Charles Courtneys books, Volume I & II

[BBE]

It has been a long time since I read Unlocking Adventure, but I am pretty sure it did not have that cover. Then again that is not at all uncommon with a library book. I don't remember any big secrets exposed in that book but there were some good stories. If the FBI was involved in removing covers, that sounds more like something that would have happened in the 1950's. Wasn't the book written in the 30's? Also is it possible that is the infamous Jacob's Jiggler on that cover? Having never seen one, I sure don't know.

The copyright on mine is 1931. Looking at my copy of Unlocking Adventure the copyright date is 1942, it did not have a jacket when I bought it.
BBE.

[jacobrules]

I have been looking for the Master Locksmith Reference Guides for years. One came up on Ebay years ago but I didn't win the bid. Doug that is definitely not a Jacobs Jiggler. I will try to include a photo of mine. I have read the library book version and it didn't have that cover but the armed services edition does indeed show that cover on the front of the book, copyright 1942. If anyone has the books for sale or has digital copies they would like to share I would be very interested.

[Doug MacQueen]

Well I think at least on the one S&G Auto lock I just mounted up and looked at, it could be possible but with difficulty as might be expected. He did more or less accomplish his stated goal by using the trigger lever. Not perfectly but even with an increase in dial sensitivity, and an amp, I doubt I would want to put in the time and effort required. Been there, done that, and I am pretty much a hack manipulator now. If it doesn't give up in about an hour, out comes the hardware.

[oldlock]

Do the locks you have feature the leather inserts in the drop arm ?

[Doug MacQueen]

Also what do you think about the 4" core drilled holes which were being put in numerous money chests including a Franklinite included Herring?

[Doug MacQueen]

Curious about this patent but the PDF doesn't respond.

[4xlock]

Curious about this patent but the PDF doesn't respond.

It's not the patent pdf but it should open as a pdf of the newspaper article from 1862. The actual article is always best to show early provenance.

[4xlock]

If I can track it down I have an earlier reference by a few years about the use of diamond for drilling due to it's absolute hardness. I think this newspaper article miss-interprets that information.

[Doug MacQueen]

Googling "annular diamond drills", I found an 1871 book " The Manufacturer and Builder" Vol. 3 p. 252 American Diamond Drill Co. Black diamond at $6-$7 per carat used. Annular pointed diamond was the description used and in this case we know it was not describing a solid steel straight or twist drill.

[Huw Eastwood]

To be clear it’s not the use of diamond core drills thats under any question here, in fact it was me that first mentioned them back in post #24. They were clearly in use by the 1860s onwards as the later pictures of the 4” holes in the money chest clearly shows.

What I’m questioning is that 4xlock made the initial claim about earlier use of ‘diamond tipped’ drills, not core drills, but referred to diamond tipped drills as quoted below.
The newspaper cutting 4xlock posted to support this referred only to diamond point drills, which I recognised as a term used for the flat spade type drills precisely ground to a diamond point for use on hard steels at the time.

1863 was patent date here. Diamond tipped drills were earlier and as far as I can see originated for safe opening. Not core drills at this point allowing for the core drill patent. James Sargent regarded drilling a small hole into a safe lock and poking a wire in it to open was "non destructive".

My point is that those newspaper references to ‘diamond point drill’ don’t necessarily refer to a non core drill type that is tipped, coated or embedded with diamonds in the tip.

I would have thought that the annular core type drills available at the time would have some sort of reference to that fact in their name and description, ie that they were of annular, ring, hollow or sleeve design etc and not referred to simply as a diamond point.