Which Brand Do I Have?

Labels can mislead you. The label on the front of the cabinet might be the brand, but it might also be the company that sold the cabinet, or even a company that previously owned it. Often there are no labels at all, or they are hidden. See the photos below for some of the common hiding spots.

The cabinet companies do not make their own locks, and may use a few different lock companies over time. For example, Sunar used Chicago locks for a few years, then DOM locks, and later Hudson locks.

The lock companies also supply several different furniture manufacturers. For example, Chicago supplied locks to Sunar Furniture and Steelcase, as well as other furniture makers.

Some file cabinets were made extremely strong and can last 40 or 50 years. Many of our customers have file cabinets built in the 1970s that still work great, though not everyone is familiar with them. Cabinets also get repaired, and sometimes someone replaces one brand of lock with a different brand that is close enough to work. Over the years, file cabinet companies took over one another, merged into new companies, or went out of business, all adding to the confusion.

Does the key number help?

Sometimes it does:

• Numbers like FR416 or SL315 are great. They tell us who made the lock, who made the furniture, and exactly which key to cut.
• Numbers like LL312, P105, or K113 are good, but not great. There may be two or three different brands these keys could fit. They narrow down the possibilities, but we would still need more information to get you the right part the first time.
• Numbers like 14 or 145 are almost useless. So many companies use plain two or three digit numbers that there are too many possible choices.
• Names with numbers are also great. For example, the number 145 with “Pundra” printed across the front of the lock face tells us exactly which key it is, though not which cabinet it is.

Where to Find Your Brand Markings

Need Help Finding the Right Lock or Key?