John tann Diamond Safe, Please share photos and info.

[Redoubt]

I would love one of the old Tann Diamond safes.
The massive slab door is very impressive.
I think the freight to NZ would just be a bit much.
What has always surprised me about the Tann Diamond, and the TS5 Diamond is the weight difference between the old and new models, for give or take the same size safes.
I am sure the claim would be that there is a vast improvement in technology which helps reduce the weight, but I would still have an old one over the newer version.

[Safeone]

Yes, one of my grail safes as well mate

[Safeone]

Dithered and missed out on this sometime ago. Later Ts5 diamond variant, being badly transported !

[Huw Eastwood]

I’ve got a miniature of the original tann diamond somewhere, blue body with grey door and working bolt work. Lot more manageable than the 4620 at 3 tons

[Faris23]

I’ve got a miniature of the original tann diamond somewhere, blue body with grey door and working bolt work. Lot more manageable than the 4620 at 3 tons

wow really? do you have any photos ?

[safeman]

[QUOTE=Redoubt;31766]I would love one of the old Tann Diamond safes.
The massive slab door is very impressive.


Redoubt, the super safe is a most impressive object. I believe that we could be seeing the last of the line.


The Tann Diamond was created for a specific purpose, mainly for the De Beers mining facilities in Botswana while also finding favour in the commercial market. Back in the 1930’s the Chatwood Safe Company also produced a super safe in the CB Quality with 10 inch drill and blowtorch protection specifically for the now extinct Commercial Bank of Scotland. More recently SLS came up with their GEM Quality which was awarded the top rating from the Underwriter’s Laboratories in the US .but like it’s predecessors had a very limited market.


Insurance Underwriters were unhappy with so many eggs in one basket and wanted the risk to be split. The reason is fairly obvious. The entire protection of these massive objects being entirely dependent on keys or a combination lock, both of which have been overcome in the past by human frailty through duress, complacency, and observation.


An example of the first is the Tonbridge 2006 Securitas cash centre vault robbery over £53 million by taking hostages. Complacency where the keys are left visible for a skilled person to read the combination of the heights of the steps, and observation where an employee concealed himself in the false ceiling and observed the combinations of the vault being dialled, Bank of America, Mayfair, 1975, £8 million.

[wylk]

What kinds of locks were used on the Diamond? Some pictures seem to show a Sargent & Greenleaf combination lock with their locking dial (at times called an "auditor's hasp" IIRC). Another picture shows a different lock. And of course it's hard to tell make/model of the key lock from photos.

[Redoubt]

I agree Safeman.
Unfortunately the human part of the situation is the weakest link.
I would love to see what some of the current safe manufacturers would come up with if they were asked to design a similar style safe.

[Gary Stephenson]

S&G vault lock and tann?kromer? 10 lever plunger lock if I remember correctly on the original diamond.

[Huw Eastwood]

S&G vault lock and tann?kromer? 10 lever plunger lock if I remember correctly on the original diamond.

Think you’re right saying both Gary as some original diamonds have a single bit keyhole escutcheon for tann’s 10 lever plunger lock and some have double bitted escutcheons for Kromers, but not sure which kromer lock- protektor?