Got a safe to crack!

[cledry]

Since no one has actually opened his safe YET, all of the directions suggested are "the way it is supposed to be dialed." What if the combo given must be dialed Exactly the way it is written. I know this is conventionally wrong, but I have seen many safes set to improper combos. I have seen and set safes to just one number because the owner could not remember all the correct turns. Two of the wheels might actually be on one number.

I suggest that it be tried exactly, literally as the note was written and see what happens.

???

One reason is that if it is an S&G lock it won't open if dialed the way it's written; in particular, the last step written.

Bingo

[MBI]

Bingo

Is that his name-o?

[ElbowMacaroni]

Oddly enough, that isn't his name-o. One would think it was, but alas, 'tis not to be. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Mikeh727]

I'm not a locksmith or safe guy by any means, but I recently opened a safe for my uncle who had been in possession of a large floor safe that we estimated to be abut a hundred years old, and after doing some research, found that it was probably late 19th century. The outer door worked fine with the combination that he had, and the combination to the inner door was written down. In addition, he got the safe from an old friend who was the one who actually wrote the combination on the paper. They're still friends and he knew that the numbers were the correct numbers. But they could never get the inner safe open.

A few years ago he hired a locksmith who then called in a safe guy and they spent a few hours trying to get the thing open and never did. I happened to be visiting this past fall, heard the story and asked to try it out. Now mind you, this safe has been in his garage for DECADES, and several other friends and family members have tried and not been able to get it open.

To make a long story short, the numbers were written backwards. If they were written 15-20-25-30, the combination was 30-25-20-15. The guy who had written it down simply forgot he had 'encoded' the combination. What tipped me off was writing above the numbers...it said 4-3-2-1. We assumed that was the number of times that you turned the dial for each corresponding combination number below them, but it wasn't, it was the order of the combination, indicating that you start with the last number and work backwards. I was quite a hero for opening a safe that hadn't been opened since 1962! (There were some old papers with a date on them in the safe).

The point of the story is that maybe the numbers are correct, but not in the right order, either by design or by mistake. It might be worth trying the numbers in a different order.

One other thought that occurred to me as I was looking at the paper is the perhaps the first number isn't 4, but rather 14. If one were to be receiving this combination over the phone, or even be writing it down while listening to someone else, 'fourteen' might sound like '4 turns', especially if that is what one was expecting to hear, if it was noisy, etc. Maybe trying 14 as the first number is a possibility.

Those are the things I would try as a complete novice. Good luck getting it open!

[ElbowMacaroni]

It's just a jump to the left....

[Squelchtone]

It's just a jump to the left....

Is that where the Advanced area is located?

Janet! Brad! Rocky!
Squelchtone

[ElbowMacaroni]

Hmmn... good catch but I think it goes more like:

Dr. Scott... MOUSEKETEER ROLL CALL!
Janet!
Dr. Scott!
Janet!
Brad!
Rocky! UGH!
Janet!
Dr. Scott!
Janet!
Brad!
Rocky! UGH!
Janet!
Dr. Scott!
Janet!
Brad!
Rocky!
Master, dinner is prepared!

[Mikeh727]

It's just a jump to the left....

And then a step to the right....


Okay, I've got other Rocky Horror references I could insert, but I suspect I may have stumbled into the middle of an inside joke, so I'll refrain

[ElbowMacaroni]

nah, no inside joke, I just posted the time warp one because all of the talk about turning the dial.... left right left....

And well, it sure seems this thread has completely run it's course too So it wasn't thrashing a live thread.

[FreyGrimrod]

Waiting with antici......pation... to hear if this ever got opened.

(with apologies)

[ElbowMacaroni]

LOL!!! Nice touch there... It would be interesting though.

[Mikeh727]

Waiting with antici......pation... to hear if this ever got opened.

(with apologies)

Da**it! Janet!

Wish I'd have thought of that one.

I'm too new to hijack threads, so I'll now return you to your regularly scheduled forum topic.

[GordonAlexander]

I think Squelch got it right but I would try simply two numbers that are listed. It is a three wheel lock. I would try L-R-L-R in whatever combination of numbers you have. You could attempt: Four turn to the left with the last number listed(sometimes end users generate simple tricks, such as listing the combo backwards, or a set amount of numbers off the actual code), three turns to the right with the second number, two turns to the left with the first number and turn right to retract bolt. If this is the case(and the user set the code 25-65-4) the safe could not open because the last number falls within the 'forbidden zone' of last number of the code. This is because of the design of the fence in relation to the numbers on the wheel. I won't elaborate because I am not certain of the rules of these public forums.

Another guess is the combo is 4-65-25. In this case simply dial Left, passing 4 three times and stopping at 4 the fourth time. Dial right, passing 65 two times, stopping at 25 the third time. Dial left, passing 4 one time, stopping at 4 the second time. And finally, dial right to 0(or slightly past 0) until the dial stops, then move the handle to retract the boltwork.

My first scenario of the combo being set at 25-65-0 is not likely because a trained locksmith is aware of the 'forbidden zone' of last numbers and chances are they didn't set the number in this incorrect manner.

Another option is the safe is set to simply two numbers, in which case dial the procedure as listed above, but simply go right to zero after dialing the second number. In this case; Dial four turns left to 65, two turns right to 25, then turn right to zero.

If we had better pics of the manufacturer and the safe dial we may be able to identify it and provide more accurate dialing procedures.

Good luck!

edit: a letter and the procedure for opening a safe set on two numbers

[spoonzor]

i know it's said before but i just feel like saying it again: those locks can be very exact. As in you have to dial to the EXACT number, not 1 millimeter less or more. I remember a friend of mine who always had to dial more then once to get his own safe open, knowing the exact combination. Once you get used to it you might be able to do it right the first time, but since i guess you never owned a safe like this before...

[Squelchtone]

i know it's said before but i just feel like saying it again: those locks can be very exact. As in you have to dial to the EXACT number, not 1 millimeter less or more. I remember a friend of mine who always had to dial more then once to get his own safe open, knowing the exact combination. Once you get used to it you might be able to do it right the first time, but since i guess you never owned a safe like this before...

I don't even dial by number any more, it's become a memorized pattern or hand motions at this point. You're right though, in learning manipulation, I've noticed it is not as sloppy as I had hoped.

Squelchtone