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

Results 1 to 5 of 5
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: El Salvador

    Default Folding key information

    I have several folding keys of this style but do not know much about them. Anyone have any info on where keys like this are from, age, anything else? Thanks!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Folding key.jpg  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Tonawanda, NY, USA
    Posts
    900
    Country: United States

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Justus View Post
    I have several folding keys of this style but do not know much about them. Anyone have any info on where keys like this are from, age, anything else? Thanks!
    Reminiscent of the old Ilco Steel Folding Blanks Nos. 1400-1402, see thumbnail attached from Catalog No. 7 Supplement dated 1/1/1926.
    "Folding keys were invented for store door rim locks, indicating large rim locks were still much in use. With the folding key, unwieldy stem length could be reduced by one-half."*
    Your key is of cast construction and even older, likely nineteenth century.

    *from 150 Years of Builders' Hardware: Forms, Use & Lore (c) 1993 by Maud L. Eastwood, pg. 43.

    Pete Schifferli
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IlcoFoldingSteelKeys.jpg  

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: El Salvador

    Default

    Thank you, Pete.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Posts
    3
    Country: El Salvador

    Default

    Here is another. 9.25" opened. Do you think this was ornamental or an actual key?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_20180408_210151_1.jpg  

  5. #5

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Justus View Post
    Here is another. 9.25" opened. Do you think this was ornamental or an actual key?
    I think both of your examples are actual keys and I would guess that they were made at the end of the 1700's or the beginning of the 1800's. While they show an innovation with their functionality the design is not yet complete because it does not supply a facility for attaching to a ring or chain for carrying.
    BBE.

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •