Anyone recognise manufacturer of this key?

[4xlock]

From the bow and turnings on the stem, can anyone identify a likely maker. Hobbs springs to my mind. Mid 19th century I think.

[oldlock]

Unless it's been replaced any leading maker would have stamped the bow ??

What's the story re the bit ? Does it come apart or something ?

[4xlock]

It has a swiveling end. A lot of decoration on the stem can identify the make. To me it looks similar to a Chubb or Hobbs almost like one altered to the other.

It is for a lock in the V&A which has overtones of an american bank lock.

[Huw Eastwood]

The turned fluting on key stems is really only going to establish similarities between keys and makers, it's never bombproof enough to narrow it down and identify a maker.

I have a small drawer full of HSS tool bits that I've ground to various point angles and radii for fluting keys- it wouldn't be difficult to replicate that key using an old malleable antique blank with a similar bow, and carefully matching the shapes during turning.

i agree with oldlock in that any of the main makers would have put their mark on the bow, would be highly unusual and odd if they didn't. Perhaps that ones an additional duplicate made sometime afterwards.

[4xlock]

I don't think it is a duplicate. I think it is the original as it is the only one with the lock. Length of key would suggest mid 1800's considering size of lock. The bow appears almost identical to some Hobbs keys I've compared it to.. The turnings I can't match exactly. Some Chubb bows are very close as well. Although manufacturers used several styles over the years they very rarely did lots of one off's.
Like a lot of Chubb keys can be dated roughly from these styles. Like one of the other posts, a Hobbs stamped key with a Chubb bridge ward.