house key padlocks

[lockedin]

What do you guys think of house key padlocks? I have enough keys on my key chain, and their convenience has made me fall in love with them. I bought the Brink's one, and it seems pretty secure (for a lock that works with a kwikset key ) with its double ball bearings and spool pins.

[mh]

What do you guys think of house key padlocks?

There are many different types of them,
e.g. http://www.burg-waechter.de/WGBurgWaech ... CHKLL-DE-p
- scroll down to "116 Profi PC" -

You could insert any lock you like into them (Euro-cylinders in this case); some versions require that the cylinder is modified, a piece is cut away, etc, but it's a nice way to have only one key.

My problem with that is however that it's usually rather easy to steal a padlock, using mechanical force.
If someone steals a cylinder that is keyed alike to my front door, and I don't recognize that for some time, e.g. being on vacation,
that guy might have a lot of time to make a nice key to my front door...

Cheers,
mh

[Raccoon]

Anyone smart enough to decode your padlock cylinder is smart enough to pick your door, impression, or make a bumpkey.

[mh]

Anyone smart enough to decode your padlock cylinder is smart enough to pick your door, impression, or make a bumpkey.

Of course, esp. if that's the same type of cylinder in both locks.

My point is: doing that in front of my door arises suspicion from the neighbors, because it takes some time.

The process of cutting a padlock from the box in my backyard is quicker, and then there is lot's of time to decode that lock somewhere else.

[illusion]

You could get an SFIC cylinder padlock, and put an SFIC mortice cylinder on your door - buy the same cores for each, and key them alike.

[lockedin]

That's a good idea if you have the money to spend. I thought the brinks padlock was a deal at $12, when I've seen house key padlocks for $25 or more at other places.

[Omikron]

You could get an SFIC cylinder padlock, and put an SFIC mortice cylinder on your door - buy the same cores for each, and key them alike.

Out of curiosity, why SFIC when there's so many other non-bumpable secure cylinders out there to do the same thing?

[mh]

You could get an SFIC cylinder padlock, and put an SFIC mortice cylinder on your door - buy the same cores for each, and key them alike.

Out of curiosity, why SFIC when there's so many other non-bumpable secure cylinders out there to do the same thing?

Now that I thought I understand something about U.S. locks, it all gets confusing again...

I thought that SFIC is just the outer shape of a lock (like the "Euro-cylinder" has a certain standardized shape, too), and that a lot of manufacturers make SFIC cores.
Why would that be connected to 'bumpability' or security in general? I thought it's just connected to the ease of swapping cores.

[Omikron]

You could get an SFIC cylinder padlock, and put an SFIC mortice cylinder on your door - buy the same cores for each, and key them alike.

Out of curiosity, why SFIC when there's so many other non-bumpable secure cylinders out there to do the same thing?

Now that I thought I understand something about U.S. locks, it all gets confusing again...

I thought that SFIC is just the outer shape of a lock (like the "Euro-cylinder" has a certain standardized shape, too), and that a lot of manufacturers make SFIC cores.
Why would that be connected to 'bumpability' or security in general? I thought it's just connected to the ease of swapping cores.

The term SFIC or Small Format Interchangable Core is a term that was originally coined by Frank Ellison Best in 1912. For a while, the term "interchangable core" referred exclusively to the the BEST "Figure-8" style lock. Other companies tried to design similiar systems with different names, but ultimately they were unable to overcome BEST's ubiquity with "interchangable cores".

These days, there are a few companies that manufacture BEST-style SFIC locks. BEST, Arrow, and Falcon are a few that come to mind. Similar systems offered by Yale and others do not use the same technology and are frequently called simply "removable cores" or "large format interchangeable cores".

So when someone refers to an SFIC lock, they are almost always referring to a BEST, Falcon, or Arrow type core which all use the same system.

Ultimately, all of these locks are rather easily bumpable.

I hope that adequately answers your question.

If not, The Locksmith Ledger has an excellent article on interchangeable cores, which is viewable here: http://www.locksmithledger.com/publicat ... d=1&id=133

[illusion]

Well bumping is an issue, but I was just throwign an idea into the pot...