Keys · copies
Key copies that work the first time.
Everybody has had the copy that needs a wiggle and a lift. That key is not a mystery. It is a worn cutter, a wrong blank, or a copy made from a copy.
Why cheap copies fail
Copying a copy
A duplicating machine traces the key you hand it, and every generation adds a little error. Copy a copy of a copy and the cuts have drifted too far for the pins to line up.
Always copy from the original. If you no longer have it, a key can be cut to the lock's actual code instead of traced.
The wrong blank
Blanks that look identical differ in the keyway profile, the shoulder position and the thickness. A near-enough blank enters the lock sitting a fraction of a millimeter off.
A worn cutter
High-volume machines in supermarkets and hardware aisles are rarely recalibrated. The cuts come out shallow. That is exactly the key that works on a new lock and fails on a worn one.
And sometimes the lock, not the key
If every copy needs jiggling, the original included, the cylinder is worn and no key will fix it. We will say so rather than sell you a fourth copy.
Words you will hear
What we can and cannot copy
- House, apartment, padlock, cabinet, gate, mailbox, garage. Yes, at your door.
- Car keys. Yes, but a chip key also needs programming at the vehicle. See spare car keys.
- "Do Not Duplicate". A request, not a restriction. We cut it once you show the key is yours.
- Patented or restricted keys. No. The blank is controlled by the manufacturer and the key can only be cut on the system by its authorized dealer, with written authorization from the system's owner. That is the point of them.
If your key carries a brand like Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, Abloy, Schlage Primus or Assa, it may be one. Send a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you before you waste a trip. - A USPS cluster mailbox key. No, and nor may anyone else. Those locks belong to the Postal Service. Your local post office handles them.
How many should you have?
Three is the sensible number for a home. One in use, one for the person you live with, one somewhere that is not the property. Two is the minimum. One is a future call-out at an inconvenient hour.
Do not leave the spare under the mat, in the meter box, or in a fake rock. Those are the first four places anyone looks.
Need someone now?
A person answers, at any hour, in English or Spanish. If it is not urgent, we will hold a day and a time for you instead.
Or leave your details and we will call you.