Jandorf SPECIALTY HARDWARE 60406 Brass Keyless Socket

I picked up the brass keyless socket for a pair of small pendant builds and a quick lamp restoration, and it did exactly what I wanted: give me a clean, switch-free E26 interface in a metal shell that feels more durable than the common plastic options. After a few installs and a couple of weeks in use, here’s how it stacks up for DIY lighting projects and straightforward repairs.

What it is and where it fits

This is a medium-base (E26) keyless socket rated 660W/250V, finished in bright brass. “Keyless” means there’s no on-board switch—no pull chain, no turn knob—so it’s meant for fixtures controlled by a wall switch, in-line cord switch, smart switch, or dimmer. If you’re building pendants, sconces, or ceiling fixtures, that’s a feature, not a bug: fewer parts to fail and a cleaner silhouette.

The 660W/250V rating is the standard heavy-duty spec you want for a broad range of lamps. In practical terms, it covers any common incandescent or halogen you’d reasonably use (subject to the fixture’s own rating), and it’s more than enough headroom for modern LEDs, which draw a fraction of that power. The E26 base accepts the typical “medium” bulbs used in North America.

Design and build

The brass shell is the star. It feels solid in the hand, threads smoothly onto its cap, and doesn’t have the thin, tinny flex you often get with bargain sockets. The finish is bright—more polished than satin—so it pairs well with classic brass canopies, fitter rings, and finials. I didn’t see obvious machining marks or burrs. After install, it presents a tidy profile, with clean transitions where the shell meets the cap.

Inside, the contact design holds the bulb firmly and square. Bulbs seat positively and don’t wobble once snug. I tested a handful of A19 and G25 bulbs from different brands, and all engaged without fuss. The spring tension feels neither loose nor over-stiff—important for long-term reliability, since poor tension is what leads to intermittent flicker in older sockets.

In hand, the unit is compact and not fussy, which is what you want if you’re feeding it through a canopy opening or working inside a tight shade holder. My installs didn’t call for any odd adapters or shims.

Installation notes

Installation is straightforward if you’ve wired fixtures before:

• Kill the power and verify it’s off with a tester.
• Strip your conductors to a modest length (around 3/8 inch is typical).
• Land the neutral to the neutral terminal and the hot to the hot terminal. On most lamp sockets, that means smooth (hot) conductor to the brass-colored screw and ribbed (neutral) to the silver-colored screw; if you’re using lamp cord, check your cord markings and the socket markings before you tighten.
• Tighten the screws firmly without over-torquing.
• Provide strain relief for the cord if the fixture design relies on the socket to carry the cord—don’t let the screw terminals bear any pull.

One practical note: as with many keyless sockets, you’re responsible for managing strain relief. In ceiling fixtures that use a canopy and strain relief bushing, that’s handled upstream; in corded lamps, tie a UL knot or use a proper cord grip so a tug on the cord can’t pull on the terminal screws. If you’re retrofitting a table lamp, make sure the socket cap secures properly to the lamp’s threaded rod or collar, and keep the cord’s path clear of metal edges.

Everything went together quickly for me—no cross-threading, no fussy tolerances. The shell and cap mated cleanly, which is more than I can say for some off-brand sockets that fight you right at the finish line.

In use

On a wall-dimmer circuit with a standard dimmable LED, the socket behaved as expected—no arcing, no flicker introduced by the mechanical interface, and bulbs stayed tight over time. On an incandescent test bulb at full brightness, the brass shell grew warm (as happens with metal shells), but not alarmingly so. Still, the usual caveats apply: follow the fixture’s wattage limits, don’t use an open metal shell where it can be touched in hot-running applications, and mind ventilation if you’re enclosing the lamp.

Mechanical contact quality is the ballgame for lamp sockets, and this one feels solid. The center contact reaches the bulb’s bottom cap reliably, and the side threads provide firm electrical engagement. After multiple bulb swaps, I didn’t have to retension anything.

Aesthetics and finish durability

The bright brass finish looks intentional on a visible pendant or an exposed-bulb sconce. It also disappears nicely under a shade, leaving just a hint of warm metal at the socket rim. The finish shrugged off a couple of light scuffs during install and cleaned up with a microfiber cloth. If you’re trying to match aged brass hardware, you may want to pre-treat or let it patina naturally; on the flip side, if your hardware is polished brass, this slot right in without calling attention to itself.

As always with bright brass, fingerprints can show while you’re handling it, so do your final wipe just before hanging the fixture.

What it’s not

• There’s no integral switch. If you need a tabletop lamp to turn on at the socket, you want a keyed socket or a pull-chain version.
• It’s not a three-way socket. If you rely on three-step incandescent bulbs, look for a 3-way model.
• For very high-heat, enclosed fixtures, a porcelain socket is often the better choice. The 660W rating here is generous, but pick your socket material to suit the environment.

None of those are shortcomings so much as design choices; the keyless format keeps the profile clean and the mechanics simple.

Use cases that make sense

• Pendants controlled by a wall switch or smart switch
• Sconces and ceiling lights where the socket is slightly visible and you want metal, not plastic
• Lamp restorations where the original had a separate base or inline switch
• Prototyping fixtures where you want a robust E26 interface without extra moving parts

Small tips from my installs

• Check polarity: it’s easy to land the hot and neutral reversed on lamp cord if you’re moving quickly. The ribs on the insulation are your friend.
• Pre-fit the bulb once before closing the shell to make sure the center contact makes good compression. If it doesn’t, a gentle tweak (with the power off) sets it right.
• If this is going on a dimmer, pair it with a dimmer and bulbs that play nicely together. The socket isn’t the limiting factor there; the electronics are.

Pros

• Solid metal shell with a clean, bright brass finish
• Standard E26 compatibility, 660W/250V headroom
• Positive bulb engagement with no wobble or chatter
• Simple, keyless design that suits switched circuits
• Quick install with conventional screw terminals

Cons

• No built-in strain relief; depends on fixture design or a proper cord grip
• Not suitable if you need a switch at the socket
• Metal shell warms under high-wattage incandescent use (a characteristic of metal sockets, not unique to this one)

The bottom line

The brass keyless socket hits the mark for straightforward lamp builds and repairs where you want a durable metal shell, an uncluttered look, and standard E26 compatibility. It installs without drama, holds bulbs securely, and its 660W/250V rating gives ample margin for both legacy and modern lamping. If you’re outfitting fixtures controlled by a wall or inline switch—and you prefer the feel and look of brass over plastic—this is an easy pick.

I recommend it. The build quality is consistent, the finish looks good both exposed and tucked under a shade, and the electrical rating covers essentially every practical use case in residential work. Choose a porcelain or keyed alternative if your application demands it; otherwise, this socket is a reliable, tidy solution that does its job without calling attention to itself.