I bought a delightful and tiny Chatwood safe which had supposedly been in the oldest Welsh post office - the safe was a fire resister from about 1860, so probably a later upgrade!

Quote Originally Posted by Huw Eastwood View Post
Their 20th Century safes are definitely rare but we certainly saw plenty of George price safes and some of their doors on site.
Not common as you say, but even the likes of Chubb, Tann or Hobb's weren't anywhere near as abundant as the generic tat like Sam Withers or Cartwright.

From my understanding there was still plenty of the old stuff in use back then- and plenty of demand for them- my father always had a steady turnover of old safes throughout the 1960s and 70s.

Back then most small businesses weren't high enough risk to be concerned by explosives or oxy-acetylene attack, so continued using whatever they had.
Generally only the higher risk businesses had the torch, drill and explosive resistant stuff like banks, building societies, larger supermarkets, jewellers etc.

Chubb's brochures aimed at businesses often used scare tactics portraying successful attacks on low grade old safes in widespread use, but realistically most small businesses didn't need anything with such severe protection.

One exception that does spring to mind though- auto repair garages. Low risk, low attraction as little cash incentive but occasionally a safe would be attacked with their own oxy-acetylene gear that was often sited only yards away..!


Also remember my father telling us many times, that the post office's only main requirements for a small sub office safe back in the 1960s were size and price!
They'd turn up armed with only a tape measure and be prepared to take virtually anything provided it fitted the space and was cheap. They'd often get miffed when he insisted or suggested they'd need something far better or heavier!


That was only the small sub offices mind, obviously the larger branches and crown offices had the heavy Bates and Steven Cox stuff.
By the 80s when I was doing PO work it was very different,and even some of the tiny sub offices had Grade1A's if the risk was deemed high enough.


Having worked all over South Wales on thousands of the old safes that were still giving good service throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s, I only wish I'd got to see more rarities like a progress g hobb's or a chatwood diamond... :-)


I hate to think how much prized antique and top end stuff must've got scrapped when the euro gradings came in. Even the best of the best didn't meet the criteria so for businesses ruled by their insurers the safes were made redundant virtually overnight :-(