Flexible key??

by **Houdini Locksmiths** » 22 Jun 2005 17:49

This was the email I was sent from the seller:-

Hi im ever so sorry but i am not able to give you the details of the place that the locks are supplied from as this is a sole area of distribution and as you can see from the individuality of the locks that they are something totally different and unique , im sure youll understand but if you are interested in one or bulk purchases then i can most definateley supply them to you .
again im sorry .

by **Mad Mick** » 22 Jun 2005 18:16

Flexible key......inflexible seller.

by **fixer** » 22 Jun 2005 19:45

Looking at these pictures, it seems that the plastic bow slides up and down the 'U' shaped piece of metal and the flexible portion slides out the end, sort of like a box cutter/stanley knife.

I would imagine you place the 'fixed' section of the key up against the lock, press the small button and slide the flexible blade into the keyway.

Having seen how locks are made, I wonder how the keyway broaching is achieved. Also I wonder how resilient the key is. If people can snap off a nickle brass key in a lock, think what they would do to something that looks that flimsy.

by **Grudge** » 22 Jun 2005 22:03

Now that is unique! Wish the price was more reasonable

There doesn't seem to be much height variation on the key's cuts. Also it doesn't look like it could have too many pins. It is probably very pickable IF you could navigate the keyway. Maybe a plastic strip cut into a rake (so it could flex through the keyway)?

BTW, Does anyone recognize the symbol on the keys?

by **HeadHunterCEO** » 23 Jun 2005 18:07

fixer wrote: how the keyway broaching is achieved..

thats what i was thinking
maybe i will ask him to post keyway pic

by **wtf|pickproof?** » 24 Jun 2005 4:13

raking with a flexible material (e.g. 3-4mm plastic) seems reasonable to me too.

any other ideas?

wtf|pickproof?

by **rayman452** » 24 Jun 2005 9:15

A plastic rake might not work, considering it could get slightly jammed and ripped apart inside the lock. Also, it mist catch on something for a second, and rap a pin up too high IMHO. I think that seeing the lock is needed to solve this mystery. However, looking at the size of the padlock, I assume that the key won't snake, but rather curve in. This also presents a problem for tension also, you'd need a short wrench to fit in there. However, assuming that you could get the wrench and pic to fit in, picking would be really really easy, since the cylinder would be on a curve. Meaning that pins would bind really really easy, or at least how I see it. Then again, I'm no professional, and I've learnt everything I know from here. For 20 dollars, I may be able to pick one up...if I do, I'll tell you guys what its like.

Or we could always use thermite to open the lock :twisted:

by **helix** » 24 Jun 2005 9:22

Unless maybe we cut up the key to that lock into a hook, and
picked a bunch of similar locks with that?

hmmm...

by **taylorgdl** » 1 Dec 2005 8:08

The metal shroud around the key allows you to only insert it one way, and the shoud acts as the tension wrench to turn the cylinder inside. Looks like there is some form of cog system inside to guide the key.

Yes, the key cuts are very shallow, and there are not many of them. Will make a video of it being opened in a couple of weeks. And no, I don't think you can shim it as the shakle comes off once opened, and it is held in place by two ball bearings.

Carbon fibre cover (looks like plastic to me) is just decoration.

Am VERY tempted to cut this open when I get back into the workshop (garage), in the hope that I can still have a working lock, but cut away to show how the mechanism works.

Or any offers to do this for me ? (Shrub ?) as long as I get the lock back.

Flexible rake seems feasible, especially as you tension the cylinder from the keyway entrance using the rest of the key.

Will post more pictures if thats whats wanted

Hope this helps,

G.

by **digital_blue** » 1 Dec 2005 9:58

Before cutting it up, maybe try raking it with a nylon zip tie. Might just fit the bill nicely.

db

by **taylorgdl** » 1 Dec 2005 10:11

Like your thinking, I'll give it a go.

Just tried to make a video of opening it, but its very poor quality, and 8 Mb !

Maybe a set of pictures would be better.

Will not be cutting it open for a few weeks yet as I'm away on a course.

G.

by **silent** » 1 Dec 2005 17:15

carbon fibre coated lock is no security either. If you watch/participate in road cycling when someone wrecks a woven carbon fibre bike it just breaks like a piece of wood.

by **illusion** » 1 Dec 2005 17:17

it's mainly used because it's very light... it shatters very easily though

by **Kodiak** » 1 Dec 2005 17:27

Is there any manufacturer information on the lock? I wonder who made it.

by **Chrispy** » 2 Dec 2005 3:59

I knew we had seen this before.

Flexible key??

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