Key Duplication & High-Security Keys

At New York Paint & Hardware, we have been cutting keys for the neighborhood since 1986, and the machines are right here at 1668 1st Ave. Whether you need a spare for the front door, a fresh set for a new tenant, or an authorized copy of a patented high-security key, you can hand it across the counter and walk out with a copy that actually turns. No mail-away, no third party, no guesswork.

What We Duplicate

Our key cutting covers nearly every blank a Manhattan household or building runs into, and every copy is cut to spec and tested before it leaves the store. We keep the common house and padlock blanks in stock, including SC1, SE1, KW1, and M1, and many more. If a worn key has trouble, we can often cut a fresh copy by code or off a cleaner original so you are not duplicating a duplicate.

• Standard house, apartment & office keys, cut while you wait (SC1, SE1, KW1, M1 and more)
• Mul-T-Lock high-security key duplication
• Medeco high-security key duplication
• Restricted and registered keyways (with proper authorization)
• Commercial, building & super keys
• Padlock, mailbox & cabinet keys

Know Your Keys: Standard vs High-Security

Most keys fall into two camps. Standard keys are the everyday blanks used in homes, offices, padlocks, and mailboxes, and we keep the common ones in stock, cut and tested on the spot:

• SC1 and SC4 (Schlage), the most common house and apartment keys in NYC
• KW1 and KW10 (Kwikset), another standard residential keyway
• SE1 and WR5 (Weiser) residential blanks
• M1 (Master) padlock keys, plus mailbox and cabinet keys

High-security keys are a different animal. Medeco and Mul-T-Lock use patented, restricted keyways with pick- and drill-resistant pins and tight manufacturing tolerances, so an ordinary hardware store cannot copy them. We are set up to duplicate them properly, with the authorization the manufacturer requires. Medeco is known for its angled, rotating pins, while Mul-T-Lock uses a telescoping pin-in-pin design, and both give you real key control over who can make a copy.

Apartment & Building Keys in NYC

Living in a Manhattan building usually means a ring full of keys, and we handle most of them:

• Apartment door keys, including the high-security cylinders many Upper East Side buildings install
• Lobby, vestibule & intercom keys for the front door
• Mailbox keys, often their own small specialized blank
• Laundry, storage & roof-door keys
• Restricted building keyways, which require sign-off from your super, managing agent, or board

Setting up a new tenant or lost a set? Bring what you have and we will tell you on the spot what we can cut and what needs building authorization. For supers and managing agents, we cut building keys in volume and can keep your keyways on file.

Mul-T-Lock, Medeco & Restricted Keys

High-security keys like Mul-T-Lock and Medeco are built on patented, restricted keyways that resist unauthorized copying, and that is exactly what makes them secure. The blanks are not sold to just anyone, and a standard hardware store cannot cut them. Because of that protection, duplicating a restricted key generally requires proof of authorization, for example a registered key card or photo ID that matches the system on file. Bring your key and your authorization and our team will take care of the rest, cutting the copy to the manufacturer's tolerances so it works smoothly from day one. This is precisely the expertise that building managers, co-op boards, and security-conscious residents across the Upper East Side trust us with year after year.

Visit or Reach Us

Bring your key to New York Paint & Hardware at 1668 1st Ave, New York, NY 10128, call 212-249-1614, or use the form below.