Page 3 of 3

Re: Do I Have Too Many Key Blanks?

PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 2:18 pm
by keyway_grooves
I know boards with hooks and nails are the way locksmiths have been doing it for a long time, but I'm not sure if I see the point of trying to show the whole collection when a customer will only be looking at the basic size, color, and shape. Probably too much visual confusion to be a selling aid, and even for personal access too much to remember and a bit of an eyesore (as your wife might be complaining); would make more sense to put up representative examples of key types on acrylic like the locks are, post up the logos of the diversity of locks supported so they're assured that you'll probably have theirs in stock, and then keep inventory organized separately out of sight like I've seen with cabinets with mini drawers. Then there could be room for signs assuring the customer of quality and service, pricing, or other interesting things to display that a customer might browse without knowing really how to read, like a depth and space chart or a few antique locks and files. Right now practicing more with padlocks than messing around with impressioning or cutting, but for home storage i like the same design principle, a cabinet and a small board with some representative samples just to remind me that I have work to do.

Re: Do I Have Too Many Key Blanks?

PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 3:21 pm
by GWiens2001
keyway_grooves wrote:I know boards with hooks and nails are the way locksmiths have been doing it for a long time, but I'm not sure if I see the point of trying to show the whole collection when a customer will only be looking at the basic size, color, and shape. Probably too much visual confusion to be a selling aid, and even for personal access too much to remember and a bit of an eyesore (as your wife might be complaining); would make more sense to put up representative examples of key types on acrylic like the locks are, post up the logos of the diversity of locks supported so they're assured that you'll probably have theirs in stock, and then keep inventory organized separately out of sight like I've seen with cabinets with mini drawers. Then there could be room for signs assuring the customer of quality and service, pricing, or other interesting things to display that a customer might browse without knowing really how to read, like a depth and space chart or a few antique locks and files. Right now practicing more with padlocks than messing around with impressioning or cutting, but for home storage i like the same design principle, a cabinet and a small board with some representative samples just to remind me that I have work to do.


No customers. I’m a hobby lock guy. (Well, I moonlight for some shops from time to time).

The reason is that they are organized and easier for me, or in the case of a locksmith shop, the locksmith, to find and search the blanks. This actually takes far less space than a bunch of drawers, and much less time than opening a box, taking out a blank, comparing it to the original key or lock, finding it doesn’t match, putting it back in the box, closing the box, and grabbing the next box. There are roughly 900 types of blanks on my boards, and at least 100-300 more that are in boxes and/or bags in a nearby cabinet.

Generally it is not the customer searching the key boards. Most places don’t let the customers access the boards. If you ask 100 people what kind of lock they have at home or at work, at least 95 won’t have any idea.

Additionally, if the customer does know what is written on their key - say Baldwin - they will look at your board labels and think you don’t have any Baldwin keys, being unaware that most Baldwin locks are Kwikset, with the occasional Schlage.

Gordon

Re: Do I Have Too Many Key Blanks?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 12:47 am
by Tysmitty123
Does anyone

Re: Do I Have Too Many Key Blanks?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 17, 2018 2:23 am
by femurat
Tysmitty123 wrote:Does anyone have information on Schlage T reverse restricted key and how I could buy a blank. These keys seem impossible to find.


They're called restricted for a reason...