Manhattan locksmith since 1988
Medeco. Mul-T-Lock. Abloy. Schlage Primus. Patented keyways that kiosks and hardware stores turn away. We stock the blanks, cut them on calibrated machines at all three Manhattan shops, and test every key in a matching cylinder before you walk out.
35+ years cutting keys in Manhattan
3 real storefronts, no vans only
What makes a key high-security
A standard house key is an open design. Anyone with a blank and a grinder can copy it in two minutes. A high-security key is built differently. The keyway is patented, the blade profile is machined to tighter tolerances, and many systems add a second layer inside the cylinder: sidebars, rotating discs, or a moving element in the key itself that has to line up before the plug will turn.
The other half of the protection is paperwork. Blanks for these systems are not sold to hardware stores or vending kiosks. They are distributed under control, and restricted systems are tied to a key control card or an authorization on file that names who is allowed to order keys. That is the part people find out about the hard way, usually on a Friday afternoon with one key left on the ring.
We deal with both halves. We keep restricted blanks in the shop, we cut them by code or by decoding your existing key, and we walk you through the authorization step when a system requires one.
Restricted blanks stay in the shop, behind the counter, logged when they are cut.
Why you got turned away
01
Patented keyways are distributed under control. A hardware store rack holds open blanks only, so there is physically nothing to cut your key onto.
02
Many high-security keys need angled cuts, side milling, or a specific jaw and cutter. A duplicator built for house keys will not reach those surfaces.
03
Restricted systems are tracked. Someone has to hold the key control card or be on the authorization list. A self-serve kiosk has no way to check that.
04
A high-security key that is close is a key that jams in your cylinder. Ours get checked in a matching cylinder at the counter before you leave with them.
Keyways we work with
Basics Plus is an independent locksmith shop. We service and cut keys for these keyways, and we are not an authorized dealer or agent for any of the brands named above. If your key is stamped with a keyway we do not stock, tell us on the phone and we will say so straight.
Before you come in
Some restricted systems need a key control card or a named authorization before anyone can cut a copy. Others only need proof that the key is yours. Read the stamping on the bow of your key to us over the phone and we will sort out which one you have in about a minute, so you are not making a second trip.
Call 212-510-8320Bring the original if you still have one, not a copy of a copy. Worn keys get decoded rather than traced so the new one matches the cylinder, not the wear.
Issued with restricted systems, often kept by the owner or managing agent. If you have it, bring it. If it is lost, we will explain the route back.
A lease, a utility bill, or a letter from management for commercial doors. We log restricted work, which is the whole point of a controlled system.
For upgrades and rekeys, snap the face of the cylinder and the edge of the door. It tells us the cylinder type and backset before you carry anything in.
Related work
Most people who come in for a high-security key end up asking about the lock behind it. We handle that side too, for apartments, brownstones, storefronts, and buildings with dozens of doors.
Many deadbolts and mortise locks accept a replacement cylinder, so the lock body and the door stay as they are. You get a patented keyway and a fresh set of keys without new holes in the frame. We do the same on storefront doors and gates.
No key left to copy is still a solvable problem. We originate keys by code where a record exists, decode the cylinder where it does not, and rekey the system if you want the missing key to stop working entirely.
One key for the super, one for each tenant, one for the boiler room. We build and maintain master keyed systems on restricted keyways for co-ops, rentals, and commercial spaces, and keep the records so the next change is simple.
Questions at the counter
If yours is not here, call the shop. A locksmith picks up, not a call center.
For some restricted systems, yes. The card or authorization code is issued with the system and names who is allowed to order keys. Bring it if you have it, along with photo ID. If you are not sure what your system requires, read the stamping on the key to us over the phone and we will tell you before you make the trip.
That stamp is a request from whoever issued the key rather than a legal restriction, and it offers no real protection on an open keyway. We ask for proof that you own the door, are the tenant of record, or are authorized by the managing agent. If the key also sits on a patented restricted keyway, the system's own authorization rules apply on top of that.
Most high-security keys are cut and tested at the counter while you wait. Less common keyways sometimes need a blank ordered in, and restricted systems may need the authorization confirmed first. Call ahead and we will tell you whether it is a walk-in job or a come-back job.
Usually. A lot of deadbolts and mortise locks take a replacement cylinder, so the lock body stays on the door and only the cylinder and keys change. Bring the lock in if it is loose, or send us a photo of the face and the edge of the door and we will tell you which cylinders fit it.
Bring the cylinder to the shop if you can remove it, or we come to the door. We originate keys by code when a record exists and decode the cylinder when it does not. On a restricted system we confirm your authorization first. If you want the lost keys dead, we rekey the cylinder at the same visit.
Call the shop, book a time online, or walk into any of our three Manhattan storefronts. Emergency lockouts are answered around the clock.
