours ago, rmarsters said:

if you're mainly going to be cutting keys for cylinders you supply, check which blanks those cylinders take!

Thanks for your thought.

I much prefer the ERA cylinders, although it depends on what the current blocks have on them.

A small amount I changed from Yale 88 styles to the more secure CISA, the latter not able to forced off the door from outside.

[Gordon Dinnage]

17 hours ago, Lee said:

Yale 1a’s how times change! I used to buy those a thousand at a time, now I buy 50 at a time!

Yea 1A being at one time and the Union U11 only the two I really came across.

So by that you would not pick the 1A then, more of another?

Im not after cutting much of single keys, mainly the agent and commcercial side, more on quanity at a time.

I use a supplier who offers key numbered registered cylinders where blanks are not distributed.

[Mike at Vauxhall]

Depends upon who you order from. I order coined keys from Davenport, but also sks as I found I wanted coined tx-3d. That is the key you need at present. U5D is top and U6d is good. I still find a demand for 1a/ya-79d. No demand for the union. I'm also ordering coined al-2. That's fairly popular. Davenport don't offer tx-3d, ya-79d or al-2 coined.

[Gordon Dinnage]

2 hours ago, cowers lane 583 said:

Depends upon who you order from. I order coined keys from Davenport, but also sks as I found I wanted coined tx-3d. That is the key you need at present. U5D is top and U6d is good. I still find a demand for 1a/ya-79d. No demand for the union. I'm also ordering coined al-2. That's fairly popular. Davenport don't offer tx-3d, ya-79d or al-2 coined.

Brilliant, thanks for that detailed reply. I used to prefer fitting Union profile cylinders for Main Front Doors, as tenants or residents would often screw up that outer door when it was the same profile as their flat entrance door which then causes a call out (not that I minded), with a snapped key on the comunual block entrance. I see the Union has gone out of favour these days, and lots more Euro cylinders about with the expansion of even blocks using half or full cylinders on Ali or upvc doors.

I will take another look at the others you mentioned AL-2 and TX-3D.

The coining as they call it, a stamping of some kind of advert being a name and number is a sly way of getting your name to block of flat residents, when they can be from just 6 to 60 flats, thats a lot of keys as a bulk supply to start with and a freebie plug on each, far better than sticking a card on the notice board which usually gets taken down by another locksmith working on a flat, while block managing agents, once they are used to you stick by you.

So a mimum of 250 of any key with coining, sounds certainly like U5D & U6D with a difference of opinion about the 1A, and wether to bother with the U11.

Other than standard ERA cylinders that I prefer, there are occasions I may need to change those Oval half cylinders, which are usually Union, more agents are looking at fob entry systems, so mechanical keyed entry may well be on the way out in time for the majority, with keys more so for the one dwelling, flat or house.

[ponsaloti]

A high percentage of 5pin universal keys started life as 1A's  and a lot of manufacturers are using the 1A profile rebranded.

[Count Muppet]

Even the electronic entry tend to have a key backup.

people don’t use union so much anymore because the asec and euro spec are a 3rd of the price.

If you plan on fitting era, then get yourself some ul1 or ul2 coined. Or just get yourself some key loops made up and add these to every set of keys you give out. I love keyloops. They’re really handy.

[Gordon Dinnage]

4 hours ago, Count Muppet said:

Even the electronic entry tend to have a key backup.

people don’t use union so much anymore because the asec and euro spec are a 3rd of the price.

If you plan on fitting era, then get yourself some ul1 or ul2 coined. Or just get yourself some key loops made up and add these to every set of keys you give out. I love keyloops. They’re really handy.

I understand the thought behind keyloops but I cannot be giving a block agent 60 keys and expect them to keep my loops on them when they give out keys to residents, they will also be using the company fobs for their own sets. Personally I like the plastci knock out clear fobs whewre they can have a reference on one side and a trading style on the other.

UL1 & UL2, I asume are a different makers code for those I have already mentioned.

Key blanks are a fairly new topic for me to grasp, it wont stick in my head straight away, its only come to this because of the multiple key cutting is costing me otherwise £4 a key, as my previous outlet I also worked for had closed in March, so my bulk rate has now gone. One book on blanks I have is over 405 pages of A4.

[Gordon Dinnage]

4 hours ago, ponsaloti said:

A high percentage of 5pin universal keys started life as 1A's  and a lot of manufacturers are using the 1A profile rebranded.

Thanks, yes I see that suppliers have thier own numbers systems that use the same profile as an established number.

[ponsaloti]

1 minute ago, Gordon Dinnage said:

Thanks, yes I see that suppliers have thier own numbers systems that use the same profile as an established number.

This is true but what I was actually saying is, a lot of key cutters have ditched A1's (and other profiles) and use uni's to save money on stocking the correct blank.

[Gordon Dinnage]

4 minutes ago, ponsaloti said:

This is true but what I was actually saying is, a lot of key cutters have ditched A1's (and other profiles) and use uni's to save money on stocking the correct blank.

Ah I see, you folk are obviously much more aware being in that part of the trade a while. In time I would get it so to speak.

Learing from the bottom up, I gather than instead of having 1As I am better having universals that cover many more numbers.

Maybe U5D & U6D are enough then.