F.Whitfield's Safe

[Gary Stephenson]

Handle position looks like it could be open or part open, this may be why lock will not turn, check to see if door or boltwork is just jammed.

[Huw Eastwood]

Well spotted Gary, I was focusing on the keyhole to the point of going cross eyed, and totally missed the position of the handle!

Sorry David, PP= powder proof
The lock on the banded Whitfield I mentioned was like Milners powderproof where the key enters in different positions when locked and unlocked, in a sort of 'open v' shape. Well, sort of.
Yours could well be a more basic lock but either way and whatever's wrong with it I can't see it giving you any real trouble, it's not anything like the box of tricks like many you have worked on.

[David Hovey]

Huw, Thanks for the explanation I understand now.

Gary was correct, the handle and bolt-work were in the open position, and the door was just jammed. It was in this condition after shipped here to the states and had not been open for more than 10 years. In this time someone went ahead and painted the safe with thick black paint that helped seal it’s fate.


First thing I did was scope the lock. 1st pic shows the talon in the unlocked position, so we new right away the lock was open. The owner had a key but didn’t know if it was for the safe. I showed him the 2nd pic and confirmed it was.


Completely serviced and working fine now. Interesting to work on an old timer from the UK, sure was a pleasure out of the ordinary.


DH