A skill known and practiced for years by seasoned locksmiths, impressioning a working key from a blank is a popular new addition in locksport circles everywhere. Get your blanks and Pippin files and get busy!
by RubberBanned » 15 Jun 2021 15:17
billdeserthills wrote:The one thing that has improved my impressioning more than everything else is this impressioning magnifyer https://mbausa.com/10x-key-impressioning-magnifier/I usually just use a small Vise Grips to hold my blank but seeing what marks are there is the best
I have that, as well, I collect anything impressioning related. Most of the time, my optics are a grobet optivisor, or a belsaw magnifier. I have loupes and the like if I need that stuff.
-
RubberBanned
-
- Posts: 99
- Joined: 20 Nov 2012 0:51
- Location: Portland, OR
by tpark » 15 Jun 2021 19:20
I thought I was getting worse at impressioning, and I was, but once I got a decent magnifier it was much easier again. I just can't see as well as I used to.
-
tpark
- Supporter

-
- Posts: 273
- Joined: 11 Nov 2015 14:11
by billdeserthills » 15 Jun 2021 20:54
tpark wrote:I thought I was getting worse at impressioning, and I was, but once I got a decent magnifier it was much easier again. I just can't see as well as I used to.
One of the great things about the impressioning magnifyer is it slips over the head of an AA Maglight, so there's plenty of light. The key itself goes into a crack, so it's easily seen with the lense. It really raised my impressioning game. I have already made keys for locks mounted in plastic cylinders which is tough for me
-
billdeserthills
-
- Posts: 3827
- Joined: 19 Mar 2014 21:11
- Location: Arizona
by cledry » 17 Jun 2021 22:06
I don't know what the purpose of the fancy handle is, let alone several of them. What am I missing?
Jim
-

cledry
-
- Posts: 2836
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009 23:29
- Location: Orlando
-
by GWiens2001 » 17 Jun 2021 22:15
cledry wrote:I don't know what the purpose of the fancy handle is, let alone several of them. What am I missing?
He is selling them. Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.
-

GWiens2001
- Site Admin
-
- Posts: 7550
- Joined: 3 Sep 2012 16:24
- Location: Arizona, United States
by cledry » 19 Jun 2021 9:09
OK. They look nice for hobbyists. I just use my old impressioning Vise Grips that I bought about 30 years ago. I bought two and wish I had bought more as they haven't been sold for years. When they show up occasionally on eBay they are snapped up. GWiens2001 wrote:cledry wrote:I don't know what the purpose of the fancy handle is, let alone several of them. What am I missing?
He is selling them. Gordon
Jim
-

cledry
-
- Posts: 2836
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009 23:29
- Location: Orlando
-
by GWiens2001 » 19 Jun 2021 19:06
cledry wrote:OK. They look nice for hobbyists. I just use my old impressioning Vise Grips that I bought about 30 years ago. I bought two and wish I had bought more as they haven't been sold for years. When they show up occasionally on eBay they are snapped up.
Any chance we can get a pic of the impressioning Vise Grips? What makes them different? I usually use small vise grips, too. Gordon
Just when you finally think you have learned it all, that is when you learn that you don't know anything yet.
-

GWiens2001
- Site Admin
-
- Posts: 7550
- Joined: 3 Sep 2012 16:24
- Location: Arizona, United States
by Squelchtone » 19 Jun 2021 21:48
GWiens2001 wrote:cledry wrote:OK. They look nice for hobbyists. I just use my old impressioning Vise Grips that I bought about 30 years ago. I bought two and wish I had bought more as they haven't been sold for years. When they show up occasionally on eBay they are snapped up.
Any chance we can get a pic of the impressioning Vise Grips? What makes them different? I usually use small vise grips, too. Gordon
I am curious as well. I have the impressioning vice grips from Lockmasters, MBAUSA down the street from them also sells them (link below) The jaws have a tooth that goes through the hole in the bow of a key to hold it securely. is this what you have cledry? https://mbausa.com/impressioning-plier-black/Thanks Squelchtone
-

Squelchtone
- Site Admin
-
- Posts: 11307
- Joined: 11 May 2006 0:41
- Location: right behind you.
by cledry » 19 Jun 2021 23:16
If I can remember on Monday I will snap a photo. Basically they are small Vice Grips that a company modified so that they have smooth parallel jaws at a about the thickness of a key blank. They grip without leaving a mark. They appear to be factory made perhaps by Peterson before the jaws were milled with a gripping surface.
Jim
-

cledry
-
- Posts: 2836
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009 23:29
- Location: Orlando
-
by jeffmoss26 » 20 Jun 2021 15:47
my boss has the black ones above which are modified/painted Peterson VG from the good old days!
"I tried smoking a blank once. I was never able to keep the tip lit long enough to inhale." - ltdbjd
-
jeffmoss26
-
- Posts: 1090
- Joined: 13 Jan 2012 15:01
- Location: Cleveland, OH
by RubberBanned » 7 Jul 2021 13:59
cledry wrote:OK. They look nice for hobbyists. I just use my old impressioning Vise Grips that I bought about 30 years ago. I bought two and wish I had bought more as they haven't been sold for years. When they show up occasionally on eBay they are snapped up. GWiens2001 wrote:cledry wrote:I don't know what the purpose of the fancy handle is, let alone several of them. What am I missing?
He is selling them. Gordon
While they are nice for hobbysists, I assume, I am a trading locksmith as well, and it's the only handle I use now. Which makes sense, given that i designed it to be ideal for me. I have all sorts of impressioning tools, vise grips, etc, and I still circle back to mine these days.
-
RubberBanned
-
- Posts: 99
- Joined: 20 Nov 2012 0:51
- Location: Portland, OR
by billdeserthills » 7 Jul 2021 17:53
cledry wrote:If I can remember on Monday I will snap a photo. Basically they are small Vice Grips that a company modified so that they have smooth parallel jaws at a about the thickness of a key blank. They grip without leaving a mark. They appear to be factory made perhaps by Peterson before the jaws were milled with a gripping surface.
I'll take it that cledry forgot
-
billdeserthills
-
- Posts: 3827
- Joined: 19 Mar 2014 21:11
- Location: Arizona
by cledry » 10 Jul 2021 0:23
billdeserthills wrote:cledry wrote:If I can remember on Monday I will snap a photo. Basically they are small Vice Grips that a company modified so that they have smooth parallel jaws at a about the thickness of a key blank. They grip without leaving a mark. They appear to be factory made perhaps by Peterson before the jaws were milled with a gripping surface.
I'll take it that cledry forgot
He did. The photo is a bit blurry, but you get the idea. Smooth jaws that are parallel to one another at about a key blank thickness apart. Grip very tightly, no marring of key. They are the 5" size pliers. 
Jim
-

cledry
-
- Posts: 2836
- Joined: 7 Mar 2009 23:29
- Location: Orlando
-
Return to Lock Impressioning
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 0 guests
|