American R2 keys blanks?

[Pawnshop]

I bought a bag of American lock cylinders with operating keys from an eBay seller the other day and it turns out they have the #2 restricted keyway! I want to make extra keys for these cylinders but I can not find the blanks anywhere, ARE they available online? Would I have to go to a locksmith to have copies made? How would I prove I am authorized? The keys are marked "do not duplicate". I like the idea of an uncommon keyway but if I can not get or make extra keys these cylinders are of limited usefulness to me.

[2octops]

You will have to have an authorization written on the original owners letter head.

Sell 'em.

[Pawnshop]

Well hell... They are still interesting!

[Evan]

I bought a bag of American lock cylinders with operating keys from an eBay seller the other day and it turns out they have the #2 restricted keyway! I want to make extra keys for these cylinders but I can not find the blanks anywhere, ARE they available online? Would I have to go to a locksmith to have copies made? How would I prove I am authorized? The keys are marked "do not duplicate". I like the idea of an uncommon keyway but if I can not get or make extra keys these cylinders are of limited usefulness to me.

@Pawnshop:

How many do you have ?

Are they all keyed up to different keys ?

You could possibly re-key the cylinders to one set of keys,
or if you have keys which might be able to be re-cut to
new bittings so you have more copies of one key which
operates all your rekeyed locks...

~~ Evan

[Pawnshop]

I had not thought of re cutting the keys to match the lowest bitted set, but that will still not give me enough keys. I want to use one of these cylinders in a gate lock at work and will need about ten keys which means I will need five cylinders with two keys each to have enough donor keys, and that is assuming one set of keys will be bitted at or below all of the other keys. IF they were cheaper AND I had the luxury of being able to hand select the cylinders it would work, but those parameters don't exist.

These cylinders are master keyed but the seller does not have the master key, and without access to R2 blanks it still does not help me.

[Evan]

I had not thought of re cutting the keys to match the lowest bitted set, but that will still not give me enough keys. I want to use one of these cylinders in a gate lock at work and will need about ten keys which means I will need five cylinders with two keys each to have enough donor keys, and that is assuming one set of keys will be bitted at or below all of the other keys. IF they were cheaper AND I had the luxury of being able to hand select the cylinders it would work, but those parameters don't exist.

These cylinders are master keyed but the seller does not have the master key, and without access to R2 blanks it still does not help me.

Then redistribute them to collectors in the locksport community, they are worthless to you and you have learned a mildly unpleasant eBay lesson involving the age old proverb of buyer beware...

~~ Evan

[Pawnshop]

The two I have are nice examples of the breed in my collection, I just won't be buying any more!

[2octops]

Just another thought, replace the cylinders with something a but more standard that you can get duplicates easily.

Those cylinders are cheap...$5-$10 each new.

[Pawnshop]

I paid a tick over $5 each for these cylinders off of eBay including shipping (they are still on, if anyone wants some). I did not know they were R2 keyed when I bought them but I like the idea of an uncommon keyway, I just did not know how hard (technically impossible) it would be to make more keys. The keys that came with these cylinders ARE serial numbered by the way. I have a bunch of standard American cylinders but the R2 is what I want to use in this application, for all the reasons someone would want a restricted keyway (key control mostly).

[2octops]

Then contact a local locksmith and order new restricted cylinders through them. They will probably sell you new padlocks too.

You're not going to get what you want being cheap about it.

That aint the way this game is played.

[Pawnshop]

Not trying to be cheap, just trying to use what I unknowingly bought!

[keysman]

Well . You could get a local, county,state locksmith business license. Then contact the lock distributors in your area, become a American lock certified technician, and buy into the restricted key/ lock program, when complete you will be able to buy all the keys and locks you want.
OR you could just bit the bullet and take the working keys and cylinders down to your local authorized
American dealer and have them rekeyed to your specs. I am sure they will provide you with as many keys as needed.

[Pawnshop]

That is the best suggestion I think, I will see what the local lock professional can or will do for me and go from there. If I can't make it work I can't make it work!

[keysman]

you might want to take the extra cylinders/ keys with you .. they may give you some credit towards your purchase

[Pawnshop]

I was going to take the cylinder with me that I would like the extra keys for, to prove I own the cylinder. I know that ownership of one cylinder does not mean squat as far as American's key control policy but it may help. And if the smith can look up the serial number on the keys they may find the cylinders were unused and sold off as surplus and not restricted anyway. I will be at his mercy, of course, I don't want anyone to get in Dutch with American...