My Pelican 1510LOC under the seat of the smallest commercial plane I have flown on (an EMB140/145).
"The perfect Pelican case padlock."
The Wallis Brass Padlock is pefect for the most popular protective hard cases made by Pelican and Nanuk.
In early 2019, the amount of travel required for my job increased significantly. I quickly discovered that the duffle bag I used for my luggage was less than ideal. I began to understand why so many people used the suitcases with wheels and handles. However, most of the wheeled luggage that I saw throughout the airports across the country were unimpressive and not very durable. What I wanted was something comparable to the Samsonite luggage of the 70's. Hardsided with strong latches. Unfortunately, those predated the wheeled luggage of today and they are no longer made the way they used to be. Much of the "hardsided" luggage of today is thin and flimsy and is held closed with a fabric zipper (not exactly durable and protective of the contents). My research led me to the Pelican 1510LOC. It is the maximum allowable carry-on size (22"x14"x9") and it is as durable as luggage gets. As a bonus, it has a laptop case and cord case attached inside the lid and a garment compartment insert in the bottom. I use the cord case for my toiletries when traveling. Pelican only claims it can hold a couple days worth of clothing, but I have found I can get 4-5 days worth of clothing into it if I roll my clothes, pack lightweight clothing, and only bring a couple pairs of pants that match all of my shirts. In addition to being crushproof, waterproof, and dustproof, it has an air valve that allows it to automatically adjust air pressure so that a vacuum isn't created inside your protective case while in flight.
The other thing I like about this Pelican protective case is that it has two padlock holes that are reinforced with stainless steel tabs. I was determined to make the most of this feature by buying and installing a couple of quality padlocks on my Pelican case. Pelican advertises the diameter of the padlock hole to be 5/16". I wanted something other than the typical horseshoe shaped shackle that would make the padlock protrude from the front of the case. I wanted to find a padlock design that would allow the padlock to lie flat against the case. The padlocks I was most attracted to were the shutter locks with a single bolt/pin/shackle that is housed in a very solid metal body. Unfortunately, most of these had shackle diameters of 1/2" (far in excess of the 5/16" padlock hole in the Pelican case). I eventually ran across the Masterlock 443 vending/meter padlock with a straight pin shackle that looked perfect for my intended use. Alas, it was only available with a 3/8" diameter pin shackle, and it only had a 4-pin tumbler lock. It also isn't the most attractive padlock, for what that's worth. I looked at padlock brands like ABUS, American Lock, as well as many others. None of these companies had a padlock that would fit the padlock hole on the Pelican case and lie flat against the case. Nanuk has come out with a luggage padlock with a straight pin shackle, but it is "TSA-approved". This means that TSA agents across the country can open your padlock using a master key. Additionally, I found an article online that discussed the security of using TSA-approved padlocks:
Regular people have figured out a way to get their hands on the aforementioned universal key using 3D printers. People were able to figure out how to do this thanks to a Washington Post article which originally showed an in-detail photo of seven master keys used by the TSA. Even though the image was quickly deleted, copies of it can be found elsewhere. There are tutorials online for how to do this, and anyone with sinister intentions could break into your bag. The worst part, other than the celebration of this ability by many pages online, is that the TSA is essentially plugging their ears and closing their eyes trying to pretend that this problem doesn’t exist.
[https://tsatraveltips.us/tsa-approved-luggage-locks/]
I eventually did an internet search for "Made in USA padlock". One of the first results was "The Wilson Bohannan Lock Company - 100% American Made". I clicked on the link to their site and found the most beautiful brass padlocks made by a company that has been making padlocks in the USA for over 150 years. As I browsed their website, I found a padlock which is of similar design to the Masterlock 443, but available with a 5/16" hole for the padlock pin. The Wilson Bohannan padlock was of superior quality, superior beauty and superior security, having a 5 Pin Tumbler Mechanism, compared to the Master Lock's 4-pin tumbler.
I called the Wilson Bohannan Lock Company and spoke with a very helpful lady in their Sales Department. She advised that there is a minimum order of 12, and quoted me a price for the padlocks without the padlock pin. I asked for a price quote WITH a pin, since a padlock isn't very useful without one. I was informed that they did not sell the pin for this particuar padlock. She politely explained that they had made this particular model padlock for a company that provided their own pin, and that the only way that the Wilson Bohannan Lock Company could provide the pin was if I ordered a minimum of 10,000. I advised that I would find my own solution for a pin, and I ordered 12 of the padlocks. I figured that, if I was having difficulty finding the perfect protective hard case padlock, perhaps others were, too, and that my solution could benefit others as well. I would keep 2 for myself and see if others were interested in the remaining 10.
When I received the 12 beautiful brass padlocks, they were a little rougher in their machining and finish than I expected. There were machine markings, tool markings, dings, nicks, scratches, and imperfections in their shape. However, the lock mechanism worked very smoothly. I asked a representative of the Wilson Bohannan Lock Company whether the padlocks are available with a more polished finish and I was advised that they are not. I decided that this was my opportunity to offer a polished version of a time-tested padlock.
I solicited bids from various machine shops in the Midwest and the first quote I received for making the padlock pins was $35-$50 each, depending on the quantity ordered. Not a good start to finding an economical solution for a padlock pin. Through word-of-mouth references, I finally found a local machinist who can make ANYTHING, and a simple padlock pin was child's play. He worked with me to create padlock pins that would fit the most popular Pelican and Nanuk protective hard cases snugly and allow the padlock body to lie flat against the case. He was able to quote a price that allows me to sell the entire padlock (with a pin) for a reasonable price. Extra pins are available as well. Up to 12 padlocks can be keyed alike. You will have to choose between Pelican and Nanuk because the pins are different.
100% Made in the USA. Not only are the padlocks and pins MADE IN THE USA, but the padlock pins themselves are made of 316 Stainless Steel that is MADE IN THE USA (and hard to find). The padlocks are sanded/buffed on a Foredom Lathe, which is MADE IN THE USA. I use Wrights Brass Cream, which is MADE IN THE USA, to polish the padlocks, and I use EJ Wheaton Co. Microcrystalline Wax, which is MADE IN THE USA, to add a protective layer to the bright shiny padlocks. The shipping envelopes are also MADE IN THE USA.
Although not MADE IN THE USA, I purchased a Canadian-made Nanuk model 935 case for the purpose of making sure the Wallis Brass Padlock would fit it well. My wife and kids prefer the style and design of the Nanuk 935 over the Pelican 1510. I like the Pelican 1510 better because it is seems more heavy-duty and it is MADE IN THE USA.
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