Best Locks - An Overview

Rekeying a conventional pin tumbler lock typically involves removing the entire lockset from the door, or at the very least removing the outside handle if it is a keyed lever.  This can become a time consuming experience due to any number of reasons ranging from stuck bolts to removing multiple coats of paint that have sealed the lock to the door.  Because of this, many businesses, universities and other large institutions use locks that accept what are known as Interchangeable Cores (Abbreviated I/C).

The first type of I/C was the Small Format Interchangeable Core (SFIC), invented by Frank Ellison Best around 1920.  Shortly after, Best Lock Corporation was established to manufacture SFICs.  Because the patent on SFICs has now expired, other manufacturers such as Arrow and Falcon also produce them.  SFICs are not brand-exclusive, meaning that an Arrow can be used to replace a Best and vice versa.  Large Format Interchangeable Cores (LFICs) however, are brand exclusive.

 

Older Best SFIC with its operating key in use

What’s unique about I/C locks is that they do not need to be rekeyed on site.  Instead, they are removed from the lock's housing using a special key, known as a control key.  Rotating this key 15 degrees clockwise allows the user to remove the entire core through the front of the lock.  A new core is inserted into the front of the lock using either the same or a different control key.  The new core has been rekeyed beforehand to accept a different operating key.  An operating key only locks and unlocks the lock—it cannot be used to remove the core.  The old core can be taken to a locksmith (or shipped back to the supplier) to be rekeyed for future use.

Best SFIC, partially removed from a mortise cylinder housing.  Notice the slight angle of the control key

Because SFICs can be rekeyed without the need to summon a locksmith to the location of the lock, they are the preferred choice for many large businesses and universities.  For this reason, SFICs are typically shipped to a site and not serviced by a local locksmith.  The exception to this practice would be universities and large hospitals, which typically employ an in-house locksmith to pin their SFICs.

Unfortunately, if the control key is lost or misplaced, the core will usually have to be destructively removed.  It is very difficult to pick an SFIC to the control position because one will most likely pick it to the operating position instead, thwarting attempts to nondestructively remove the core.  Wooters Lock Company, LLC uses a minimally destructive method for SFIC removal, which allows the core to be removed while still keeping the pins intact.  By keeping the pins intact, they can later be removed from the core and decoded, allowing for a replacement control key to be originated by code.  Generally most SFICs in a system use the same control key.  From there, other cores in the system could then be removed without the need for any further drilling.

My personal collection of Best SFICs

SFICs are a good investment for users expecting high rates of turnover.  Landlords for example, may benefit from having these on their properties, as they would not have to call a locksmith out each time the locks on a property need to be changed.  This would save them any trip charges or after-hours fees depending on the urgency of the situation.  Homeowners however may find these to be impractical, as the upfront costs are typically higher than having their existing door hardware rekeyed just once.