What For? The Knobby Key

timof5stars

Why is a “knobby” key knobby? i.e. why are the notches cut into the bow and why do collectors consider these more valuable.

bbcci

Here is a couple pics of what I think of, when I hear ‘knobby key’. My best guess for the bumps on the bow is for ease of identification on a ring of keys. I’ve only seen these on PRR (Pennsylvania railroad) locks and would like to add the question, is this design exclusive to Fraim locks and/or the PRR line?
As for collecting value, (just guessing here) maybe this style was only available from the original manufacturer, which would endorse it authenticity?

timof5stars

Nice Looking PRRs!

Now this is interesting. On your PRR keys, the knobs are raised bumps on the outside on the bow. But every key that I’ve seen called a knobby up to this point mere had a series of notches cut out that gave it a knobby feel. Obviously any key can have notches cut in it but yours have to be created from the beginning with those raised bumps.

I’m at work and can’t post pics right now but I’ve got a couple of railroads with notches as well as a couple of Master Lock full walking lion keys with notches. I also have 3 “Mills” keys with notches - these are like the Eagle Bell Lock keys - that have a single wiggly groove cut into left and right sides rather than standard pin tumbler cuts on top and / or bottom.

This has me thinking that only the keys you’ve posted the pics of are true “knobby” keys - I guess you could call what I have as “faux knobbing” or perhaps “after market knobbing”.

I’ll try to post some pics later after I get home.

timof5stars

Found a Mills key pic showing “faux knobby”:

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Donnie

Hello, to the best of my knowledge the knobby key was stamped Fraim & used with the PRR
fancy backed locks…I have only seen Fraim on these keys…Although a friend of mine has a nickel silver knobby that fits the fancy back PRR….It is not marked Fraim, but the PRR is in the usual location. He thinks that these were used on coaches or possibly buildings..
This is only his opinion……not documented fact…….Donnie

oldbiscuit

Tim, I am the locksmith/electrician at the local community collage and I carry a pretty large ring of keys with me at all times. I mark many of my keys with file notches on the bow for quick identification. Some are notched all the way around and some have anywhere from 1 to 5 notches. When you have 5 Master lock keys and only 1 or 2 that you use every day, it makes it easier to pick them out, the same way with our door keys, those that I use the most are notched the most. It’s just something I’ve been doing for the last 20 years and I’m sure others do something close to it as well. Mark

njsrr

I have collected, bought and sold RR keys for over 30 years. There are 3 other marked knobby keys that I am aware of : P-RSL / PRSL (Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines), NYP&N (New York Philadelphia and Norfolk - very rare), and one marked OLE (I have seen 2-3 or these over the years and nobody knows what the letters stand for). I think the PRR keys had the knobby feature because they interacted with so many different RR’s, the switchman, brakeman, conductor, etc had to be able to tell the Pennsy key apart from the other keys on the ring, even in the dark, and the knobs sure do that, .
As far as the nickle-knobby key (which is solid, not plated), I was told that the plain key was for the Trainmaster, and the nickle key w. the wreath was for Division Superintendents ( I may have the job titles wrong, but you get the idea).

peerless

The PRR knobby keys have been known to have been faked since at least the 60’s. It is very hard to tell apart some of the early fakes due to 50 years of actual, genuine patina and finger deposited dirt. Looking for wear marks in all the right places is really the only way to distinguish the real McCoy from the frauds. As far as the Bell / Mills Novelty key, the grooves were used to tell the holder which way the key faced up. Proper orientation is required for most Bell style keys as they are not reversible. Most keys that are orientation specific will have some sort of cutout or notching that distinguishes “up” from “down”.