O’dell Latch keys information

[simoncpage]

I have collected a few of these over my 18 months of collecting. I have sorted them in rows by rarity IMO. Top line very rare, second line somewhat rare and bottom line not very rare at all.

Be interested if anyone has any information on these and in particular how old they would (short of Victorian and Scottish for most of them). Also interested in what the more complex ones would be used for as I assume they would be for more important access? The T shapes one also interests me as this is quite iconic.

does anyone have some pictures of some super rare ones?

thanks Simon

[simoncpage]

I’ll kick off with hopes that others will follow...

I have no. 2 on my want list...

[Gerry]

i only have 2 very common keys
but i have got pictures of a interesting lock

[biblioclef]

Simon,

Congrats. The top row indeed features some rare and rather unusual Odell keys. I would call the second one from the left (top row) a French night latch key, which predates the English Odell. So that one could be from the very early 18th century.

Whenever you see a T-shaped Odell, it is a key blank.

[simoncpage]

Simon,

Congrats. The top row indeed features some rare and rather unusual Odell keys. I would call the second one from the left (top row) a French night latch key, which predates the English Odell. So that one could be from the very early 18th century.

Whenever you see a T-shaped Odell, it is a key blank.

Hi Biblioclef

yep the latch keys that are earlier are rather interesting as weren’t they typically for staff use in France. The one with a strange figure of 8 bow to me looks like it could be German (not sure why it just has a feel about it).

Was the French latch key idea effectively copied and altered by the O’dell makers in Scotland or were they created separately I can’t really find any information on the history of o’dell keys or if the lock mechanism is the same throughout time. I understand they were typically used to access blocks of apartments in Scotland from late 18th century but I wonder why some of them are much more detailed - I assume they were either for more regal apartments, governments blocks or because of the complexity as a main door lock albeit deemed not secure enough for a main door to a house.



I have attached pictures above of doors at the Queen’s college Cambridge which shows these key were used elsewhere and not just in Scotland’s where I assume the more typical warding comes from and were used to actually lock rooms their rather than block access but not for securing anything important and just mainly access doors.

I have a picture of an o’dell key that another collector has which I will get permission to post from the Bank of Scotland which is a great key. I assume this would just be for an entrance room rather than any kind of vault or strong room.

Also I have 2 keys marked with the maker McLaren were they one of the main makers - does anyone know anyone else?

Thanks

[Gerry]

"The one with a strange figure of 8 bow to me looks like it could be German (not sure why it just has a feel about it)."

it is not a german key, maybe asia

[chubbbramah]

Hi Biblioclef


I understand they were typically used to access blocks of apartments in Scotland from late 18th century but I wonder why some of them are much more detailed -



I have attached pictures above of doors at the Queen’s college Cambridge which shows these key were used elsewhere and not just in Scotland’s where I assume the more typical warding comes from and were used to actually lock rooms their rather than block access but not for securing anything important and just mainly access doors.


Also I have 2 keys marked with the maker McLaren were they one of the main makers - does anyone know anyone else?

Thanks

You don't indicate where you have collected your keys,though many are from Scotland. McLaren are the oldest-established locksmith business in Edinburgh. Through a couple of centuries they have cut many keys and stamped their name on them.