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How to Recover Wilson Bohannan Padlocks

Following an unsuccessful attempt at gold prospecting in California in 1849, Wilson Bohannan moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he and his son started his padlock company. His grandson moved the company to Marion, Ohio, in the ’20s. Over 150 years after its founding, the family-owned Wilson Bohannan Co. continues to manufacture solid-brass weatherproof padlocks. If you've lost the key to your WB padlock, it is possible to "recover" it.

Things You'll Need

  • Box the lock came in
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Instructions

    • 1

      Look on the box in which your key came. If you still have the box, or the information on the white label from the box, contact the Wilson Bohannan Co., and the company will send you a new key. Most hardware stores would not have the key blanks required to cut you a new key.

    • 2

      Call a locksmith. If you don't have the keying information from the box, and the lock is valuable or an antique, a locksmith can disassemble the padlock, identify the pins and rebuild the lock, according to a WB spokesman. This method costs more than most padlocks.

    • 3

      Destroy the padlock if you cannot find the box or do not wish to pay for a locksmith. You must cut through the bar, as using a hammer or some other means of forcing it would probably not work. Use a hacksaw with a metal-cutting blade.