Morse Keys For sale

MORSE KEYS FOR SALE

I often have Morse keys for sale, usually handmade but sometimes odd keys I have come across and no longer want to keep, these I usually sell on Ebay but I know not everyone likes bidding on Ebay and some keys for various reasons like heavy shipping costs or strange and unusual design are difficult to sell on Ebay, so this is my own personal "For Sale" page the prices are what I would consider reasonable and most are open to a sensible offer but do check the shipping costs, I prefer to use PayPal for payment as it protects both parties.
I'm often asked about keys on my website that have not been sold or are marked not for sale these are usually keys that I have kept for my own use or not finished for some reason, I have now listed most of them here, Obviously the keys that I have put a high price on are my own personal keys that I use and like very much, but everything has a price, the price on those is more what it would take for me to consider parting with them rather than what I think they are worth :()
I have described the keys honestly but anyone interested in one is welcome to email me for more info or make an offer or just a chat about keys, I'm always playing with keys remaking and refurbishing if you have a favourite key that is broken or you would like refurbishing in some way I may be able to help, anyway here is the for sale list below

A VERY SECRET KEY
This is an old Vibroplex bug, what makes it so interesting is it's history, I purchased this key from a silent key sale at a Radio rally held at Bletchley Park about 6 years ago, the old timer selling it said he knew the late owner and was selling it on behalf of his Widow, It seems the late owner used this key at Bletchley park during the war and later for many years at Hanslope Park where Bletchley moved to after the war, sometime later this information was hotly disputed as it was stated that no transmissions were made from Bletchley during the war owing to the fear of German DFing, but during a later visit to Bletchley museum I enquired about this and the curator assured me that transmissions were made from Bletchley on special occasions in the early days of the war and I was even shown the upstairs room where the transmitting equipment had once stood and old insulators were still attached to the window frame! I can't verify this provenance but I have no reason to doubt it, the key is very worn and obviously had years of hard use, I did think once of restoration as can be seen from the one adjuster I re plated but decided to leave it as it is
Anyone interested in this old worn bug with a long history for $140 plus shipping let me know but shipping would be very expensive as the key weighs just under 2kg and would cost $40 to the USA

This is a small single paddle / sideswiper, very solid brass construction and VERY heavy, very smooth action with two large ballraces in the pivot, the action is very similar to the "Dash" mechanism on a Vibroplex bug with spring loaded flaps, I have kept this key for some time with the intention of using the basic design in a sideswiper of my own but never got around to it, so it is now for sale for $80 plus shipping and at a weight of about 1.4kg shipping is $30 to the USA

And now for my own keys, this is my original MASTER KEY when I made this key I thought it was the very best as it was so adjustable, and I could by changing it's configuration mimic the action of some of the very best keys, and indeed I've used it as a test key for many of my other designs, if you are thinking of Handmade keys of your own this is an ideal key to find out how a key action can be changed by different changes in length of handle and weighting, It is a VERY unusual Morse key and so needs a very unusual operator to appreciate it, someone who is familiar with taking mechanisms to pieces and reassembling them, The wooden base is made of varnished MFD so not the best quality but other than that it is a fine key and great fun to use, $300 plus shipping if you are interested in it, and at nearly 1kg shipping is $25

This little key was the 6th key I made and I was very proud of it at the time, it was simple and used a torsion bar tensioner something I hadn't seen in a key before, it has a very lightweight fingertip action and a very simple modernistic look about it, the tensioner works in reverse i.e. the more you tighten it the less tension there is as it works against the torsion bar, it is a delicate little key and would really suit an operator with a very light touch
if you are interested in it for $60 plus shipping of $12 let me know.

This key 021 has been a firm favourite of mine and I have used it for many many contacts, so it is not new and the reason it has not yet been sold,
It is a typical flat spring tensioner with a coil spring offset action but there the typical bit ends as on this key the tension works against an overhead bar and the handle is horseshoe shaped to fit around the flat spring which is very unusual, it has a wide lollypop knob made specifically for a light fingertip tapping method of sending code, it's only criticism is it can't be set for a very light touch, it is an early key of mine so some of the metalwork is a little primitive and the wood base is varnished MFD so a little wanting in quality but a real fun key for $90 plus shipping at $14

This key 048 was very special, it was an attempt to get a big key "feel" to a small key which is almost impossible, this key got very close by fitting an outrigger set of sliding weights to the pivot axle, the main arm of the key is made of Aluminium alloy so it doesn't distract from the action of the weights, the idea is unusual as the weights are free to move after the arm has made contact and so there is a tiny torsion effect which gives a lively feel to the action usually missing on small keys, I have used this key extensively and still do, so it is not new condition, a real fun key with a revolutionary design, Oakwood base ballrace bearings and silver contacts $180 plus shipping of $16

This key 094 was yet another attempt to get a large key performance into a small key, it has a lovely soft magnetic action, completely experimental and one of my favourite keys, again I have used this key a lot and had many contacts using it, a low angle finger tapping action you can send all day on this key, and the gap and tension can be set with one hand even whilst sending, $160 plus $16 shipping.

This key 087 was one of the prettiest keys I've made, it was a loose copy of a Danish Naval key, it has a very long swept down handle, total key length over 230mm, with a crush bar tensioner with a turnkey tightener it has a lovely long lever action very similar to the Amplidan, and all Nickel plated and one of my favourite keys, the pictures don't do it justice, if you want to prise it away from me :) it will cost you $250 plus $20 shipping

This key 111 was one of the last of my 80 series that I made, it has an excellent action slightly harder and crisper than a typical Amplidan action but a fine long lever key, I made it to replace my favourite 070 key but by the time I finished it I realised I probably wouldn't use it, a favourite key is a favourite key and very hard to replace even with something that performs better so it is up for sale at $180 plus $20 shipping.

This key 072 was the 1st of three dual mode keys where the key could be changed from a straight key into a paddle or sideswiper in a few seconds, It is now complete and works very well indeed, being able to change from straight to paddle by just slackening one spring loaded adjuster and tightening another, it has a great action in straight mode, I'm not sure about the paddle mode not being a paddle person, but it can be set very fine, there are very few dual modes in existence, vintage ones are extremely rare and I know of no other modern ones other than the ones I have made, this special key is looking for a very special owner who is capable of making fine adjustments and working a very prototype key. I'm looking towards $200 plus shipping of $25 (or $30 with a stone base fitted)

And No125 At the moment I'm looking for $200, as time moves on I may part with them all for less, each key I make I intend to keep as there is a bit of me in them all, but the time always comes when I need some more brass stock of some tool or other and it's time to say goodbye, but these are the prices for my latest favourites at the moment :() Thanks for Looking :()

I don't update this page very often so if you see an unsold key without a price that you are interested in drop me an email