How sturdy are Bilock keys?

[ltdbjd]

I've never had the chance to hold a Bilock key in person. How sturdy are they? Meaning, will they hold up to industrial use without crushing the two sides in towards each other? How easy are they to twist and snap compared to a standard brass key?

Like most facilities, we have brain surgeons who think that if a key doesn't turn the lock, the solution is to force the key until it snaps. Because everybody knows you can easily generate enough force to the shear off 5 or 6 pins by turning a key in the lock a just little bit harder. Sigh ....

I have experience with Mul-T-Lock and like how sturdy the keys are. My concern is that the keyway is very open, which is an open invition for people to jam things into it. Since I've never used Bilock, I'm curious how those keys hold up. We are already very adept at breaking Medeco and ASSA, so those are out.

[GWiens2001]

ASSA Twin keys are pretty sturdy. But to answer your question - BiLock keys are tough.

Gordon

[kwoswalt99-]

Usually, when I've seen people break keys, it's when they go to take it out of the door and and they start to walk around the door, but they didn't pull the key out all of the way.

[tjohn]

bet them suckas would be hard to get out if it did break in a lock

[RumballSolutions]

ASSA Twin keys are pretty sturdy. But to answer your question - BiLock keys are tough.

Gordon

Yep, have a couple of thousand in our systems and breakage is relatively rare. Even when bent, they don't break and continue to function, they're just stiff the put in and out. I regularly bend them back into to shape to make do until we can get a replacement cut.

Only complaint is that they're tough on pants pockets. Ok when you are wearing jeans, but they like poking through the lining on suit pants

[adi_picker]

In my opinion, there are two types of tough. You are refering to the first, resistance to stupidity. In this case the BiLock keys are comparable to a brass key, not quite as sturdy as the ASSA Twin keys though. if you want real tough, get some of these, they are super super thick. The second type of tough is longevity, and this is where the BiLock keys fall down. I have seen countless BiLock keys that have bent on the blade, at the point where there is a deeper cut on the left and the right. This is probably accelerated due to the fact that the BiLocks are usually in high use systems though, and if you explain this to the locksmith, can probably be avoided by coding the system better. As for the technical, they are cut from 1.0mm stainless steel, and due to the amount of cuts and size of key, use a sharper than average cut angle, somewhere about 90deg off the top of my head. This is why they are so hard on pockets as Rumball mentioned. Overall, if you talk with your lockie about not placing two deep cuts parralel, you should get some good wear out of them.

There are also some well known flaws with the design regarding core removal, and another regarding the warding. Both make it easy to modify a user key to bypass some features. If you send me a PM, I can detail these a bit more for you.

-adi_picker

[jimu57]

They are tough. The material and the physical characteristics of the the design will probably never break off in a lock, even if you try.

[GWiens2001]

They are tough. The material and the physical characteristics of the the design will probably never break off in a lock, even if you try.

... as long as you have the key fully inserted. Otherwise you can have a problem with two parallel 4 cuts.

Gordon

[adi_picker]

Correct.. This is probably how the ones I have seen bent ended up this way. I remember seeing an ALC / BiLock document about, and it had a crude MACS regarding not putting 2 4 cuts parallel, and I havent seen these in the wild. The bent ones I have seen have 2 4 cuts 1 cut apart parallel.. If that makes any sense!

[ltdbjd]

That does make sense, thanks. I've read Datagrams Bilock white paper so I have a basic idea of how the Bilocks work (i.e. I understand what you are saying about the depth and position of cuts). But I wouldn't have know about the pitfall both of you mentioned. If we go that direction, I'll make sure we avoid that problem. In the end, I just make a recommendation, I don't get the final say. Unfortunately, it will probably come down to what the lowest bidder put in their specs.

We have to keep key rings attached to our person, typically with a carabiner on the belt, so the aren't (shouldn't be) loose in a pocket to rip through.

The read in the local paper that the final engineering report was submitted to the Governor late last week. I'm looking forward to reading it. Realistically speaking though, I'm sure we'll be building a new facility. I'm actually looking forward to it since I'll be able to start over new. Everything keyed properly, master key systems that are correct, one main manufacturer, limited number of keyways, etc.

[billdeserthills]

ASSA Twin keys are pretty sturdy. But to answer your question - BiLock keys are tough.

Gordon

I remember reading that ASSA Twin keys were warranted against breakage, at least at one time

[GWiens2001]

ASSA Twin keys are pretty sturdy. But to answer your question - BiLock keys are tough.

Gordon

I remember reading that ASSA Twin keys were warranted against breakage, at least at one time

I've never seen a broken one.

Gordon

[tjohn]

Yes ASSA keys have a lifetime breakage guarantee. I have seen several broken over a couple decades plus, and usually just honor the warranty and take the loss (in other words we don't try to send it in to ASSA to get replaced)
Out of those few (4 or 5, I'd guess out of thousands) two admitted to "having to break it on purpose" (whatever that means) but we warranted them anyway

[ltdbjd]

I haven't had one actually break, but I've had bunches that bend to the point they no longer work in the Moguls.

[adi_picker]

Dug this out today..



Opposing the 4 cut, 1 cut away was another 4 cut. This one had seen frequent use, as evidenced by the keyring hole. Still worked!