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Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:23 pm
by MartinHewitt
MartinHewitt wrote: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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:25 pm
by MartinHewitt
MartinHewitt wrote: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/

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:16 am
by rphillips52
Thank you Martin. I for one am interested in seeing what lever locks are used elsewhere in the world.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sat Apr 21, 2018 12:37 pm
by 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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 2:32 pm
by 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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 1:59 pm
by MartinHewitt
People who find sheets with lost safe combinations are cruel!

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:40 pm
by 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 :smile:

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 5:47 pm
by 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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2018 4:35 pm
by 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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2018 5:51 am
by 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.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 10:06 pm
by Oldfast
Exciting stuff Martin! Glad to hear it.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 3:35 pm
by MartinHewitt
Next safe in the queue. LG 3330.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:11 pm
by Oldfast
.

.



:spinning:

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Tue Oct 30, 2018 4:36 pm
by MartinHewitt
Yep, Oldfast, you say it.

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

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Wed Oct 31, 2018 1:00 pm
by MartinHewitt
The match is on Sunday.