Why 3 Doors/Compartments?

[bighammer]

Aha, very cool. So there is a purpose. Thanks for that info.

Was it a short-lived feature or novelty? I haven't seen many safes that have them.

[wylk]

Was it a short-lived feature or novelty? I haven't seen many safes that have them.

I don't have a good idea of when pressure bars were popular on safes but I think it was a fairly long time. They mostly appeared on "bankers' safes" which were largely for burglar protection rather than fire. Here's a Diebold ad from 1879 --



Pressure systems were very common on vault doors until, perhaps, around the 1960s I think.

[bighammer]

That seems to fit. I was a little surprised when I looked inside this one, that it was just a layer of steel, and not the huge, thick walls of something made to withstand heat. It gives a lot more space inside with thinner walls.

[bighammer]

I might go take another look at it. They're asking $800 for it, and I really don't need another safe. Looking is free, right?

[bighammer]

I went back again today and got more info. It was in a local hotel, and he got it during their renovation. He showed me the card with combinations and I tried them out. There is a 3 number combo written out for the lower compartment, but I can feel that it has 4 wheels, so something didn't quite make it onto paper.

It's tagged at $850, but he said he could let it go for $700. Wife says get it. She's thinking it would be nice in the kitchen, maybe with a butcher block top on it. It's 24" x 30" x 35" so it would fit in well.

Oh, it DOES have a wheel problem-- There aren't any. It's sitting on a mover's dolly. I also noticed it's missing a "finial" on the right door. (it's really just an extra tall acorn nut.

[bighammer]

[Chubby]

Why are American safes generally on wheels? Doesn't the mobility compromise security? In UK the general rule of thumb is that a safe weighing under a ton should actually be anchored to the floor.

[Huw Eastwood]

Why are American safes generally on wheels? Doesn't the mobility compromise security? In UK the general rule of thumb is that a safe weighing under a ton should actually be anchored to the floor.

The wheels on safes subject was brought up back in this thread, I think it's one of those subjects that will always divide opinions.

http://www.antique-locks.com/showthr...eet-on-castorsh

[Doug MacQueen]

Throughout U.S. history going all the way back to the hobnail safes of the early 1800's, fire safes are generally on wheels, except for little portable ones. On straight burglary chests, you do see wheels on them in the latter 1800's and early 1900's, but these chests generally do weigh over a ton and greater. Having been on my share of safe moves, for the most part having wheels only helps on smooth hard floors. Once you are beyond that point, they don't help much. Here the bolt down weight on burglary safes is under 750 lbs. I don't hear of safes being stolen as much as when I started out in the 70's, and it does seem to have been even more popular before that, but then again so was safecracking. One example I remember reading about was a large heavy fire safe on wheels being pulled through the wall of a building. However it was on the second floor so the wheels didn't help when it hit the ground and was pulled down the road on its back. Apparently it was not too difficult to follow the scrape marks on that one. Another example, much more recent and not far from me was where a 4,000 lbs. modern jewelers safe (no wheels) was stolen from the store. I do have an alibi.

[T Davison]

The safe in question is a Dieblod made around Feb 1 1870 to May 23 1871. The anit-dynamte was made 1885. The dating is done on the lock that I see in the safes. This could have been used inside a bank vault or larger safe as a compartment dividers.
There could be two Peerless models lock used.
1 Anit-Dynamte with this lock you can feel a gear train and hear the gears of the offset system.
2 This lock feels like a normal combo lock with out the gear train feel and sound.
Both of these locks where made around the same time.