Unusual French low-security keys?

[Engineer]

I recently tried to find duplicate keys for internal doors for a hotel in France. I've seen similar before and even have something similar in my own personal collection of keys, but it was not the same. I was not able to find any stockists in the UK either. This particular key is type "5" from the series.

This is the key end-on:


While this is the whole key:


The key is cast and unfortunately I do not have one of the locks to practise cutting a key for it. I wondered if anyone knew if a normal bitted key for a lever lock might be cut to fit? Or if there are there any suppliers of these keys in the UK? Or anything about them in general? I hate beaing beaten by a key...

Thanks if anyone can help!

[mh]

German warded locks ("Buntbart") look similar.
It's very likely that the key just needs to pass through the warding and does not need to be the same width like the original key.
So one of your lever lock keys should fit if you make it match the outer dimensions, file down the side a bit so it can pass through the one ward, and maybe round off the bottom edges.
Cheers,
mh

[Jaakko]

That looks like a key that I could buy in any hardware store, those types are really common in inside doors and wooden drawers.

[FrenchKey]

Something French

As already said, it is a very simple warded key.

You can make one with any lever key you might have. And like any other warded system, you can do a skeleton key just by filing all the side. It will by-pass all the possible ward and you got a Master key.

If you cannot find one in UK (but I think you will), I can send you one from France

Good luck

FrenchKey

[exspook]

looks like a smaller version of a ELIMENTA key blank used on APG doors

Dave

[greyman]

My guess is vachette or similar clone. There are many different "variures", ie different warding profiles. Have a look in the Silca 201 catalogue.

[Wizer]

The blank is most propably 6VAC1-6 in Silca - catalogue (that is a Vachette-blank), JMA´s BRI-6L18 is the same shape, but its bigger, the Silca -blank has 6,9 mm high leaf , in JMA-blank its 17,5mm high. You should find an importer to UK.
Of course, if the outlook of the key is not so important, You can make the key out of any blank with large enough leaf, just thin it down to the minimum thickness of original at least in the place where the slot is on original, and cut the leaf to shape. The stem should not be too thick on blank.