FAQ: The Fine Art of Impressioning (in a nutshell)

[GWiens2001]

What can and can not be impressioned depends largely on the skill of the person doing the impressioning.

As general categories, lever locks, pin tumbler locks (including dimple and tubular locks), many wafer locks and warded locks can be impressioned. Some disc detainer locks can be impressioned, though have never succeeded in doing so myself. BEST SFIC locks can be impressioned, but it is very difficult. You will waste a lot of blanks. (At least I did), and most of the time, did not succeed.

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned. Would not try it with a quad-track laser key such as the Honda vehicles use, as they are very delicate an subject to damage.

Of course, magnetic, optical, or electronic locks can not be impressioned.

Gordon

[south town ninja]

it is auto correct. Wish i knew how to correct the auto correct problem. forgot to edit it. My bad.

[south town ninja]

thanks for the info everyone. I don't think impressioning is for me, yet.

[kwoswalt99-]

What can and can not be impressioned depends largely on the skill of the person doing the impressioning.

As general categories, lever locks, pin tumbler locks (including dimple and tubular locks), many wafer locks and warded locks can be impressioned. Some disc detainer locks can be impressioned, though have never succeeded in doing so myself. BEST SFIC locks can be impressioned, but it is very difficult. You will waste a lot of blanks. (At least I did), and most of the time, did not succeed.

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned. Would not try it with a quad-track laser key such as the Honda vehicles use, as they are very delicate an subject to damage.

Of course, magnetic, optical, or electronic locks can not be impressioned.

Gordon

I don't of any disc detainers that aren't impressionable. If there are any I would be interested to know.

[kwoswalt99-]

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned.

Couldn't you impression these one half at a time?

[billdeserthills]

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned.

Couldn't you impression these one half at a time?

The picks made for these locks do work very well

[GWiens2001]

What can and can not be impressioned depends largely on the skill of the person doing the impressioning.

As general categories, lever locks, pin tumbler locks (including dimple and tubular locks), many wafer locks and warded locks can be impressioned. Some disc detainer locks can be impressioned, though have never succeeded in doing so myself. BEST SFIC locks can be impressioned, but it is very difficult. You will waste a lot of blanks. (At least I did), and most of the time, did not succeed.

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned. Would not try it with a quad-track laser key such as the Honda vehicles use, as they are very delicate an subject to damage.

Of course, magnetic, optical, or electronic locks can not be impressioned.

Gordon

I don't of any disc detainers that aren't impressionable. If there are any I would be interested to know.

Have you been able to impression Abloy disc detainer locks? Yes, have seen the technique with Abloy Classic locks, but only know of a couple who have done so. How about Anchor Las? This could be an interesting and educational topic for me.

Gordon

[mh]

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned.

Couldn't you impression these one half at a time?

The blank doesn't fit into the lock, and how you would have to initially cut the blank depends on whether the wafers are spring loaded (in which direction per wafer) or not - if not, hopefully gravity helps you to move the wafers towards the key; if spring loaded in a different direction for each wafer, you might have a serious MACS problem with your initial blank.

If impressioning only half of the key would work depends on the binding order of the tumblers, I guess.

[kwoswalt99-]

What can and can not be impressioned depends largely on the skill of the person doing the impressioning.

As general categories, lever locks, pin tumbler locks (including dimple and tubular locks), many wafer locks and warded locks can be impressioned. Some disc detainer locks can be impressioned, though have never succeeded in doing so myself. BEST SFIC locks can be impressioned, but it is very difficult. You will waste a lot of blanks. (At least I did), and most of the time, did not succeed.

Dual-sided wafer locks that have a key that maintains the same width throughout the length of the key blade, waving up and down but staying the same height (such as an American H10 lock or an old Chicago lock) can not be impressioned. Would not try it with a quad-track laser key such as the Honda vehicles use, as they are very delicate an subject to damage.

Of course, magnetic, optical, or electronic locks can not be impressioned.

Gordon

I don't of any disc detainers that aren't impressionable. If there are any I would be interested to know.

Have you been able to impression Abloy disc detainer locks? Yes, have seen the technique with Abloy Classic locks, but only know of a couple who have done so. How about Anchor Las? This could be an interesting and educational topic for me.

Gordon

No, I haven't ever impressioned one. I just started impressioning. But, now that I've thought about it, I think I will try it on my abloy, as soon as I get it fixed. I guess impressioning the abloy protec would be the ultimate challenge. I don't see any reason why it couldn't be done, you would just have to know how the keys are cut. I would like to try, but that might be a little hasty, since I just picked impressioning up. I think anchor las ones would be easier. There aren't many mechanical locks I can think of that aren't impressionable by design.

[tomasfuk]

...No, I haven't ever impressioned one... I guess impressioning the abloy protec would be the ultimate challenge...

A big challenge, good luck!

[kwoswalt99-]

Yeah, maybe I shouldn't attempt that for a while. I just failed impressioning my Wilson Bohannan.

[m12]

Is there a way to prevent impressioning of a pin tumbler lock? Am I wrong in thinking that serrated or spool key pins (bottom pins) would make impressioning more difficult?

[billdeserthills]

I have actually found sharper impressions with serrated bottom pins

[GWiens2001]

Have seen some torpedo shaped key pins that when tensioned, rise up, leaving no marks, even though the key is not yet at the proper depth.

Farmerfreak knows some other ideas on impressioning-resistance. Think he was saying something about the springs.

Gordon

[m12]

Torpedo pins sounds interesting. But, where would I find them for a Schlage lock?
Maybe springs of variable stiffness would help?