Welcome to our world exploring the Historical, Political and Technological aspects of Locks, Keys and Safes

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    Country: Wales

    Default Possible Future Comeback For Ultimate Freestanding Safes?

    Reflecting over the original thread on ultimate safes it's amazed me how many readers have found it an interesting subject, just goes to show that even an oddball subject like freestanding safes can find interest with a massive scope of people.

    This got me thinking about the future a little more, considering the many structural and political changes in our rapidly advancing world, and of the possibility that in a couple of decades, there might just be possibilities for their comeback...

    Here in the UK, governed by the established Euro gradings we have already seen one company introduce a graded safe from a European manufacturer that was a full grade above what all the others were offering, and amazingly that included the big guns and brands like Chubb- at this level that really is something to shout about. Likewise there is a single German manufacturer who produce a graded strongroom door a full Euro grade above what all the other manufacturers offer. So, despite all of today's calculated risk assessments, planning and controlled spreading of risk, it just goes to show that there is demand for both safes and doors that are rated and graded above the norm.

    Realising that we can't reverse thirty years of change and progress, I appreciate that any likely future 'super safes' arent necessarily going to be direct reflections of those from the past. Overseas manufacturing, conglomerate ownerships, not to mention modern pricing structures are all factors that can't change overnight. There is definitely scope for thought though, what does everyone else think, might we see a slow reappearance over the next couple of decades?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
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    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    If political change occurred, as you mentioned, and the world became a more dangerous place, do you think anti insurgency locks might become more popular?

    As cash transactions become a rarity, especially for larger purchases, what is the reason for having super heavy safes?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
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    UK
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    Country: UK

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Chubby View Post
    If political change occurred, as you mentioned, and the world became a more dangerous place, do you think anti insurgency locks might become more popular?

    As cash transactions become a rarity, especially for larger purchases, what is the reason for having super heavy safes?
    Gold?

  4. #4
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    Country: Bulgaria

    Default

    I suppose so.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    Country: New Zealand

    Default

    I can't see any of the major manufacturers introducing a new Ultimate range of safes until a new super tool is invented(like oxy cutting in the early 1900's), that will make the current range of New and Secondhand Bankers safes obsolete.

    It will be interesting to see exactly what that tool might be, and when that moment arrives i think things will get pretty interesting.

    Banks and Jewellers might have to spend some money!

  6. #6
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    Aug 2013
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Redoubt View Post
    I can't see any of the major manufacturers introducing a new Ultimate range of safes until a new super tool is invented(like oxy cutting in the early 1900's), that will make the current range of New and Secondhand Bankers safes obsolete.

    It will be interesting to see exactly what that tool might be, and when that moment arrives i think things will get pretty interesting.

    Banks and Jewellers might have to spend some money!
    Interesting point that, I wondered a while back whether we'd see any impact when plasma cutters first became more readily available.

  7. #7
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    Country: United States

    Default

    From what I have seen, for the most part the safe industry is reactive, meaning it won' t respond until a new method or tool is actually used in burglaries. The very fact that many of the super safes mentioned in this thread are rare, just means they were never widely accepted, usually because of cost. Based on my research, less than 800 Corliss safes were made over about a 40 year period. And that was during a time when safe burglaries were much more widespread than today. As long as the bean counters continue to rule the earth, I don't see things changing anytime soon.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    leeds
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    Country: Great Britain

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    I have to agree with Doug, the pride has gone from the safe industry. Safes used to be made by engineers to be secure and hopefully better than their competitors. Nowadays they are made by bean counters to be cheaper than their competitors.
    Cannot see this changing and a new super tool Is not really needed by burglars s they are becoming easier to open using existing tools.

  9. #9
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    Nov 2014
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    Bulgaria
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    I really do sound like an old man now, but you are exactly right. So many things, not just safes, are simply made to a price, or should I say made down to a price.

    Years ago things were made to be functional, yet attractive. Quality was built in.

    I largely blame consumers. Let me give you an example. In the old days snooker tables, like mine, were of superb quality. They were polished premium hardwood. Nowadays they are much lower grade wood so are spray painted gold to cover the low quality timber used. Some people actually now will buy a wonderful old table and then spray paint it. Why? Because that is what the ones are like that they see on televison!

    My great grandmother used to say "You can't get a big bun for a halfpenny". If people want to be able to get a safe at the prices of some of the rubbish available today, is it surprising that when that safe is attacked, it fails?

    Two stories. Both true.

    My brother recently opened a safe by hitting it on the top whilst turning the bolt throwing handle.

    A friend of mine in the trade was approached by the police to see if he could open a "safe" they had taken during a search. My friend said he could do so very easily. He put a centre punch on where he estimated was the drilling poit. He whacked the punch and didn't need to drill. The blow on the centre punch caused the lock to fall off and he was in! In either case a 100 year old Chubb, Ratner, Milner etc. would have been a far tougher proposition.

    Rant over. I shall take the dog out and go to bed.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    184
    Country: Great Britain

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    I feel the multi layers of electronic security has nailed the huge big heavy monster safe world, so much to get by before you even approach the safe. Counting the seconds before the first Hatton Gardens mention.......

    I was once told by a friend of mine that he could open my then best safe a Tann Bankers Mk 9 very quicky with a kettle, asking for a demo he boiled the kettle pretended my daughter was sat in front of the safe and held the boiled kettle above where she would have been sat "open the safe mate" sobering thought.

    Any large safes at my home or in the garage are left open purely to display the fact that they are empty. All my money is in safes....literally :)

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