What does anyone think about the difference between pin and pipe blanks?
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What does anyone think about the difference between pin and pipe blanks?
Not my intention at all.
I have wondered in the past which came first? I think it would be very hard to figure out the answer.
I used to have some Roman padlocks from 1st-3rd century and they had posts in them and after recalling as many locks as I can it seems that it is far more common to have pipe keys associated with padlocks. I think the split is close to 50-50 pipe or pin for door locks.
If locksmithing were a true classical profession that would be a good subject for a dissertation.
BBE.
Potential reasons are likely to be functional and so I would guess that it was easier to make a reliably round hole than a reliably round pin when it had a flag/bit sticking out of it.
also basic padlocks don’t always line up the front and back keyholes as accurately as could be wished but a pipe key means the front hole can be much bigger.
then of course, with simple mechanisms, the depth and diameter of the pipe could add to the differs available or allow master keying.
on modern safes where keys can be alloy pipe keys it almost looks like they are deliberately building in repeat keycutting business.
Pin or Pipe,
From a different perspective, attempting to pick the lock by the tentative method the 2 in 1 pick cannot be used unless the pin can be wangled out and the rivet hole cleared. Chubb and Price in particular left very little room for the insertion of wires before the time of the collar and curtain. The packing of the lock with both gunpowder and high explosives was also strictly limited unless the pin was first removed as above.
This seems to make a case, at least in the early day, for the pipe. For the lock collector, making new keys to a lock the pipe comes into its own when aligning the perpendicular of the blank.
How often has the safe mechanic in times past, when told the key won’t turn, asked for a hairpin to clear the packed oose (Scot.) out of the drill hole. Money for old rope so another point for.
In the early 90's I was making and selling 2 in 1 picks for many different locks, several of which had pins. No need to remove the pin. Yes it is harder to make the picks but certainly doable.