I found a safe with a "manifoil" combination lock on it

[soakes]

As I have mentioned in my other thread, I found a safe left behind in my house. I am pretty happy about it, despite the problems it presents (ie. getting it open!) This discussion concentrates more on the safe than on the combination lock.

Having said that, I am reasonably sure that the manifoil combination lock was not a standard part of the safe, but was added at some time in its life. This is based on 2 factors:
- advice from people in this and another forum;
- the fact that google image searches reveal many safes by the same manufacturer, none of which show a combination lock.

According to the plaque on the safe, it is made by "M G Dyke & Sons". Also on the plaque are the words "PIONEER SAFE WORKS RICHMOND VICTORIA".

Here is photo of the safe:


The safe is very heavy and presumably solid. That is about all I know. I would like to determine the approximate age of the safe and find a little more about the history of the company that produced it.

[Squelchtone]

google and the clearstar locksmith forum tells me:

MG Dykes operated from about 1880 until they were bought out by Chubb around 1970. At one stage inthe late 1800's they stopped making safes and made pot belly stoves.
...
Dykes made 2 types of safes to any size required a Pioneer (theif resisting) or Samson (fire resisting).

A 1949 advertisement from the Sydney paper with some sizes and prices for the Pioneer model.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/printAr ... /3?print=n


Unless one of the Australian members is an expert on these, I doubt anyone here will have anything for you in terms of details about your safe that will lead to any help in opening it, but you may want to share photos of your safe with this company, who knows, maybe they're the ones who modified the door and put the Manifoil there (unless like kwos says, the door was already prepped for a lock behind the badge), as you suspect it is not original to that model from what I can tell: http://www.berrysafeco.com.au/pre.htm

Also, and not sure if someone else mentioned this, but while you focus on opening that Manifoil lock, that lever key lock is going to be just as much of a chore for you if you've never worked with locks before. I'd call a locksmith in on this one, pay $500 and get it open, or stare at it for the next year while you research it. that's just me being honest, take no offense to that.

I'm also putting this topic together with your existing topic on this safe, let's keep it one running story.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

[kwoswalt99-]

I assume the combo lock was added when the safe was purchased for whatever reason. Most of their safes were made to accommodate combo locks, you just had to remove the safe plaque to install the lock. My guess at age would be 1960's.