What to look for when buying antique locks?

[blacksmith]

Hello all,

Tomorrow I shall visit the local antiques warehouse to find a good pin tumbler padlock for practical use and for picking. I'm looking for essential qualities that a pre-1945 or a nice mid-century-plus lock should have.

There doesn't seem to be anything on the forum besides single locks and collection threads. The Internet was flooded with reproductions, "vintage" designs, and lots of 100 skeleton keys. Some questions to start the discussion:

- Has any antique lock required a particularly interesting or creative solution to pick? How was the lock's challenge different from the standard process? What did you enjoy about picking this lock in particular? Also, please describe how you picked your most difficult antique lock.

- What's the most solidly built antique lock you've come across that's a reasonable size? For a rough idea, such a lock wouldn't look awkward on a bicycle. What was it made of, what design features did it have? Do any historical brands or locksmiths stand out as exceptional to you?

- What's the most interesting looking antique lock you've come across? Was it an excellent quality lock despite its ornamentation?

Please don't feel confined to the icebreaker questions, add anything you believe would help make an "antique lock buyers' guide."

[Divinorum]

I picked up a lot of antique padlocks from an antique shop not too long ago. They are easily 60-70 years old some probably older. I got lucky, they were going out of business and because I was buying so many I was able to negotiate the price by a lot. You will find most antique locks are lever locks. Lever locks are very different than the modern pin and tumbler locks used today. Lever locks are still used commonly in Europe but in the U.S. they are only really used for special applications such as some U.S.P.S locks and safe deposit boxes.

Out of all the antique locks I bought I have only been able to open one. The one I opened was a Yale warded lock. I have had no success with the lever padlocks. Due to their age the levers are very stiff and the feedback is difficult to read. Most of them are also double sided which make it even harder. One of them is a Champion 6 Lever Pancake lock. It's a push lock, meaning you insert the key and push forward which places all the levers at the correct height allowing the bolt to move and the lock to open. On some push lever locks you can tension the shackle and pick the levers, on this one even when I tension the shackle the levers do not stay in place. There is a method someone else created to decode the levers and create a key that I have been working on but can't get to work.

If you do pickup any lever locks I suggest reading this guide by Illusion. It will help you understand what you are dealing with. Good Luck
viewtopic.php?t=10743

Another piece of advice, before you buy anything check to see what it is listed for online. You can find a lot of old locks on Ebay. This should give you and idea of what is a reasonable price and what is a rip off.