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They exist! One maker (who's product didn't last on the market for very long) back in the 70s or 80s, actually had this sort of obfuscation as a feature on the key. Basically, the key was a series of connected sections with small differences between them, they would slide into the lock from the middle of a spring-loaded sheath and then follow an odd path inside the lock, so neither observation of the keyway, the sheathed key, or even likely the unsheathed key, would give you a clear picture of how to reconstruct the interaction between the sections of the key, or where in the lock they interacted.

Sadly I have no patent reference for the lock, only a description in an old newspaper that ran a story on the creator.



I wonder how well a silicone or other flexible key-sleeve would work with existing keys. It might feel somewhat silly, but at least you could color code your keys as well as protect them.


Do you have the name of the creator handy?




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