Key Rings

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Madeleine

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Am looking for engraveable key rings. Where do you get your key rings for guest room keys? How do you tell the different keys apart? (If not by engraving the key rings?)
 
So far I'm liking the carabiners with a short lanyard. Those can be screen printed with the room names. We generally have 4 sets for each room. 2 for the guests, 1 for housekeeping and 1 for 'oops, I lost the key' backup purposes.
 
We use cheap-a** plastic fobs and laser print sort-of professional labels to go in them. Don't want people to want the key fob too much.
Don't want more than Inn name, or ?? I don't know if it is a security issue. No way anyone who is not a guest can get in after hours, even with a room key.
We have a duplicate room key if key is lost. Housekeeping and owner have a single master key that rules them all.
 
I have a different key ring in each room. Nothing is marked on anythong to ID the B & B or the room. Each ring has room key and kitchen door (we do not use a key for the front door (old skeleton key) in case we had to go out for some reason. The front door has a "button" that locks it for the outside but the knob still turns to open the door from the inside - in an emergency guests can just open the door and get out. Locking with the key it is LOCKED!
 
I currently have small led flashlight keyrings (different colors for diff rooms). Guests can use this if they can't see the front door key pad or the lock on their door, or whatever.
 
I was buying the flat flashlights key chains and marking the room names. We finally bought some clear acrylic key chains on ebay so we can print a giant name tag on them (The front door is a keypad, so no worries about having our address on them.) The biggest ones that I could get. It's cut down on the number of people that leave with them.
 
I was buying the flat flashlights key chains and marking the room names. We finally bought some clear acrylic key chains on ebay so we can print a giant name tag on them (The front door is a keypad, so no worries about having our address on them.) The biggest ones that I could get. It's cut down on the number of people that leave with them..
Where did you find the acrylic ones? Everything I saw yesterday was from Australia. Shipping is a killer!
 
I was buying the flat flashlights key chains and marking the room names. We finally bought some clear acrylic key chains on ebay so we can print a giant name tag on them (The front door is a keypad, so no worries about having our address on them.) The biggest ones that I could get. It's cut down on the number of people that leave with them..
Where did you find the acrylic ones? Everything I saw yesterday was from Australia. Shipping is a killer!
.
Madeleine said:
Where did you find the acrylic ones? Everything I saw yesterday was from Australia. Shipping is a killer!
This guy. In Canada. http://stores.ebay.com/wky8525
The 25 large are $18.99 plus $11.99 shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-Blank-Acrylic-Keyrings-Insert-51x76mm-Keychain-99808-/360235399513?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item53dfb3f959#ht_1364wt_754
I measured out the internal space. Printed on a double-length, folded it over, put it inside and then snapped it shut.
 
I was buying the flat flashlights key chains and marking the room names. We finally bought some clear acrylic key chains on ebay so we can print a giant name tag on them (The front door is a keypad, so no worries about having our address on them.) The biggest ones that I could get. It's cut down on the number of people that leave with them..
Where did you find the acrylic ones? Everything I saw yesterday was from Australia. Shipping is a killer!
.
Madeleine said:
Where did you find the acrylic ones? Everything I saw yesterday was from Australia. Shipping is a killer!
This guy. In Canada. http://stores.ebay.com/wky8525
The 25 large are $18.99 plus $11.99 shipping.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/25-Blank-Acrylic-Keyrings-Insert-51x76mm-Keychain-99808-/360235399513?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item53dfb3f959#ht_1364wt_754
I measured out the internal space. Printed on a double-length, folded it over, put it inside and then snapped it shut.
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Thanks. Shipping seems excessive. Altho, I get it is international.
 
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to.
 
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to..
Barry_Manilow said:
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to.
Great idea about stamping on the key itself. Not sure if we could do that after the fact (we have a few dozen keys) but worth looking into.
 
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to..
Barry_Manilow said:
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to.
Great idea about stamping on the key itself. Not sure if we could do that after the fact (we have a few dozen keys) but worth looking into.
.
DH has some dies and stamps the keys for me with either the room name or sometimes i just have him stamp the first letter. Those keys all look alike. The kitchen key uses a differnt blank so nothing is stamped on it.
 
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to..
Barry_Manilow said:
I make my own keyrings out of driftwood pieces. To tell the keys apart the locksmith stamped two letters on the key itself and that is my code for what room it goes to.
Great idea about stamping on the key itself. Not sure if we could do that after the fact (we have a few dozen keys) but worth looking into.
.
Madeleine said:
Great idea about stamping on the key itself. Not sure if we could do that after the fact (we have a few dozen keys) but worth looking into.
You could still get them stamped if you haven't already. I watched the locksmith do it and it was easy. They will take a hammer and hit whatever letter punch you want onto the key. They have a whole kit with different punches that look like a nail punch.
 
Vista Print has what seems like hundreds of key ring designs they will custom print for you. From what I can see, they're not expensive and they'll do as few as one for you. I may be wrong, haven't used them for that, but you might take a look.
 
Vista Print has what seems like hundreds of key ring designs they will custom print for you. From what I can see, they're not expensive and they'll do as few as one for you. I may be wrong, haven't used them for that, but you might take a look..
Looks like $5/ea. That runs into money when I need around 30 of them. Like the design studio, I'll study that to get ideas.
 
Vista Print has what seems like hundreds of key ring designs they will custom print for you. From what I can see, they're not expensive and they'll do as few as one for you. I may be wrong, haven't used them for that, but you might take a look..
They run like $5 each in quantity at Vistaprint. ($7.30 each for us, north of the border). That's a lot of money. I've taken them up on their one free offer, they are plastic and won't hold up to guest usage. The connecting piece is snapped on manually.
 
You can have keys cut that are different colours. Or use a tassel tie on the key. Or go to a local market there is always people making key rings.
 
I used key rings that went with the theme of the rooms. I made some and some I bought at the Dollar Store, believe it or not.
You can also get numbers stamped on your keys where they make key copies.
ETA: What I liked about just having key rings that represented the room theme (or if you use a color code or something similar) is that it's not so obvious to someone else if someone lays their key down and it could get picked up.
 
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