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Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 4:04 pm
by MartinHewitt
Great choice! But actually all of them are.

I could have chosen perhaps also CaptainDeMazareen as my nick, but then without a Lady Molly to rescue me I would have been stuck in the dungeon forever.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 11:47 am
by edocdab
You'd open the dungeon door with a tool made from cobwebs and steal the criminal's safe for it's lock.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Tue Mar 02, 2021 5:33 pm
by MartinHewitt
After a to long holiday from safe opening I got today the chance to open another one. And I didn't have to leave my office as it was brought to me. The lock is a La Gard 3330.

In Germany one of the many stories of safe fairy lore is the "Kuchenblechmafia" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lyoUe7CEYs . A Kuchenblech is a baking tray. The guy in the coat is criticizing the safes, which have a sheet thickness like a baking tray. Literal translation is "cake sheet". The sheet in the name is working better to make the connection with the sheets from which the safe was made. This safe here is showing even better that Rauh (the guy in the coat) is right. Wall and door are made from two thin layers of steel sheet with really nothing worth to be mentioned in between. It weighs 80kg. There isn't any real bolt work behind the fake handle. The bolt work consists of a weak strip of steel with four bolts that is connected directly to the lock bolt. I can push the top and bottom bolts fully in just with my thumb. Rauh is claiming fraud and he is there IMHO right too. The price of this safe 20 years ago would be now (corrected by inflation) about $1000. Where Rauh was really a dud was with burglary. If he would have been a good burglar we would have to miss this great video.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 3:56 am
by edocdab
Quite amazing how they failed to open it. Shouldn't be that hard but it looks like they made mistakes in their approach. Won't go into detail about what I think, given the topic. Thanks for sharing the story and video Martin.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:08 am
by MartinHewitt
The full video with all the mocking comments is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVhYhLQ4Y64 but probably only that interesting if you understand German. The content of that video is real and nothing is fake. The guy is real and his former safe company is real. I have seen in connection with another very interesting case invoices from his company. He has also a current personal web site.

Next safe to be opened is basically in the cue. One much more impressive.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 10:08 am
by edocdab
I'll check it. My German is often sufficient to understand.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 10:35 am
by MartinHewitt
Next one. It is a grade 3 deposit safe. It was completely under water due to a flood. The electronic lock did not much anymore, just a bit of a beeping. The key for the emergency lock was not found. Helped a friend getting it open by picking the class B emergency lock. I don't want to show to much, because it will be put into service again.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:50 am
by Alexander Mundy
I think that is a downfall of most safes with electronic locks, a pickable backup mechanical lock.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 11:58 am
by MartinHewitt
In this case the downfall of the safe was the electronic lock. The backup worked as intended, if a key would have been found.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 3:04 pm
by Alexander Mundy
What I meant was it is only as secure as the mechanical lock no matter how secure the electronic lock is.

Re: MartinHewitt's Safe Chronicles

PostPosted: Fri Aug 06, 2021 4:53 pm
by MartinHewitt
The weakest lock determines the security, yes. If the burglar brings with him a pick, then it is the key lock. If he has a black box, then it is the electronic lock. But I have never heard about a non-government burglar having safe picks or black boxes.