Smartkey kw1 de-coded

[Lauren]

Hello everyone,

The interest in my tools that de-code the smartkey kw1 is overwhelming, so here it is: (no pictures at this time-sorry)

I made a key blank from .020 thick spring steel. The head shape is about .500 wide and 1.50 inches long. This tool would ordinary rock side to side, so to prevent this, I made a secondary piece that shims it. The width of the blank is .258 in. When the blank is inserted, this creates a little window in each pin slot about .100 in. wide.

I made three probes from the wire of a contour gauge. Each has a precisely bent 90 degree tip with a precisely bent 90 degree handle.

Probe 1 maps the presence of 2 possible positions of the half circle warded slot on the rack (that little piece that attaches to each pin). To destinguish the difference between the postions, I made special shims (this is where the benefit of good design comes into play, the part that I'm keeping to myself) that get inserted after the probe is inserted. This also keeps the probes perfected horizontal in the cylinder and are made with precision.

Probe 2 maps only one position of the half circle warded slot, since only half of it is accessable, and therefore, has a tip that is half the width of probe one.

Probe 3 maps three possible groves closest to the pin tip, and has a tip to engage the knife like groves into the rack. The presence of only one grove translates into one particluar de-coded depth cuts, the presence of 2 consective and 3 consective groves translates into two more de-coded depths.

Each probe will allow a .030 in. displacement out of the cylinder, should a grove on the rack be detected.

It's a good idea to use probes 1-3 in numerical order since probe tip width decreases from probe 1 to 3.

Good Luck!

[Eyes_Only]

Interesting, kind of like the John Falle tool for Medeco? Any pictures?

[Artkrp]

That's pretty inventive. Original idea? And when are you posting the guide to doing it???

[Lauren]

what guide?

[freakparade3]

what guide?

He is asking if you are going to make a guide so we can make it your very first sticky.

[Eyes_Only]

I spent some time trying to learn how to pick these locks after getting inspired by this post and to be honest its not as bad as I once thought. If you're willing to put some time into it, concentrate and be determined to learn, you can pick the SmartKey.

Its not easy but it can be some with some patience. Although if there is a reliable bypass method out there for the knob lock other than the classic KW1 puller that would be great, especially for a trading lockie.

[Schuyler]

Although if there is a reliable bypass method out there for the knob lock other than the classic KW1 puller that would be great, especially for a trading lockie.

I've talked with Lauren about this and he made it pretty clear that his method of decoding is not viable from a time / technique standpoint. That it wouldn't be a cost-effective method for a locksmith. It's a kickass example of building a tool to solve a problem, regardless of it's practical value. The very heart of locksport.

[Lauren]

On our initial conversation, I didn't think it was time/cost effective to promote this de-coding method. But rescently, I improved the design by using special shims that maintain my probes in perfect horizontal positioning. There's a big difference for example, when you bump a door lock in hand verse on the door, dexterity wise. I'm able to probe the Smartkey while on the door within 15 minutes -that's not bad in my opinion. I just think there's too many so-called professionals willing to drill the lock and replace it, rather than probe it. Black and Decker didn't make these locks to the best of standards. There's a certain retail price point that they where obviously trying to maintain.

[Eyes_Only]

I've never drilled these locks but I do know that they put ball bearing inserts into the face of the plug to frustrate these kind of destructive entry methods. In the past year I've only drilled one lock and I hated it. Took me about 15 mins (or maybe longer) too cos I suck at drilling so if there is another way to do it in 15 mins I would have no problem with it.

I would just give the customers a variety of options and explain the situation they put themselves in by buying such a $hitty lock and let them decide what path they want to take to gain entry.

[fsdhy]

This is definitely not viable for a locksmith. It would be like John Falle marketing his medeco tool to locksmiths... It just isn't practical. Time is money, and this would take a very long time. It's easy to say that you can do your own lock in 15 minutes, but I'm sure you've practiced with the same lock quite a bit. It would be much different in the field. Also, when dirt, corrosion, snow/ice & bent wafers (ie: real world factors) come into play.... It just makes it even more unpractical.

Time of Arrival to Time of Departure on SmarKey lockouts is currently about 10minutes, at my shop. NDE for knobs & levers, but a small hole must be drilled for the deadbolts... However, this hole is concealed by the faceplate and the lock is left in working condition.

We are aware that leaving a hole in the customer's deadbolt is not very professional (even if it is concealed), and so we give them the option of replacing the cylinder with no additional labour charges, but they must cover our cost on the part. Currently, I have not had a single person take me up on that offer

Up until a couple weeks ago, we were using the try out keys. But we hit a few locks that just wouldn't open, and so we have moved on to the kit.

[jimb]

I believe it is possible to decode this lock and make a key in 5 to 10 minutes time, but I don't have the equipment to make the tool that I believe will do it.

Think about this lock in this way. All of the pins are identical in this lock, so are all the wafers. The way that the pins lock into the wafers will leave all of these identical pins hanging at different heights in the plug. All you need is a way to read the height that these pins are hanging.

Think about it.

[Jaakko]

Think about this lock in this way. All of the pins are identical in this lock, so are all the wafers. The way that the pins lock into the wafers will leave all of these identical pins hanging at different heights in the plug. All you need is a way to read the height that these pins are hanging.

Think about it.

Doesn't quite work like that.

[jimb]

Think about this lock in this way. All of the pins are identical in this lock, so are all the wafers. The way that the pins lock into the wafers will leave all of these identical pins hanging at different heights in the plug. All you need is a way to read the height that these pins are hanging.

Think about it.

Doesn't quite work like that.

If you take this lock and just take it down to where you can see the ends of the wafers and rekey it to a key blank the wafers will be flush on the bottom of the plug after removing the key.

If you rekey it to a normal key then look at the bottom, then the wafers are like what you would see in most auto locks. You can see with a little practice you could sight read these wafers and cut a key to code. If you push the wafers up from the bottom then you can look into the keyway and see that it raises the pins. This only proves that the pins and wafers are locked together in a position that will allow the correct key to raise all the wafers to a position that will allow the sidebar to drop.

Now if these wafers are locked into the pins in a position that they can be sight read then why can't the pins be read with some sort of a tool such as an ezz reader?

[Lauren]

The simple truth is, the pins are a constant. It's the wafers that merely change position. All I do to decode this lock is measure and count specific groves in a fixed area within the cylinder. Until someone make a fiber-optic reader to sight the position of the wafers to the pins, I don't suppose probing will ever be an economical solution. I practice on many different locks and randomly change key selection, so I never know what the code is until I probe out.

[jimb]

The simple truth is, the pins are a constant. It's the wafers that merely change position.

How do the pins stay constant when the wafers do not?