09/28/2026
Monday Product Spotlight Keys… They make the world go!!! 🚗🚗🚗🚗
We need these essential items for so many things! Today I’m sharing an update with y’all today as part of our product spotlight of the week… Wilkes County Hardware is proud to have Hy-Ko chip keys as part of our upgraded key program. Over the last year, WCH has been actively learning about this new key technology and how it works the best for our customers.
WCH has had a significant influx sidewinder key blanks that have been purchased online or from other sources and customers are seeking to have them cut.
WCH has encountered issues with these types of keys purchased from other suppliers.
Today, our product spotlight is information sharing that is relevant to our chip key customers.
In the process of learning the in’s and out’s of our new chip based key cutting machine, WCH key cutting staff has experienced some issues with keys made from other key suppliers.
Here’s a quick look at why that has occurred:
1. Sidewinder keys require a dedicated high-security key milling machine (laser type cutter) that cuts the chip key slowly. The internal cuts form an intricate “snake-like” track down the flat sides of the key. To cut the key correctly, these specific factors come into play… depth, spacing, and making multi-step passes over the sidewinder key blank. This key cutting process requires extreme precision!
2. Our key staff has found over time, that keys purchased from other suppliers are NOT the same quality as a sidewinder key blank purchased at WCH. Some other key suppliers sidewinder keys can be made with inferior, cheaper metal hardware. If used, in our machine, this type of key can possibly bend the sidewinder key machine's delicate tracer tip, ruining the calibration… resulting in a flawed duplicate and it creates a necessary repair for our key machine.
3. Another issue could be the existing computer chip that ultimately starts the vehicle, may not be compatible with your vehicle, purchased from another key supplier.
4. Therefore, WCH cannot guarantee that these other suppliers keys will work. WCH has always stood behind our key cutting ability. And moving forward , WCH cannot guarantee these types of keys due to the fact that they are made differently from our existing key supply.
5. These online or other suppliers purchased keys are not only a risk to our working internal key components… such as, breaking the laser key cutting bits, AND it would also severely limit our ability to serve other key customers in our community.
Our new key equipment has been a significant investment for us as a small business, therefore moving forward WCH will NOT be cutting any sidewinder keys that have been purchased from other key suppliers… online or other sources.
WCH will gladly assist in finding the best solution to your chip key needs from our existing store stock or WCH will complete a special order for your key needs using our Hy-Ko key stock.
