Keys For Old Locks
I like making keys for old locks. It’s a satisfying piece of work to accomplish. And you get to see inside old locks.
I’ve had two this week. The striking thing is the amount of metal used in old locks compared with today. The first was an old lever rim deadbolt made of iron — very heavy and very large. Although the levers were enormous slabs of brass mostly the inside was an empty cavern. The second was an ancient Chubb lever mortice deadbolt. Again it was heavy — very solidly built compared with today’s pressed lock cases — although it should be said that Chubb’s locks today are still some of the most solidly built.
The main problem with making keys for old locks is getting decent blanks. Today’s large steel key blanks are horrible to cut or file as they’re full of inclusions; and the blades are often poorly welded onto the stems and break off too easily. In future I must ask customers if they’d prefer to pay the extra and have a brass key. Being very large, brass is going to cost quite a bit more.
