Hall Safe

[Chief]

I have a Hall safe that was made in Cinncinnati Ohio in the early 1900's.
It belonged to my dad and not has been opened in 20 years. I can remember when I was just a kid that my dad kept a lot of old money in it. My dad forgot the combination and has since passed away. We would like to open the safe but do not want to drill or destroy the safe. How can I learn to open the safe myself. I guess I need to learn how the safe works. Does anyone know how I can do this?

[xlr8ed1]

i can tell you
post a picture first though

[Kuju]

No ^^^ Well a picture may help. But read the MIT guide and read all the FAQs. Then ask questions. Like is it a key or combination?

[Luke]

Call a locksmith - (like me) although i would just drill it... but more information is requiered before anyone can provide a methode to open it. But seriously call a locksmith and say "I would like to use the safe in the future" He will probably drill in a certain way then replace the damaged parts.

[marso]

Drilling safes. It is my understanding when a locksmith drills a safe they do so with as little drill holes as possible and they repair these holes. This does not damage the safe or make it any less secure. Of course there are locksmiths who like to make a safe look like cheese, so get one that is experienced in this.

To the poster. Get a locksmith to open it. It should not cost much and they can give you a key/combination to the safe so it can be used in the future. Else the safe may be closed for another 20 years. Safes are good security devices and it may cost you alot of money and time to get the right tools and knowledge to open a safe.

Also in the future please post a picture or attempt to find a website with details about your safe (we help you help yourself). Also please describe what prior knowledge you have and what you have tried. Please describe what the safe looks like and what markings and numbers it has on it.

[Luke]

be prepaired to pay a 100 buck service charge and maybe 70 bucks an hour ffor opening the safe.

[zeke79]

Some locksmiths may have access to equipment that will open the safe through a brute force attack(trying combinations until the right one is found). My local locksmith has one of these units and it works well but may take up to 3-4 days to complete. There are other units out there that can open most home safes in around half an hour. Talk to a locksmith and find one who has the equipment to do it without drilling if that is a big deal for you. Like mentioned above though drilling if done properly will leave no evidence behind when finished and will not affect the security of the safe.

[randmguy]

If it hasn't been opened in 20 years please call a safe technician. You might play with the thing for several months and find that the locking mechanism has corroded to the point that it won't open with the correct combination. I supplied muscle on one opening job where dust, damp and a mildly corrosive envoironment had combined to essentially turn the wheel pack into a single mass of immovable metal. No Locksmith wants to damage your safe if it can be opened without it. Its kinda like losing the game when you're reduced to punching bolts and then welding things back together.

Marso is correct in saying that the majority of damage inflicted when drilling a safe is repairable. That's why safe technicians spend the dough for drilling points and read the trade publications ...so they know exactly where to drill for an opening.

It might also be cheaper to open if you can bring the safe to the tech rather than having them come out to you. If you really want the safe open then please don't try it yourself without lots of specific info. Almost nothing makes a Locksmith madder than finding out after you've started on a job that someone has been at the thing with a hammer already.

And while it is possible to learn to manipulate a combination lock it takes a LOT of practice to get good at it. I still pretty much stink at it and I've been practicing since January.