O’dell Latch keys information

[Gerry]

maybe asia or north africa

[simoncpage]

From my understanding that photo is from a Chinese padlock and is a completely different kind of key? Much longer and does have an enclosed ward as the end, it’s open.

This is the only key I have seen with a more complicated ward which fills the whole key - however this is much older...

[Gerry]

best regards

[simoncpage]

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

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

[chubbbramah]

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.