MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

[MartinHewitt]

Got a notice that the safe of a friend of a colleague can be opened because the electronic lock was not working and the key was lost. My colleague said he will bring the safe to the office. I got suspicious, but I was told that the lock was for a double bitted key. Today he brought the safe to my office and send a photo: potato safe. I sent my colleague a link to a youtube video. Maybe he already opened it, but in any case I will not count this box as no. 2 and you will not get photos of me smacking it.

Actually I had to use a jiggler to open it.

[MartinHewitt]

No. 2

A gun safe with single sheet walls where the keys had been lost while moving. As we have no AR-15s in German gun safes this is ok. This safe was apparently sold with with different key locks: STUV 4.19.92, dormakaba Mauer President and cawi Optima 2648. From the description of the bow I had expected the lock to be a simple STUV, which would be right a such a simple cabinet. Luckily it was the cawi, so I had more fun. The bitting was IMHO nasty. I got it open after a bit over two hours. Switched lock to a 2648 with available keys and it is now again in use.

The safe was probably made by the Czech company WICO: http://www.wico.cz/kovovyroba/zbranove- ... ove/wsa-5/

[rphillips52]

Thank you Martin. I for one am interested in seeing what lever locks are used elsewhere in the world.

[MartinHewitt]

The most common key locks for new safes are in Germany IMHO - because I believe the cheap ones are more common than the secure safes - the Cawi Optima 2648, STUV 4.19.92, Mauer President, probably in that order. For mechanical combinations locks I would say the LG 3330 and LG 3390 where it seems to shift to the LG 3390. For electronic locks there is a lot of choice. Without a particular order: Mauer Code Combi B and variants, Cawi Primor, STUV Tulox, SECU, LG, ISS/GST SOLAR, M-Locks. Not sure how common the models are.

[MartinHewitt]

Nothing you from me. Will give a call to the safe seller in the next village. Maybe he can give me some locked safe deposit boxes. Not sure if I manage to call him before my visit to Aberdeen.

HINT: I'm in Aberdeen from Thursday for 5 days in case somebody wants to meet.

[MartinHewitt]

People who find sheets with lost safe combinations are cruel!

[Fritz the Cat]

Congrats ! Key safes that use intricate lever locks would be an interesting "branch" I'd like to study . And making your own tools for the job reminds me of Hobb''s famous safe opening where he design his own tools .

About the tools

[MartinHewitt]

Thanks, Fritz. It is probably more difficult to start with key locks in the US as there are just less key locks in the US. Less choice and less availability and less use cases.

Thursday next pair of safes in a school. The keys were stolen in a burglary. I don't know the lock yet, perhaps not until one safe is open.

[MartinHewitt]

It was a draw. The more important, more secure safe was open after 20 minutes. The other one after three hours not. Still don't know what the lock models in the safes are. More tomorrow. After over three hours of picking I am now a bit tired.

[MartinHewitt]

That is the opened safe. A pretty basic, but very sturdy wall safe. My guess based on a similar free standing safe is that it is from the 70s/80s. The lock is a Mauer 6210 with 6 levers + 1 control lever. One of my 2-in-1s fit good enough and including searching for a correct 2-in-1 it took me 20 minutes to open the lock. The safe door was then opened together with the police.

The other safe (no photo, because basically all wall safes look the same) was an older model. Just 4 lever + 1 control. Broken spring. Lots of dirt. I stopped after 3 hours.

PS: I might now get more often the chance to open safes due to a cooperation with a local safe guy.

[Oldfast]

Exciting stuff Martin! Glad to hear it.

[MartinHewitt]

Next safe in the queue. LG 3330.

[Oldfast]

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[MartinHewitt]

Yep, Oldfast, you say it.

It is really great to have good contacts to professionals to get safe openings handed over.

[MartinHewitt]

The match is on Sunday.