DeVal skeleton keys (warded picks)

[talbuz]

Some years back the magician-locksmith David DeVal had released a set of six keys, sold through magical supply shops, which he termed skeleton keys. These are shown below.

devalkeys.jpg

They seem to be more like warded picks, in fact I have a warded padlock which does not open with any of the standard set of 5 warded picks, but opens with one of these.

Does anyone have any ideas about these keys and the difference in profile from the usual warded pick set? Is it because they are meant for European locks (DeVal was British), or for much older locks?

Im intrigued by the second one from the right, which I never found a use for. Anyone familiar with that design?

[Major Boothroyd]

Not much difference except for the one you mentioned.

[Engineer]

The second from the right key is VERY distinctive, I know of only one make of lock that ward was used on and it was the British make "Secure". I have four different ones. Here are the three that took that sort of key. the fourth one I got had a key that had a semi-circle on the bottom of it, instead of the "fork". These were the first "skeleton" keys I made as a child back in the early 70s. I simply filed the wards off the spare keys that came with the locks.

As a child, it was very strange seeing them all over the place, even securing businesses, bikes and so on and knowing I had a set of keys at home that would have opened any of them.

I still see them around (very occasionally) now. The last one I saw actually looked quite new, so they might still be in production, although I've not seen them for sale anywhere since the early 80s.



There are suprisingly well made and if you want to do a patent search on them, you can actually read the patent number quite clearly. I think the one you have a key for would be the largest of these three (40mm).

These appear to have been stamped out of sheet steel and that would have been quite expensive. I suspect the set you have would have been quite an investment to an up-and-comming magician/escapologist. I had a couple of Houdini books, but saw nothing about keys in them. I seem to remember they covered some of his other stuff, not escapology.

[mattc]

I have these too! I got my pickset, the warded picks and a couple of other bits & bobs including his picking guides from David De Val (advertised them in Exchange & Mart if I remember).

[Jaakko]

These appear to have been stamped out of sheet steel and that would have been quite expensive.

If you make parts in the order of 10.000 pieces, stamping is the very best option and definately the cheapest.

[Engineer]

Certainly stamping is cheaper for that many units, but would he be confident enough he would sell anywhere like that many? Also he would have to pay the money up front, so it's is a considerable investment on his part. It would be nice to think he made a bit from his efforts.

[raimundo]

You pay for the punch and die set that is made to cut them out, on parts this small, the tool probably stamps out the entire set on each strike, Six pieces come out.

After that, the company that stamped out your initial order of say, 10k parts, puts your tool on a shelf in their toolroom, and waits for you to come back and order more. Second order is cheaper because they don't have to remake the punch and die set. You just order a run and they sell it to you, you fill your orders and before you run out of stock, order another run.

the one that opens those "secure" locks in the photo, probably also works on some of the cheap stamping made luggage locks that are mounted on some cases.

[talbuz]

Engineer that's interesting thank you, the lock pics (not picks..) too. Guess next time I see a flea market in the UK I'll have to look for such a lock - just to have used my pick on it!

I know what you mean about being surprised to see vulnerable locks in common use. When I discovered DeVal's work, I got the bypass method for pin tumbler padlocks which he described it in his book as the Rochdale Wizard, made from a hacksaw blade (Mattc, you probably got this in your package deal from DeVal, I know he sold it with his lockpick sets?). It opened just most pin tumbler padlocks I came across (didnt even need the slightest knowledge of how a pin tumbler worked!) provided they had only one hasp notch. Like you, it amazed me to see people lock shops, stores and other valuables with a lock which could be bypassed using a humble hacksaw blade tapered to a point, or even a pointed hairpin for that matter.

Interesting to try that Deval key from the set on luggage locks when I come across that type, as Raimundo suggested.

[Engineer]

I've been busy with these "forked" keys, trying to find out more about them. Fortunately I managed to find some old stock of them. The company seems to have changed it's name in the early 1980s to "Tower". As far as I can tell, it is the same company and it is certainly the same lock. The packaging is the same (simple cardboard box), but the quality seems to have dropped some. The brass is cheaper quality and the locking mechanism is not as smooth. This is one of the smallest ones they did, as I couldn't find any of the larger ones now sadly.



The link for the full-size picture (Warning - Large!) is:

Download LP101 - Forked Keys and Locks 2 - 3648 x 2736.jpg

You can see an original key, the wards are actually "wings" on the sides of the central shaft. Only the fork at the end would actually open the lock, so if you filed away the side wings, you would have a "skeleton" key that would open any of them.

While researching this, I came across the keyswitch to the right of the picture. It is used for testing things like Emergency Lighting, Alarm systems, etc. The forked key idea lives on! Although in this one, the key does not turn, you simply press it into the slot.

This next one is courtesy of a friend I swapped some locks with from America:



The link for the full-size picture (Warning - Large!) is:

Download LP101 - Forked Keys and Locks 3 - Large.jpg

It too opens with the larger forked pick. Looking at the keyway, it looks like the original key had a "wave" shape and wasn't flat like all the others. (anyone know the proper name for keys that have a "spine"? Only I'm ashamed top say that even after all these in the business, I've never heard of a name for them). Sadly I don't have any keys for the "Shurloc", nor do I have a date for it sadly - Perhaps someone on here might know something about them?

[demonskater]

hi. sombody send me the warded lockpick set in actual size
(or the size) template in e-mail? please. I very long time find warded template in actual size .
My e-mail: demonskater@citromail.hu

[Engineer]

Hi demonskater

They are already up here on:

http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p251/mjwhit/warded_picks.jpg

They are Romstars' version from this thread:

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17326

hi. sombody send me the warded lockpick set in actual size
(or the size) template in e-mail? please. I very long time find warded template in actual size .
My e-mail: demonskater@citromail.hu

[5thcorps]

I put some similar ones in a jack knife setup.

[demonskater]

thanks