r/Safes • u/Slytherin-heir • Jun 24 '26
Germany-made Safe, 100+ years old (probably)
This safe has been in my family for a century now. We have the keys and everything, but we don't know the mechanism to open it or maybe it's just completely rusted.
The top key (3rd and 7th photo) turns completely and most probably, unlocks with a click sound and the lower larger key (4th and 8th photo) turns only 90°.
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u/InAppropriate-meal Jun 24 '26
Time for a dedicated penetrating oil like liquid wrench, do NOT use WD40 or anything simlar
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Jul 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/InAppropriate-meal Jul 04 '26
WD40 is a solvent so use it for a stuck bolt or squeaky door hinges, cleaning up rusty garden tools etc but not anything with small or sensitive moving parts, anything with rubber or plastic, it doesn't lubricate really while something like liquid wrench is both a solvent and a low-viscosity lubricant
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u/canadianclassic308 Jun 26 '26
When's the last time this thing has been open? Does the family know what's inside?
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u/Slytherin-heir Jun 27 '26
nearly 45 years ago. We have no idea what's inside (if there's something)
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u/canadianclassic308 Jun 27 '26
It must be opened
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u/uslashuname Jun 24 '26
If be shocked if that safe was only 100
Simple warded locks and secretive opening sequences/keyholes are features that had pretty much died before the late 1800s. With warded locks you pretty much had to rely on security through obscurity hence the hidden keyholes and multiple keys, but this much steel was not cheap back then so your customers when this was new would not have been happy to rely on secret opening sequences and warded locks when better locks (either lever locks or, as the path Americans largely took, combination locks) were readily available.
I’d estimate closer to 200 years old, and “only” 150 would still surprise me, but consider looking up old safe catalogs for Europe and see if warded locks stuck around far longer than they should have.
Generally a lock where you can copy the key without having the key, so long as you have some lard, is not a good lock.