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What are they for? My set came with two of them.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

I would +1 this, but then the picture would be worth 1001 words.

If they look like this they are excellent.



Screw them into the grooves on broken keys, also above the cuts and pins.
Hobby X-acto spiral coping saw blade cut in half.

If not what you are talking about never mind.

http://www.lockpickshop.com/CIT-1P-EN.html
here is the set I have.

I believe they are to fish out broken bits of either pick or keys from the keyway.
No idea what the stuff MrWiz showed is for, but I guess it's some safe stuff. At least they are long

Pretty self explanatory as it says they remove broken keys.
If you never used spiral key extractor then you have missed the boat.
Best broken key extractors I ever used.

http://www.lockpickersmall.com/ez-5-hpc.html

Difference is the ones HPC sells are 8.00 each.
The ones I showed are the same material but are .50 each.
Used them decades before HPC decided to sell them.

But I guess they are top secret only I know about them....oh wait now everyone knows.

I agree with mr wizard, those wire extractors with a spiral cut around them are excellent. Best type of broken key extractor I've ever used.

I thought they were for removing keys but "wire" threw me off. Thanks guys!

they have a sharp edge, and sort of screw into the keyway alongside the key, then you rip them out, usually this brings out the bit of broken key. probably leaves an insignificant new warding cut in the keyway.
Iike any broken key removal job, it is worth your while to to try and work a stiff wire into the keyway to separate as many of the pins as possible from the key bitting if you can get it in, this will prevent a pin and key defect where the key has a steep or vertical cut preventing removal, it sort of shoehorns the lockup between the pins and bitting, then wire alongside the broken key will rip it right out.

Thanks for the info adn explantion to Mr Wiz and rai.
I leaned sth interesting today as well
MrWiZ and where can one get those cool chep extractors you showed us?

I'm glad you asked. I was/am curious too.

So it sounds like you purchase the spiral coping saw & modify it?
Could you elaborate on where you purchase them & how you modify?

No modification just cut it in half.
The ends came bent to mount in saw frame you just screw the straight end in the grooves.
The ones I got I have had for decades made by X-Acto 735 Spiral Saw Blade (3/Pkg)
Doesn't look like X-acto makes them anymore.
But you can find others they are use for hobbies, wood and plastic cutting.

You can get similar ones from this place.
http://bestwayproductscompany.com/products.html

.028 .040. .050 ones. So I would get .028 for tight small key grooves and the .040 for regular.
The X-acto ones are worn from use and they are .035 so they may have been .040 or 1 MM when new.
0.0394 = 1.0000 and 0.0354 = 0.9000, so find some 1MM one would work for standard keys.

This place has only .040 ones.

http://durafix.com/blades/copingsaw/

Look in hobby shops for round spiral coping saw blades.
Or just pay the piper and get the HPC ones. ; )

I am waiting to see if I get a reply from one obscure place.
See if they still have any left they had X-acto listed but might be long gone.

Thank you for this info MrWizard. Being a hobbiest I obviously don't have a huge need
for broken key extractors, but I do once in a while have a friend ask for some help.
So I've wanted some for awhile, but could never justify the cost.
But given your advice, I think I'll go on a little search now

Yes they work quite well especially on car ignitions, doors and trunk. Sometimes it is needed to put one on each side of the keys then twist them together just a little not to distort them with small vise grips or pliers to make them bite into the key you then can wiggle both up and down to help get past the wafers in front of them. Best to look into the lock and lift the wafers in front of the key to allow it to make it past them. Sometimes just screwing them in the grooves or along the side of the key where ever you can get it in pulls it right out.