In an age when people have numerous belongings and accessories for them we have to not only find a place to put them and devise easier ways to carry them, but also decide on what to accumulate and carry in order to get to everything we want inside of the places we own, rent or work in and drive. Locks on our doors, safe, office equipment, etc. are the protection choice that is available for securing our possessions and a persons mode of transportation requires the use of a key in order to not only open it up but to make it work. As we are more and more dependent on the places that house our items and out vehicles we tend to acquire more, not just by obtaining "stuff", but a larger key chain to keep our many keys that we own for a variety of functions. A key is the device that activates a lock and they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Sharing common features are keys used on automobile and for the home. Generally they are one to two inches long and made of metal and feature various parts to them such as a thin blade with groves, a gripping area to turn the key and cuts varying in depths and spacing.

There are many keys out there that perform many jobs. The most popular key in use today is the cylinder key and most people probably have many cylinder keys in their possession to operate the locks of their home. Cylinder keys are used to operate pin tumbler and disc tumbler locks. Often confused for the skeleton key is the bit key that is used to operate bit locks. When operating a lever tumbler lock (like the ones on luggage) you would use a flat key.

Tubular keys have a tubular blade where the cuts are made in a circular fashion around the end of the blade of the key. These are commonly used to operate locks on laundry machines in laundromats and vending machines. Many of the warded padlocks in use today are opened when a corrugated key is inserted into it.

An interesting key is the hollow shank barrel key. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and looks a lot like the bit key. For use with some high security locks the angular bitted key is designed to cause tumblers to rotate in a set position within the cylinder, the cut of the key on the blade runs at right angles.

Vehicle keys come with a variety of features like the transponder keys and feature keyless entry and other items in the head of the key. They take advantage of various technologies such as infra red and radio frequencies and there are also the basic flat keys used to enter older models.

Keys are there in order to have a way to not only lock up and protect what is ours, but to allow us a way back in. Remember their importance and that no matter what, even if lost, there is someone out there with the professional skills that can replace one for you in case of any unfortunate loss or breakage occurs.