unmarked blanks

Two ways :

2 - Practice & experience, lots and lots of looking at keys (usually over months & years) does the trick.

Paul

.. in my area... for a house/business, I deal with 3 mainly.. KW, Schlage, and Yale.. Weiser/Weslock are 'now and then'.. maybe yours is the same.. Yale you can tell quickly.. keep a ring handy of whats the major used in your area, so you can grab and compare.. or keep an empty plug/lock of that, and see..DO REMEMBER that some will 'interchange' with others.., meaning they will go in, but that should get you closer the small 'yale type' round head, to me are the PITA..hundreds of them..

head shape? sometimes the 'aftermarket ' use the same head shape as original.. the genuine neuter bow, are not that common in usage here, .. --Shiva--

And recogniing, that a brand X blank often fits perfectly in a brand y lock :-)

regards - Ralph

practice stocking the key-board for a year or so. or stamping your name on the keys. study each key before you stamp it or put it on the board. (worked for me)

you can also study the ilco key catalog.

my2¢

Send the unmarked blanks to a locksmith? I think that's why Proline was invented. So the hardware guy couldn't find it in his book, and would send the key to a locksmith.

But "fits" and "fits perfectly" are not always the same. One example would be AR1 and KW1.

A KW1 will fit into an AR1 keyway (but a AR1 won't fit into a KW1). However, inserting the KW1 into the AR1 keyway can sometimes be a little tricky until the customer gets used to it.

Another example...

Some KW1s (depending on the blank manufacturer) will be tight (really tight) in some Dexter keyways.

Neuter Bow blanks... The poor man's "key control"!

;)

FACTORY Schlage, may NOT necessarily go into 'aftermaket' Schlage cylinders, either

--Shiva--

We use the Lector from Silca. Wery good. And with the PC program the possibilities are a lot bigger. Show comparatives and alternatives. In the nordic countries is this a common machine in Locksmith shops