purchasing Key blanks from Wal-Mart

[the lockpickkid]

Ok, just wanted to let you guys know, I have read some topics on here before about where to obtain key blanks, for impressioning practice and cutting key practice. I have heard that Wal-Mart won't sell you key blanks. Well the other day I ran out of Schlage key blanks and I ran out of options, I went into Wal-Mart and told the guy that I just wanted a Schlage key blank, he had no Idea what a schlage key was, so he let me come behind his counter and find one, then he said, I don't think I can sell these uncut to you, then I showed him my locksmith card from F-B and he said no problem, what ever you want!!!!

[aarpazthelockpicker]

so you are certified locksmith, and how old do you need to be to get the card

[the lockpickkid]

NO age limit at all, just go to Foley-Belsaw online and request information on there locksmith course, its a little spendy and sometimes a little generic but it gives you an edge, because of taking the course, I now work as a locksmith for a major company and I am getting hands on experience and making really good money as well. Check it out. They have lots of payment options and you walk away with a starter key cutting machine, not the best but a terrific starter. As for the card, just says you are a locksmith professional and may or may not work as a means to purchase or be in possesion of locksmith tools, it all depends on your areal

[s1deshowmick]

OK, I've got a few questions.
Is the F-B course really any good?
Are there any better courses around?
Are you just using the F-B card as a means to get otherwise restricted goods?
Is buying generic key blanks really that difficult in the USA?.

[the lockpickkid]

the F-B course has its goods and bads, and to not sound like a broken record, there are alot of topics on this forum, discussing reviews of the course, you should check them out, myself, I found the course to be great on some topics but really boring on others, its good and its bad, but any information you can obtain from it is worth something. About the key blanks, no they are not hard to buy, its just when you are first starting out you go through alot of blanks, learning how to cut them and impression them, and its hard to get somebody to sell them to you from a hardware store, they think you are going to do something illegal with them.

[s1deshowmick]

Yeah, i wasn't interested in the info for the courses for myself, i was wondering why you picked that particular one, or if you joined it just to get the card to purchase key blanks and stuff.

[the lockpickkid]

I picked that course because it was the most popular and because it came with a key machine, but now I am selling the key machine because I don't like the way its made, as for purchasing power with the card, not really, I have never had a problem buying anything without it, I just took the course basically for recognition to perspective employers, it just shows that I have enough interest in the subject to apply myself to take the course.