The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

Handcuff key blanks

21 visible archived posts · 21 preserved total · topic ID 1634

joebell45 14 Dec 2006

I've been looking for a place to buy Tower double lock key blanks. Anyone have a sugestion?

Anonymous 14 Dec 2006

look right above your posting and click on the "Available from Cannon's Great Escapes"
link. it will take you right where you want to be

joebell45 15 Dec 2006

I've bought keys from Cannon's, and they give great service but I need about 6 Tower keys and would like to save some money and fit them myself.
If any one knows where I can get the key blanks it would be a great help.

anonymous 15 Dec 2006

hunt for them on ebay like everyone else.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0059744261

joebell45 15 Dec 2006

I've also bought keys on Ebay but I hate to buy ten keys and hope that one of them will be what I need.
I've seen new key blanks that will work in the Tower cuffs,some one should know where they come from. Please share the info.
THANKS

patrick-handboeienfreak 16 Dec 2006

hi

where I live here in holland (rotterdam) is a store who sell key blanks
I don't know the cost of one blank but
I'll try for you to get some (how much do you need)
the only thing I need to know is the hole size in mm and the thicknees outside in mm

regards

Patrick

Brad Darling 18 Dec 2006

Paul,

I can't reach you through the site. Try clicking on my highlighted name, see if you can get mail through to me and I'll let you know what I have that might solve your problem.

Brad

joebell45 19 Dec 2006

Fist, to Patric in Holland, Thanks for your offer but I think I've found keys here in the US.

To Brad, there seems to be a problem linking to the Email. I'll try again in a little while.

Thanks, Paul

Ian McColl 19 Dec 2006

Hi, The Tower keys sold by the Cannon's are made at my request. I have the Tower key blanks made for me via a key blank company. As I have never found any company which makes these keys since Taylor lock company stopped making them in the 1970's, it the only way. The minimum order is in 1000 lots and it's a long time before I get my money back.

I like the Cannon's sell a cut key as made to the model handcuff as all too often in the past, people have tried to fit my keys when supplied as blanks and the botched the task and blamed it on the key blank. ( in good faith I have always swapped keys to keep any customer happy) However there are those who can do and those who cannot and I was out of pocket for the experience on many occasions.

I don't know if saving a few dollars is the always the best way when it comes to keys. One slip with a file and you can waste your money.

Best of luck with your key blank search and how much money and time you might spend.

The Tower keys are there, ready made and have been custom made just for people like you.

Ian

Jack 19 Dec 2006

#10

Dear Brad,

You entered your e-mail address as hughes-comma-net instead of as hughes-dot-net.

Cheers,

Jack

joebell45 19 Dec 2006

#11

Thanks for letting me know where the blanks come from. I've bought a pair of your cuffs from Cannons,I've also bought keys and books from them. They have always been great to deal with. I'm not trying to take any business away from them but I do like giting an old pair of cuffs to work again and I have been able to file some keys to work.
I've found some blanks to work with now and I appreciate the useful responces to my questions.
Thanks again!

Steve Santini 19 Dec 2006

#12

As one of the few here who is a locksmith and can make thier own keys to fit most cuffs, I must say that being able to do same is a usefull skill.

That being said, there are many times I have cursed what I have had to work with in the terms of pre cut keys, (mostly for antique trunk locks) ,which I have had to file down tediously for hours to even get them to enter the keyway of most Tower cuffs.

The great thing about the Cannon/McColl Tower blanks is that you can be assured that they are going to go into the keyway at first try due to the finely and exact measurements between the keyhole post and the barrel.

If anyone here has experience with keying Tower restraints they will know what I am talking about.

Due to the post size on these restraints a very thin walled barrel key is needed.

Often, merely filing the walls of the barrel thin can be problematic because the work is hand done and uneven; allowing of weak points on the duplicate key that can cause it to break off in the lock with a tight turn.

With the Tower blanks made by Ian and sold by the Cannons, the tollerances are right, and the key itself is uniform and strong walled.

All that remains is to find the right lever combination.

My advice is to go with what Ian and the Cannons offer for Tower restraints.

When compared to working with a non standard blank or pre cut key, there is simply nothing that comes close.

Cheers, Steve Santini www.thedarkmaster.com

Brad Darling 20 Dec 2006

#13

Where to start?

Jack, thanks for the spell check. Rest assured I will relentlessly be watching you. (Jack, I still have the pic you sent. Trying to figure out how to make it into a billboard)

Paul figured out my address, I just couldn't link back to him from the site.

Paul, got your mail last night and wrote to you. Let me know if you did not get it. Sounds like you did.

Steve and Ian are both right. For most, it is great just to order up the key and Ian's/Cannon's stuff is first class all the way.

However, there is a fanatical cadre of a few of us that can't leave well enough alone and have to make our own sometimes, if nothing else just to impress our wives and kids. I know my wife is dazzled everytime I bring one in and show it to her (sort of like when our cat drags in a mouse he just killed).

Ian, I'll write to you and tell you about what Paul and I were discussing. Just FYI.

Brad

Ian McColl 20 Dec 2006

#14

Hi Brad, I wasn't saying " don't make your own" keys. As a practicing locksmith for over 25 years, I still get a kick out of making a key to a lock which may have not seen one for a very long time. I also wouldn't like to put anyone off from making their own keys as many of the collectors do ( locksmiths or not )

If keys or blanks are available, then go for it. Pin and pipe
( Barrel) keys and flat steel are decreasing every year as there is less call for them world wide. When I find a source I have bought as many as I could afford of some stock and had other made.

The unfortunately expensive techinque of lost wax casting has meant they I can offer Bean Giant keys and Marlin Daley keys. ( which fit without the need for any work) and the Tower's as I have said were made to my spec's. There are others who also provide keys and if they have sort to find, get made and make available keys then it would be nice to see that service patronaged ( so more can be offered in the future)

Apart from very hard keys to get or keys to difficuly to handcraft (eg Marlin) the field to open to everyone to find a key blank and make their own keys. It's all part of the handcuff collecting experience and always great fun and rewarding.

Ian

Key-Biz 21 Dec 2006

#15

some key blanks for vintage handcuffs available on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

Anonymous 22 Dec 2006

#16

junk!

JOE TANNER 22 Dec 2006

#17

man i wish there was a way to stop the JERKS - ANNON IDIOTS from being able to post on this great forum..... i am very surprised that the set of the 3 keys with the MARLIN cuff key has not also sold as it is a very great price !! joe

Edgeplay_Cgo 22 Dec 2006

#18

>> i am very surprised that the set of the 3 keys with the MARLIN cuff key has not also sold as it is a very great price <<

It has sold. I bought it. The other lot had already gone.

They didn't last long.

Dorson 22 Dec 2006

#19

Don't fret too much all, getting those hard to get keys that hold up has been a problem like the towers. I have had to file down several keys to make towers and the problem I have had is getting them to not fall apart because I found some key blanks were low quality steel or sintered steel aka powedered metal technology. I have worked out in my head to make durable keys and planning on making most of my keys from stainless steel. As soon as I get my lathe and milling set up with my TIG welder I will be testing my ideas.

-Dorson

JOE TANNER 22 Dec 2006

#20

DENNIS: glad you seen that they were a bargain & got them..... i am sure the seller is happy.................
DORSON: i do not envy you in the task that you are trying to take, but i think you will find that it will NOT be worth the time, energy, & $$$.... have fun thou anyway...............
----------- and an etc etc --------------------------
like a few others have already stated, i myself as a collector, trader,& dealer for near 30 years have HAD to make keys from blanks way oversized as well as just flat out wittle out a key from hunks of metal..... it was & IS a blessing that IAN MCCOLL has virtually eliminated the very tedious work & has saved other collectors etc. etc. the many many hours of painstaking work, scrapes to their skin from the metal files etc etc when people can buy his UNDERPRICED keys.... oh yes, as IAN started to make the various keys i became more & more happy with each one for the reasons stated above.... to be a collector today, i say each & every one should be REQUIRED to make a key for a MARLIN handcuff from SCRATCH.. not that they don't, but then they would understand as IAN has made it fantastically easy for collectors/sellers to obtain KEYS..... long winded... sorry.... joe

lauher 22 Dec 2006

#21

I can testify that Joe Tanner has made lots of handcuff keys. I have numerous cuffs in my collection that came from Joe and often he had to make the key. I think his blood and tears may still be on some of them.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Joe