How do they keep varying the keys for locks?

[Thursday guy]

Stupid question. For a given lock, say for example this one which is quite popular: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kryptonite...qid=1461703387&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=kyponite

They must sell thousands of these each year. How do they keep making unique variations in the cuts of the key and the key hole so that you could never get locks that could opened with the same key?

I'm looking at my lock key, and it just seems so simple. Like there must be only a certain number of ways to vary the cuts in the key.

 

[Markymark]

Don't know about that lock but I've heard that Yale house keys have only around 1,000 combinations.

 

[vickster]

Easier to carry an angle grinder than 1000 keys

 

[classic33]

Don't know about that lock but I've heard that Yale house keys have only around 1,000 combinations.

Missing a couple of zero's. One at least.

 

[Tim Hall]

So first he encourages us to lock our bikes up and abandon them for no good reason and now he's asking about key variations. Coincidence? You draw your own conclusions. <insert yellow face thing here >

 

[classic33]

So first he encourages us to lock our bikes up and abandon them for no good reason and now he's asking about key variations. Coincidence? You draw your own conclusions. <insert yellow face thing here >

I'm with Vickster's solution to the key.

 

[fossyant]

No one picks locks, unless they are rubbish. They go in with battery powered angle grinders. Those of us that do DIY, know battery powererd tools do the job....

 

[classic33]

No one picks locks, unless they are rubbish. They go in with battery powered angle grinders. Those of us that do DIY, know battery powererd tools do the job....

Which was Vickster's solution

Easier to carry an angle grinder than 1000 keys

Quick search on the back half of Markymark's post got this, 15 hours ago.

 

[kiriyama]

When i worked in a shop in London we stopped a bike thief who had a giant bunch of keys. He was wearing cycling clobber to avoid suspicion, but it was a slow day in the shop and we had nothing better to do than people watch. There was a bike rack right outside the window. We watched him for a bit and sussed out what he was doing (with no success! ) when confronted he just ran off jingling...

 

[Thursday guy]

So first he encourages us to lock our bikes up and abandon them for no good reason and now he's asking about key variations. Coincidence? You draw your own conclusions. <insert yellow face thing here >

Calm down mate, it's just a question. No one's encouraging anyone to do anything.

 

[Thursday guy]

It's not unusual to see about 30 bikes all having the exact same lock in certain places like uni and city centres. I wonder what are the odds of two bikes within those having a matching key.

 

[Tim Hall]

Calm down mate, it's just a question. No one's encouraging anyone to do anything.

Sorry, my rib tickling joke didn't quite make it. No offence intended nor suggestion of any villainy.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Don't know about that lock but I've heard that Yale house keys have only around 1,000 combinations.

Yale apparently have 10 different heights of their pins, and with a 5 barrel lock you have 10^5 possible configurations giving you 100 000. And 1 000 000 possible keys for a 6 barrel lock

 

[classic33]

It's not unusual to see about 30 bikes all having the exact same lock in certain places like uni and city centres. I wonder what are the odds of two bikes within those having a matching key.

I'd be wondering about the odds of two bikes having the same lock rather than the same key.

 

[classic33]

Yale apparently have 10 different heights of their pins, and with a 5 barrel lock you have 10^5 possible configurations giving you 100 000. And 1 000 000 possible keys for a 6 barrel lock

Said I felt he'd missed a couple of zero's.