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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    1
    Country: United States

    Default Unable to open antique Corbin safe (even with the key)

    Hi All,

    I have an antique safe that I've owned for over 30 yrs. Recently, when I attempted to open it, the door wouldn't open. The key and knob both turn and it appears it should open. The door itself won't budge at all! The way the lock works, the key turns the right, allowing the knob (on the left of the door) to turn. They both appear to be working, so it's baffling to me that it's not. I'm attaching a photo for reference. Obviously, I could call a locksmith, but, I'm not even sure the brand of my safe. The lock says 'Corbin'. Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

    Andy from Oakland, CA
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_6032.JPG  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    714
    Country: United States

    Default Unable to open antique Corbin safe (even with the key)

    I don't know what kind of safe is it but have you try to use an rubber hammer hit it around by the door. Could be something my be stuck around the door. Just hit it nice and easy and pull the door while doing it. Otherwise may be some other problem....Timothy....

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default Another tip

    I am unfamiliar with that model but if it is one way boltwork get a few strong guys around it and lay it on its side so that the bolts are dropping downwards. It is even worth being a bit rough, drop it slightly. Once you have Isaac Newton on your side the boltwork might retract.

    Does anybody know if there is a "shear handle" on that model? If there is, and you have been having a bit of trouble turning the handle or somebody might have tried to force the bolt throwing handle back, the shear mechanism might have triggered. You can tell if that has happened because the handle will rotate freely.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio USA
    Posts
    1,433
    Country: United States

    Default

    Unlikely to find a shear handle on a safe of that age, which looks to be from the 1800's or early 1900's. The round brass handle itself is more typical of safes from the mid 1800's, but the safe doesn't look quite that old. I wasn't aware Corbin ever made safes, though stranger things have happened. The mortise or rim cylinder used is likely to not be original, as safe makers in general knew of the weakness of using this type of lock on a safe. I have only seen one other example of a pin tumbler lock used and that was on a Burke and Barnes vault door that had a huge lever key lock on the inside, but someone had applied the pin cylinder to operate the lock bolt. Made me cringe.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Bulgaria
    Posts
    686
    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    I have only ever seen such cylinders on the very cheap Chinese safes here.

    I was asked to open one once. You can imagine how long that took! The lock was, literally, a night latch. I asked the owner if I should upgrade things and he agreed. I happened to have one of those Kaba locks where you push in a cylinder and turn the key to lock, turn the key and pull to unlock. (They used to be fitted to some very low security dual control floorsafes installed by a chain of filling stations). Added a heavy dead AED and recommended the owner to base anchor it in concrete as it was on wheels. It was several times more secure when I had finished with it than it was before. Funny thing is the body and boltwork weren't bad but the lock was a joke.

    Of course those Kabas are a bit of a joke themselves once you know the secret!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    1,755
    Country: Wales

    Default

    Chubby it's time you faced up to your fixation with shear handles and shear spindles, this must be the 4th or 5th time now!

    Thinking back to all the British equivalents- ie lower grade safes of similar type and age to what the OP has posted here, all ours had horrendously crude spindles, mostly roughly tapered squares used with cast 'T' handles or knobs.

    I'd associate built-in shear points as a far more recent addition like Doug says, but also on heavier grade safes where the potential torque on a much larger machined spindle was deemed great enough to pose a potential risk. I have to admit though I have no idea who first used them or when.

    I used to see a lot of SLS Bankers and treasuries with spindles broken at the shear point. One cash office in particular had a wall lined with them where each door swung back against the next. Had a lot of work over the years machining replacements for those and many others.
    might be worth you considering doing the same, as it as it was not only a good money spinner, but also might be therapeutic for your fixation/condition

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Over here, Joli made fire safes in what I am guessing was the 1950's and 1960's which used a rim cylinder lock but with a longer key blade than a YA1E. That safe is older but if it is a fire safe then maybe Corbin were the first to admit that fire safes were not secure against burglars by fitting a cylinder.

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