Welcome to our world exploring the Historical, Political and Technological aspects of Locks, Keys and Safes

Page 25 of 35 FirstFirst ... 1516171819202122232425262728293031323334 ... LastLast
Results 241 to 250 of 346
  1. #241
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    After Gary's amazingly unexpected Hobb's Progress G posted, I'm now wondering if anyone has anything on the elusive and even higher grade Hobb's Branch Bank?
    Last edited by Huw Eastwood; 11-03-17 at 11:07 PM.

  2. #242
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    At a tangent, when did Chubb take over Hobbs?

  3. #243
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Hobb's Hart was in the same year they took over Chatwood-Milner- 1956

  4. #244
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    609
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Huw, was the branch bank safe a higher grade than the prog g?
    I thought I had seen on old literature that the branch bank was a prog e quality?
    will have a dig through my old info

  5. #245
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Gary, tbh all I have to go on is the 5th edition Tann book which does list the Branch Bank a full grade higher than the Progress 'G', on par with a Chatwood Diamond and Special Diamond.

    I'm curious on the Branch Bank as they seem as elusive as the Milners Diamond, never even hear a rumour let alone get to see a photo, but then we thought that with the Progress G's until you posted that one!

    As I'm sure you know safeman on here compiled the gradings for the Tann books so hopefully he might also have a bit more info for us.

  6. #246
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    609
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Cheers Huw, a lot of makers seemed to have a branch bank model, wonder if it was marketing thing so banks looking for a safe would be drawn to that model description, I have worked in a lot of banks and seen a lot of hobbs stuff including a model that is regularly described as a Hobbs Bankers, but don't know if this was the true designation or what safe engineers called it just because it seemed to be the safe Hobbs used a lot in the banks.
    If anyone has a brochure for the branch bank or knows if it is Hobbs or Hobbs Hart specific I would be most interested.
    I probably have some old literature that is not on computer somewhere, will carry on digging.

  7. #247
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Gary, you've got me wondering about this Hobb's Branch Bank versus Bankers name thing now. Looking at the Tann book there is indeed a Branch Bank listed under Milners, Ratner and Hobbs, but for Hobb's there is strangely no Bankers model mentioned and yet like you say you hear the term Bankers far more than Branch Bank.

    Also, under Hobb's the models listed advance up the grades but with the Progress D's listed directly above the Progress Bs, and the Progress C is strangely slotted in with the progress E in the next grade above !! Makes little obvious sense to me tbh....
    Last edited by Huw Eastwood; 13-03-17 at 11:53 AM. Reason: Too much Hobb's 'Progress' made reading progress confusing!

  8. #248
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,754
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Gary tbh a Hobb's Bankers rings a distant bell with me too, although I have to admit I can't really remember seeing anything I do recall mention of it here and there and also on the net.

    A quick look at safeman's website shows reference to a Hobb's Hart Bankers but can't see mention of a Hobb's or Hobb's Hart Branch Bank, so it seems a bit reversed from what's in the Tann guide which lists the Branch Bank but no Bankers, under Hobbs or Hobb's Hart.
    Saying that though the Hobb's listing in the Tann guide does seem pretty odd with the Progress C's grouped with the E's in the grade above the D's...

    Interested to know what you dig out from your old literature, unfortunately what little I've got is mostly 1960s onwards.

    cheers, Huw


  9. #249
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Aberdeenshire
    Posts
    697
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Facts are sadly lacking in this area so this is pure conjecture. As Hobbs changed their body construction method from 4 bend to full 12 bend sometime into the early 20th Century it could be assumed that the Progress G became the Bankers and subsequently the SE1. This could have coincided with the general improvement to ABP Qualities by others around the period of WW1 as oxy-acetylene became more generally available with Ratner and Hobbs sandwiching ¼" copper within the door plates. Explosive resistance followed immediately after greatly improved by Ratner with their fully automatic Safety Bolt in 1918. The Tann device was initially a thermal device but served both purposes,

    The term Bankers was used by most for their ABP grades and Branch Bank was the same quality but fully packaged with internal fittings such as teller's cupboards and coffers.

    Most of these improvements went for nought in the 60's and 70's as delamination side-stepped these measures.

    The only illustration I have of the Hobbs SE1 is attached. The Branch Bank as I remember it was more or less identical. The door furniture was in Phosphor-Bronze.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hobbs finishing shop_edited-1.jpg 
Views:	31 
Size:	159.2 KB 
ID:	17271

    Here are the specifications for the Progress Range circa 1910.

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hobbs construction Prog. A,B & D.jpg 
Views:	26 
Size:	662.5 KB 
ID:	17272 Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hobbs construction Prog. E & G.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	738.6 KB 
ID:	17273 Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Hobbs Construction Progress Contd..jpg 
Views:	22 
Size:	655.1 KB 
ID:	17274

    If all this doesn't make sense blame the lovely person who took me out for yet another Birthday Lunch.

  10. #250
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
    Posts
    609
    Country: Great Britain

    Default

    Some info I have been able to dig out, some brochure info showing branch bank safe as progress E quality ( although this is not to say that at some other time they didn't do a branch bank model that was a bit higher quality, or even a special so to speak)
    Also some pictures of what I have always been told was a Hobbs Bankers safe, although I have always seen this with just two protector locks fitted and wouldn't class it as a patch on the progess G (could just be that it is of a different era though)
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails hobbs hart old catalogue 23-1-05.jpg 041.jpg   hobbs hart old catalogue 23-1-05.jpg 042.jpg   hobbs hart bankers safe 23-1-05.jpg 004.jpg   hobbs hart bankers safe 23-1-05.jpg.jpg  

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 4739 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 4739 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •