Blue Dog Keys

[shutterstuff]

Well, it seems that Blue Dog Keys http://www.bluedogkeys.com/ is no more as the owner has passed away.

Is there another option for the hard to find key blanks?

[billdeserthills]

The last time I thought I wanted a key blank from blue doggy, they wanted $4 apiece for them. I went ahead and got them out of spain
with help from Intermountain Lock for a lot less $$

I suppose somebody could be of more help if the keyblank was known??
Or even maybe a picture of the keyhole?

[cledry]

Well, it seems that Blue Dog Keys http://www.bluedogkeys.com/ is no more as the owner has passed away.

Is there another option for the hard to find key blanks?

Pretty sure the family will continue with the business. Liam will be missed. I've been dealing with him for many years, even before he went public with the business. It was a huge expense to keep the stock he did and not something that made him wealthy, he did it to fill a need.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

That sucks. I haven't used them in years (not by choice, more so situation) but I know that they were beloved by nearly everyone on ClearStar.

[jeffmoss26]

I never ordered from them (he would not sell to me despite being referred by several locksmiths) but friends of mine have been customers for years. In fact, one of the locksmiths in town restored a safe using a long SD blank purchased from Blue Dog.

[Jacob Morgan]

There was an announcement today that Framon bought Blue Dog Keys and will operate the company.

[GWiens2001]

I hope they make the inventory searchable. I don't have the time to look at webpage after webpage, with no idea of where the key blank I am looking for is likely to be found.

Gordon

[shutterstuff]

I hope they make the inventory searchable. I don't have the time to look at webpage after webpage, with no idea of where the key blank I am looking for is likely to be found.

Gordon

i agree. Due to that search method, Ebay got my business...

[cledry]

I hope they make the inventory searchable. I don't have the time to look at webpage after webpage, with no idea of where the key blank I am looking for is likely to be found.

Gordon

They haven't yet but early days yet. I doubt anyone can replace Liam. They are however open for business again, which is a good thing.

[RedE]

I hope they make the inventory searchable. I don't have the time to look at webpage after webpage, with no idea of where the key blank I am looking for is likely to be found.

Gordon

They haven't yet but early days yet. I doubt anyone can replace Liam. They are however open for business again, which is a good thing.

The people over at Framon have been very helpful when I've needed them, so hopefully this trend will continue with the BlueDog stuff.

[jeffmoss26]

That is good news, at least it will continue!

[JSwistak]

From Locksmith Ledger 03/14/2017

Framon Manufacturing Company Acquires Blue Dog Keys
Big news from up north in Michigan...we have recently acquired Blue Dog Keys. For those of you unfamiliar with Blue Dog, the company specializes in the rare, hard to find, and obscure key blanks not carried by your normal locksmith wholesaler. Read more about Blue Dog below!


The Blue Dog Key Company
Blue Dog was formed by Liam Gribben, who emigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1978. After living in Maine with family for several months, he became a sales rep for Cole National, his first step into the key blank business. In 1982 Cole filed for bankruptcy and Liam began selling keys independently, becoming an Ilco distributor. He actually sold Blue Dog once to take on other work, then bought it back and continued the company until 2016 when he passed away unexpectedly.

Liam was known as a unique character by his customers, having an uncanny expertise in trivia and known to his friends as a remarkable ballroom dancer. While he loved to travel, he detested flying and always made sure he had a friend along on any trip that required an airplane. His customers always found a Trivial Pursuit card or two in every order.

At Framon we plan to keep the Blue Dog Keys story going, researching the hard to find, unique and rare keys that locksmiths need access to. As a key machine manufacturer we will continue to sell our machines and products through our network of locksmith distributors, while Blue Dog will sell directly to locksmiths as it has in the past. The focus of Blue Dog has always been as a secondary supplier to your normal locksmith distributor, specializing in small quantities (there is never a minimum order) of blanks and precut keys. Keep Blue Dog in mind the next time you are looking for a blank that you just can't find...as Liam used to say, "Yeah, We Got That!".

Contact us in any of the following ways:
Framon Manufacturing Company, Inc
909 W Washington Ave
Alpena MI 49707
Phone: 989-354-5623
Fax: 989-354-4238
E-mail: phil@framon.com
Web: www.framon.com

Blue Dog Keys
Same address/phone/fax
E-mail: sales@bluedogkeys.com
Web:www.bluedogkeys.com

[billdeserthills]

I'm just so glad that Framon will get to start making a fortune by marking keyblanks up by several dollars apiece (or even more),
instead of simply using their machines to make each keyblank 'ala carte', as they are ordered.

Years ago I was kooky enough one day to think I needed an keyblank that was mostly unavailable. Oh boy--I had just found a small development headed by a contractor who was using 'exciting' new windows and doors from overseas and I thought I was gonna corner the market with these keys- Only trouble was Blue Doggy wanted over $4 per blank, and he didn't even have any....Enter Intermountain Lock-
they decided to bring these keys in through Spain, and I got them for $1.35 apiece cause I bought a box of 50

Thanks anyway Framon/Blue Dog

[cledry]

I'm just so glad that Framon will get to start making a fortune by marking keyblanks up by several dollars apiece (or even more),
instead of simply using their machines to make each keyblank 'ala carte', as they are ordered.

Years ago I was kooky enough one day to think I needed an keyblank that was mostly unavailable. Oh boy--I had just found a small development headed by a contractor who was using 'exciting' new windows and doors from overseas and I thought I was gonna corner the market with these keys- Only trouble was Blue Doggy wanted over $4 per blank, and he didn't even have any....Enter Intermountain Lock-
they decided to bring these keys in through Spain, and I got them for $1.35 apiece cause I bought a box of 50

Thanks anyway Framon/Blue Dog

Did you mark the keys up or sell them for what they cost you?

[billdeserthills]

I'm just so glad that Framon will get to start making a fortune by marking keyblanks up by several dollars apiece (or even more),
instead of simply using their machines to make each keyblank 'ala carte', as they are ordered.

Years ago I was kooky enough one day to think I needed an keyblank that was mostly unavailable. Oh boy--I had just found a small development headed by a contractor who was using 'exciting' new windows and doors from overseas and I thought I was gonna corner the market with these keys- Only trouble was Blue Doggy wanted over $4 per blank, and he didn't even have any....Enter Intermountain Lock-
they decided to bring these keys in through Spain, and I got them for $1.35 apiece cause I bought a box of 50

Thanks anyway Framon/Blue Dog

Did you mark the keys up or sell them for what they cost you?

The whole operation became a wash as I was only ever able to sell 1 or 2 keys