Speed-X Keys

THE HISTORY OF SPEED-X MANUFACTURERS:

Speed-X Radio Manufacturing Co. (Early 1930s):

The earliest years of Speed-X are a bit obscure.  Speed-X has its origins in the early 1930s as the Speed-X Radio Manufacturing Co. owned by Stewart “Red” Johnson and was located in San Francisco, California.  Known locations of the company were 206 Sanchez St., San Francisco (R9 magazine, 3/33 and 12/33), 30 Ninth St., San Francisco (R9 10/34), and 646 Jessie Street, San Francisco.

Les Logan Company (1937 to 1947):

Les Logan bought a partnership in Speed-X from Red Johnson in 1937.  Johnson ran the operations of Speed-X and Logan was a salesman.  Logan bought out Johnson several years later and became the sole owner.  In the early 40s the Speed-X property was bought to be used as a Greyhound bus terminal, and the Speed-X company moved to 530 Gough St, San Francisco.  Speed-X supplied the military with keys during World War 2, as well as continuing civilian sales.

E.F. Johnson Company (1947 to 1972):

In 1947, Logan sold the Speed-X line to the E.F. Johnson Company at 210 Second Ave. SW, Waseca, Minnesota.  The E.F. Johnson Company was founded by Edgar F. Johnson and his wife Ethel Johnson.  The company began as a mail order radio parts supplier, built it’s first factory in 1936, and by 1945 had grown to 500 employees.  

Wm. M. Nye Co., Inc (1972 to 2020).

In 1972, Wm. M. Nye, Sr. acquired the amateur radio line of E.F. Johnson Company and formed the Wm. M Nye Company, Inc..  William Nye bought the Speed-X trademark and tooling to manufacture the keys from E.F. Johnson in 1972, and formed the Wm. M Nye Company, Inc. in Bellevue, Washington as a retirement business.  In 1995, the company was moved to Priest River, Idaho.   Nye purchased and used the same Speed-X casting molds that were used by the Les Logan and E.F. Johnson Companies since the 1930s.  Nye had these molds re-worked in 1972 by a machine ship.  This involved polishing, milling, and filling the molds.

When you hold a Speed-X key, you are holding a lot of tradition.  The key bases are cast in zinc because of the ease of casting, low cost, and solid weight. 

Johnson keys had “Transmitting Key” and part number on the on the box.

Nye keys had “Telegraph Key” and part number on the box.  

If you are interested in more, the most definitive guide to the history of Speed-X keys was compiled by Lynn Burlingame, and documented in his publication, the N7CFO Keyletter.  This letter was published between 1992 and 2006.

A summary of his investigations and independent research can in can be found in the February 1996 issue of Morsum Magnificat magazine. 

Nye Model 330C (Chrome Master Key) was no longer listed as of June 2002 last listed april 2002

Production of the oval Speed-X keys 310-001 and 310-003 was suspended as of 08/01/2017

The Heavy Duty keys were no longer listed as in stock on September 11 2018

No Chrome Squeeze key in Dec 01/1998 

Ranger Key were no longer listed by May 10, 2006.  Last listed Febrary 2006

Super Squeeze Key SSK-001 was discontinued by June 18 2006.  

The MX Sprint sold until at leat February 06, 2007. No longer listed as of April 16, 2008 

Practice Sets

Oval Keys

Note the anvil on the key in the third picture. This has been called an u-shaped anvil, sprung-anvil, and a stirrup anvil.  But, according to a 1961 E.F. Johnson catalog it is described by that company as a "New Johnson cushion-contact design". So that is what I will call it, a cushion-contact.  An article titled "The Story Within" written by Philip Cala-Lazar K9PL that appeared in March 2009 in Volume 6 Issue 3 of the K9YA telegraph refers to an E.F. Johnson Speed-X key model 114-310. The author states that E.F. Johnson described this U shape anvil as a "New Johnson cushion-contact design that provides smooth keying action". A 1961 E.F. Johnson catalog states exactly that on page 28. The catalog goes on to describe the key as having a "Provision for plugging in semiautomatic keys" which is something that the Nye Viking key seen here does not have.  Radio Shack 1952 shows best picture of before solid anvil.

Rectangular Keys

Master Straight Keys

Iambic Paddles