old locks

by **Tumbleweed** » 26 Apr 2004 13:59

Hi,

I'm new, and visiting because I hope someone can answer a question for me.

I am currently writing a novel and in one scene my characters are trapped in a dungeon and in shackles. Assuming one of them could do so, and already knew how, what tools would he need to pick the locks on this sort of equipment and what would he have to do to pick them?

Personally I have no idea how so I have come to ask those who may!

Hope you can help!

by **Chucklz** » 26 Apr 2004 14:01

Whats the time period/country that this is set in?

by **toomush2drink** » 26 Apr 2004 14:18

I assume from the period of dungeons it would be a medieval lock. I thinks these were along the lines of the intricate church keys you got on old lever locks of the period. These had a lot of wards if i am correct so maybe a piece of L shaped wire would work.

by **Chucklz** » 26 Apr 2004 15:37

I am imagining somethign from about CE 900 to 1700, pretty wide time span.

There would be no lever locks for this period, but warded locks would have been the de facto standard. L shaped metal anything would be fairly reasonable here. A bent belt buckle perhaps?

toomush --A churchkey is a nickname for a bottle opener here. I dont know about one opening any shackles. but still an indespensible item to have at hand.

by **Tumbleweed** » 27 Apr 2004 6:06

Thanks that is helpful!

I'd not thought of a belt buckle and that would be something he could have on him easily enough.

I'm probably thinking of locks that would be nearer the end of the medieval period, rather than the earlier part.

Research is fun!

by **toomush2drink** » 27 Apr 2004 8:29

Depending on how wealthy the subject is how about the pin on the back of a brooch or maybe a hair pin if they are female ?

by **Tumbleweed** » 27 Apr 2004 13:15

Yes, I was talking to a friend today, and she thought a cloak pin or something may work better than a belt buckle because it is narrower.

All they have to do is bend it into an L shape? Then they would insert it into the lock and just twist it about?

How would they know if they had succeeded? is there a certain noise they may hear?

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments so far!

by **Chucklz** » 27 Apr 2004 13:25

If its a simple warded lock (and it probably would have been) You would insert the tool, find the bolt, which is a device that you can rotate with the L shaped wire, rotate it as thouth your L wire was a key, and "click" the lock falls open.

by **Tumbleweed** » 28 Apr 2004 3:38

Thanks.

Would all doors have had this type of lock in those times? Not just dungeons, but the houses too?

by **toomush2drink** » 28 Apr 2004 5:03

Had a look in my book on locks and it really does depend on the era we are talking about. The romans had padlocks and a lot of the keys were made out of bronze.These padlocks were 2 part so the shackle came away completley when opened. Henry viii had a lock he took with him where ever he stayed but it seems only the wealthy had them.There are mentions of keyless combination locks in the 16th century being fairly common in china and some in france. Locks were mainly fitted to wooden chests strengthened with iron bands.In 1778 robert barron (british) recognised the weak points of wards and devised a lock with 2 pivoted tumblers that had to be lifted , not to much and not to little to get the lock to move.6 years later the braham lock was invented by joseph braham. Here are some examples

by **technik** » 28 Apr 2004 5:12

do IMG in lower case (img)

by **toomush2drink** » 28 Apr 2004 5:13

Thanks tekhnic it totally confused me as to why it didnt appear, i have contacted a mod to edit it

by **technik** » 28 Apr 2004 5:13

fascinating toomush, how does 244 work?

by **toomush2drink** » 28 Apr 2004 6:12

The key underneath when inserted merely slides along the springs to compress them and then drives the shackle outwards. Thats how its written in the book. The one on the left is a brilliantly simple idea almost like the connecters you find on car wiring looms today.
All of this is from the book i mentioned in this post http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=2487

Thats a nice "ive picked the lock wiggle" you have there on your sig lol :lol:

by **technik** » 28 Apr 2004 6:52

yeh, I have no bloody idea wat the hell it means hey, the robbers got like a deploma or sumthin under his arm, and all this money in his hand, and hes sad, but the other MAD looking guy is hell bustin it out

Haha, I love it coz I dont get it

Thats amazing how they thought of those designs so long ago. Fascinating, I might do a presentation for something at school for it, old locks.

Very cool

old locks

old locks

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