Key Cutting, Car Transponder Keys and Key Accessories

The best time to get a spare key made is while the one you’ve got still works well. A copy is only as good as the key it’s copied from, so a worn original makes a sloppy spare. Get it done before the last good key goes missing on a fence line or down a heat register.

Spare house keys

A house key starts as a blank, an uncut key, and the blank has to match the lock before any cutting happens. The pattern of grooves down the side of the key is the keyway, and two keys that look nearly the same can have different keyways. Common house locks use standard blanks, like SC1 for many Schlage locks and KW1 for many Kwikset locks, and the brand stamped on your key or lock is the first clue to which blank you need.

WBC cuts house keys:

• One-sided key and cutting: the everyday house and padlock key, notched on one edge.
• Two-sided key and cutting: for keys notched on both edges, including Emtek blanks.
• Decorative door keys: the same working key with a design on it, so the front-door key is the one you can find without looking.

A good copy gets deburred and cleaned after cutting. Try a new spare in the lock before you count on it: it should go all the way in smoothly and turn without forcing. A key that sticks or stops short usually means the wrong blank, not a lock problem.

Car keys with a chip

Most vehicles from the last couple of decades have a transponder chip in the key head. The blade turns the lock; the chip tells the vehicle the key belongs to it. Without the right chip set up for your vehicle, a key can turn the ignition and the engine still won’t start.

WBC carries JMA transponder keys matched to specific vehicles:

Make	WBC’s keys
GM / Pontiac	B97, B99, B103 and B107
Ford / Mazda	H72, H73, H74/H86, H84, MAZ24R
Chrysler	Y160
Honda	HD106
Mitsubishi	MIT8, MIT14
Nissan	NI02, NSN11
Subaru	SUB4

The right one depends on make, model and year, not just the make; the same brand uses different blades and chips across models and years. A chip key needs two things done: the blade cut, and the chip set up for your vehicle. There are two ways to do the second part. Cloning copies the data from a working key onto a compatible clonable key. Programming registers the new key with the vehicle itself, and on some vehicles that can be done in the vehicle when you have one or two working keys.

That’s why the time to get a spare is while you still have a working key. Copying a key you have is a simple job. Replacing the last key, when there’s nothing left to copy, means programming a new key to the vehicle from scratch, a bigger job. Ask at the key counter what your vehicle’s key needs.

Remote fobs and keys with lock and unlock buttons are a further step: the remote side has to match the vehicle’s frequency and often needs its own programming.

Keeping keys sorted

A ranch or a rental property can mean a ring of keys that all look alike: the shop, the barn, the gate padlocks, three trucks. A little organizing saves a lot of trying keys in the cold.

• Color key tags, 1-1/4 inch, 25-count: pick a color for each building or vehicle and stick to it.
• Key identifiers, 4-pack: colored caps that fit over the key head.
• ID key tag with swivel: a tag you can write on.
• Pull-apart key ring: splits in two, so the truck key comes off without taking the house keys along.
• Key rings, 1/2 and 5/8 inch: plain split rings.
• S-Biner key clips: stainless #2 and #3, black #3 and #4. Clip the set to a belt loop or a bag and unclip it in a second.
• Clip-on key backs: retractable reels that clip to your belt, so you can reach a lock without taking the keys off.
• Jumbo key pouch: keeps a big set together in a pocket or glovebox.

Hiding a spare

For the key you leave outside: WBC has a rock key hider for the yard and a magnetic key hider for a steel surface. Hide it somewhere that isn’t the first place anyone would look, and check on it now and then. Snow, slush and road grime work on a magnetic hider stuck under a vehicle all winter.

The Pick

Get a spare house key cut now from your best original, in a decorative design if it helps you find it. For a vehicle, find the JMA transponder key for your make, model and year while you still have a working key. Sort the ring with color tags and a pull-apart ring, and clip it on with an S-Biner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a copied car key need programming?

A chip key needs its blade cut and its chip set up for the vehicle, either cloned from a working key or programmed to the vehicle. A key with only a cut blade may turn the ignition but won’t start the engine.

What if I’ve lost all my car keys?

Then there’s nothing to copy. The vehicle needs a new key programmed to it from scratch, which is a bigger job than copying a key you have. That’s the best reason to get a spare made now.

Why doesn’t my new key work smoothly?

Usually the blank doesn’t match the lock’s keyway, or the original was worn. A good copy goes in fully and turns without forcing.

What are key identifiers for?

Telling look-alike keys apart. Colored caps or tags let you grab the right key without trying each one.