Editing Keychain (section)

== Keyring ==
[[File:AddingKeyToKeyring.png|thumb|A key can be added to a keyring by forcing an end of the loop open and sliding the key along the spiral.]]
A keyring or "split ring" is a [[circle cotter]] that holds [[key (lock)|keys]] and other small items sometimes connected to keychains. Other types of keyrings are made of leather, wood and rubber. These are the central component to a keychain.

Keyrings were invented in the 19th century by Samuel Harrison. <ref>J.T.Bunce, Memoir of Sir Josiah Mason, p. 208; Simon Parkes, A Tale of Two Knives, Midland Ancestor, vol. 8, no. 4, June 1987. Henry Bore, The Story of the Invention of Steel Pens, 1890, at p. 20 says that Harrison made a steel pen for [[Joseph Priestley]] in about 1780, "probably the first steel pen ever produced."</ref> The most common form of the keyring is a single piece of metal in a 'double loop'. Either end of the loop can be pried open to allow a key to be inserted and slid along the spiral until it becomes wholly engaged onto the ring. Novelty [[carabiner]]s are also commonly used as keyrings for ease of access and exchange. Often the keyring is adorned with a fob for self-identification or decor. Other forms of rings may use a single loop of metal or plastic with a mechanism to open and securely close the loop.