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  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    47
    Country: UK

    Question Update

    Have acquired a few more latch / O’dell keys - see picture.

    Does anyone else have a collection of these keys they can share?

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Edinburgh
    Posts
    259
    Country: UK

    Default

    These were mostly made in Willenhall, were common in the 19-early20C. Look for the keyhole plate in conservation areas of old towns throughout Britain — though rarely is the latch still present on the door.

    They remained popular in Scotland, especially for main (i.e. street) doors of tenement blocks well into the 1980s in poorest areas, gradually being replaced by electric intercoms and door releases.

    Early keys were forged blanks, later ones mostly cast.

    I saw a display latch on the counter in an ironmonger's shop in Fleetwood in the 1960s, but it was already so old-fashioned the shopkeeper declined to sell it to me :-(

    American tourists like to pay high prices for these keys.

    Some of the long keys, especially open at the end, are indeed for arab-made 'chinese' padlocks, sliding along in a groove in the bottom of the lock body.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Edinburgh
    Posts
    259
    Country: UK

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by simoncpage View Post
    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 -

    Attachment 20964Attachment 20965Attachment 20966

    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.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Devon UK
    Posts
    3,117
    Country: UK

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by chubbbramah View Post
    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.
    These were made in Willenhall, in the 1980’sClick image for larger version. 

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ID:	22100 probably from original patterns, but with the backs of the brass ones flattened to make them easy to display.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Posts
    47
    Country: UK

    Default

    New Odell key acquired. It was very rusty looking but on cleaning it it looks to be possibly brass? Any ideas how you would clean it? Is it brass or bronze? Why were some made of brass / bronze as they wouldn’t protect ammunition would they? The shape of this one is rather rare and so not a special presentation key? Any ideas appreciated.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 3AF536ED-1C45-40AC-B081-860BB2831C33.jpeg  

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