The most popular key blank in the world!
Kwikset locks have been a popular choice in residential hardware for decades. The key blank used for these locks, the KW1, have, by default, grown in popularity as well. More and more people continue to purchase and rent out apartments, houses, and condos with this key finding its way onto their key ring. As time has gone on and the popularity of these KW1 key blanks has risen, the aftermarket lock industry has followed closely. The brands making replacement parts and accessories for Kwikset locks or adaptable cylinders for commercial locks have used the KW1 keyway. Many knock off brand locks are using KW1 keyways in their design.
The most popular key blank in the world today, the KW1, has not only been manufactured by Kwikset. The list of key blank manufacturers around the world who utilize the KW1 design has grown to be lengthy. Some of the difficulty with this is the variances in part number. Many of the different aftermarket brands use different part numbers for the same key. Here is a list of different manufacturers and their part number.
- Axxess 66
- Cole KW1
- Curtis KW1
- Dominion H176
- ESP KW1
- Ilco 1176
- Ilco EZ KW1
- Jet KW1
- JMA KWI-1,
- Original 1063KW
- Silca KS1
- Star 5KW1
- Taylor 54KS
With all of these part numbers, it can be confusing to match up the key. However, the keyway itself is very distinctive, and the head of the KW1 key often looks the same regardless of aftermarket manufacturer.