Notice Board on. We personally teach three methods of using a bump key, and if bought shoulder-less then you only ever have the one option rather than the three.
You can use a bump key with the shoulder on, and then pull it out by 1 x cut. This is a one hit pull out method repeated over and over again until the lock opens, but is probably the hardest method to get right as the timing needs to be more critical than methods two and three, however it is still an essential method as many of the higher security cylinders open in this way.
If you are using a bump key with a shoulder on you should never really need to add dampeners. If you do, the shoulder just acts like a knife and will cut through the dampeners every time.
As dimple bump keys tend to not have a shoulder on like a standard cylinder key, it is critical to use harder dampeners to protect the tip from banging into the back of the lock, as the tip on most dimple cylinders acts as the shoulder.
The lightest tension is only ever required. Brushing the top and bottom of the key head with finger and thumb is all that is needed. Most of the problems I see when people start to learn bumping are caused by applying too much tension. If too much tension is applied all it does is bind everything up inside the cylinder. To give you some idea on a scale of one to 10, all you need to use is the lightest tension at about number one. Also, people tend to strike the bump key and then turn their hand hoping the cylinder will open. If the tension & strike
is correct the cylinder will automatically turn on its own accord, and there is no need to physically turn the cylinder a second after striking the bump key.
The team behind Bumpkeys4U have been developing and supplying the locksmith industry with assorted high quality Bump keys for over 20 years in the UK and all over the world. With over 2,000 products on our website, including bump keys, accessories, obsolete locks, key blanks and key cutting machines, we are the leading supplier and manufacturer of bump keys in the UK and can always be found at locksmith exhibitions and Tradeshows, as well as teaching and developing new bump keys.
Most of our bump keys are supplied with the shoulder on as we feel this will
give you more options in using them and allows you to set them up in different ways, as well as making it a lot easier to copy from.
Many bump keys are universal, but for ease we list most bump keys under their manufacturers name in order to make it easier for you to purchase that specific bump key, and thus have the confidence that it will work in that particular lock. Are bump keys illegal? Locksmiths and security professionals are permitted to use bump keys for legitimate purposes like opening locks for their clients, but they must have the client’ s permission
Once mastered, lock bumping can be one of the quickest methods of non-destructive openings – so it is well worth taking a little time and practice.
Brought to you by Mark Ward & BumpKeys4U
JUNE 2025
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locksmithjournal. co. uk