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Reviews For: N3ZN ZN-HKII

Category: Keys & Paddles

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Review Summary For : N3ZN ZN-HKII
Reviews: 4MSRP: $325.00
Description:
The ZN-HKII has been designed for the finesse operator as well as the heavy hitting brass pounder. The center of the knob is directly above the centerline of the rear feet of the base making it is resistant to tipping. The ZN-HKII features 6 ball bearings, silver contact points, spring for return, knob with skirt and stainless steel screws. The adjustment screws for contact spacing, spring tension and lever arm angle are 8-32 stainless steel thumb screws with knurled nuts for locking. It is built on a 2 1/2" x 6 1/8" x 1/2" steel CNCed base and weighs 2 1/2 pounds.
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.n3znkeys.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0045
W4FLL Rating: 2020-12-30
Just a terrific, well made, solid key Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Tom

12:38 PM (35 minutes ago)

I gotta tell ya, when I laid out the cash for this key (ZN-HKII) part of me was thinking I was nuts for spending that much for a straight key. But man I've never thought about it again and I just love this key! I've had it for about three months and use it every day. I'm a pounder, and the straight key that I was using before, which wasn't cheap, constantly gave me problems with thumbwheels coming loose, tipping over etc. etc.
This key is solid as a rock, never moves on me, and just feels great. I think it's just a terrific, well made, heavy key and I would recommend it to anyone without reservation.
N4EWF Rating: 2020-05-23
Love this key Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Highest quality straight key, heavy and balanced so it won't budge from the spot you choose to place it and use it. Low flat profile that's easy on the fist. Easily adjustable for a light touch or heavy hitter. Built like a tank. Superb customer service from the man who makes these keys and runs the company, Tony Baleno N3ZN. If you're into really nice keys, you need one of these in your shack.
VK5ISO Rating: 2020-05-19
Top quality key Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The HK-II is finished to the usual, exceptional standards one has come to expect from Tony Baleno and I must recognise I enjoy using it very much.

The low knob,with a broad skirt and a substantially narrower top is the most comfortable I have ever used. The key is heavy for its size, more than enough not to move around with any reasonable use.

It is very easy to set with as narrow or as broad a gap and doesn’t budge!

The only downside I can mention is that the HK-II suffers in comparison with the Bamakey EHT-I which I reviewed in another post. The Bamakey, which is a substantially lighter key uses magnets and this gives it an extraodinary, crisp feel the HK-II simply cannot match.

The main and perhaps only weakness of the Bamakey, in my book, is its low weight (even with the metal insert in the base).

I have enquired from Marcus Baseler, the owner of Bamatech, whether he would consider a bespoke order and drill holes in the base so the key can be fixed to my desk, but right now his health doesn’t allow any bespoke work that and I don’t have the equipment to do a decent job of it (one would have to drill through both the wood and metal bases).

Frankly, even though the build quality of Tony’s key is exceptional, the Bamakey remains, by far, my favorite and the HK-II is my backup key.

I must recognise that I do feel that the HK-II is overpriced when compared with other keys of the same quality and would love to see Tony come out with an HK-III using magnets.
W0YN Rating: 2020-03-26
Beautiful key Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've owned a number of straight keys over the years and the HKII is one of the finest in my opinion. This key is superbly built and finished with precision adjustments and a masterpiece of quality. A beautiful key to operate and looks even better than the photo.