Circa 1880s Box

[karelar]

This box has been in my family and belonged to an ancestor of mine some time in the 19th century. There is a date engraved on the metal cover which I remember as around 1880 but it's been awhile so I'm not entirely certain. I used to have the key to it but lost it about 20 years ago. Recently, I looked into seeing if I could pick it myself but even with a warded pick set I haven't had any luck. I am a complete noob when it comes to lockpicking but I wondered if anyone had any tips for a opening warded lock that is *not* a cheap modern padlock? Thanks in advance!

[GWiens2001]

Your best bet is to take it to a locksmith who knows how to impression a lock. Doing it yourself as a noob, you are likely to damage the lock.

This may be a warded lock, but I would think it possible it may be a lever lock.

Gordon

[karelar]

Many thanks, Gordon! That makes me feel better, knowing it might not be a warded lock after all. Advice on the internet about how easy it is to pick warded locks was not helping ...

I feel kind of silly wanting to go to a locksmith for help during this pandemic. On the one hand, I can see locksmiths appreciating having business, but on the other hand, this isn't an urgent matter and the risk might not outweigh the benefits for anyone.

[billdeserthills]

Many thanks, Gordon! That makes me feel better, knowing it might not be a warded lock after all. Advice on the internet about how easy it is to pick warded locks was not helping ...

I feel kind of silly wanting to go to a locksmith for help during this pandemic. On the one hand, I can see locksmiths appreciating having business, but on the other hand, this isn't an urgent matter and the risk might not outweigh the benefits for anyone.

Don't worry about it, locksmiths hafta eat during this pandemic too