Russwin locks

[stick]

I found a lock in a school dump while I happened to walk by, and since it was going to be thrown away, I decided to take it home and take a look at it. Looked at it and found a logo that said Russwin. Problem is, doesn't seem to be a Corbin Russwin lock, or at least not any of the locks shown on www.corbin-russwin.com.

My question is, does anyone know of a Russwin company that doesn't have anything to do with Corbin Russwin?

The thing is a monster, it weighs at least 5 pounds. It has a strange logo I haven't seen before. It's a key in knob, one cylinder, and has the number 187 inscribed above the keyway.

Here's a decent rendition of the logo:

[alias]

I'd be guessing the lock predates the time when Black and Decker merged the two brand names?

From what I've read (and I could be wrong) although Russwin Locks merged with P & F Corbin in 1902 it wasn't until much later on in the picture (1970s sometime?) that they actually called themselves Corbin Russwin. Until then the two brands were kept separate.

It's a bit like The ASSA group merging a bunch of different lock companies - we don't have "ASSA-Arrow-Chubb-IKON-Lips-Lockwood-Medeco-Mul-T Lock-Yale Locks" (thankfully - just imagine the mess on the escutcheon plate!!) but they keep the brand names separate. Corbin and Russwin might have kept the brands separate for any number of reasons - perhaps brand recognition or perhaps the locks filled different niche markets or really for any number of reasons. Perhaps an 'old-timer' lockie from the states might know more....

Post some pics if you can - it'd be interesting to check it out.

[NDE Manipulation]

Alias has the right idea. Actually, the older Corbin just marked Corbin and Russwin just marked Russwin locks are great finds! Not quite as restrictive as a Yale keyway, they are no Kwikset, to be sure.

And, you may have really lucked out, it might have mushrooms or spools in it.

[logosys]

I found a lock in a school dump while I happened to walk by, and since it was going to be thrown away, I decided to take it home and take a look at it. Looked at it and found a logo that said Russwin. Problem is, doesn't seem to be a Corbin Russwin lock, or at least not any of the locks shown on www.corbin-russwin.com.

My question is, does anyone know of a Russwin company that doesn't have anything to do with Corbin Russwin?

The thing is a monster, it weighs at least 5 pounds. It has a strange logo I haven't seen before. It's a key in knob, one cylinder, and has the number 187 inscribed above the keyway.

Here's a decent rendition of the logo:

I've actually seen a similar lock, it was circa 1960's - predating the conglomeration of Corbin and Russwin. It was a lock on a condemned building in Houston - and it too was a monster of a lock. If this was at the Univeristy, the 187 might be a keycode used by the locksmith on campus. Open it up, and let us know what you find inside.

[stick]

Actually, one of the reasons I was looking for more info about this lock is that I can't get it open... I can't find anything to pop. Any suggestions? I've been itching to find out why I can't pick it open, whether it's tight tolernaces or security pins.

[Chucklz]

I've seen even recent Corbin/Russwin hardware marked just "Corbin" It was an IC set up. Anyone have any ideas on this? Or is there still just a "Corbin" hardware division?

Considering how you found the lock, have you cleaned it/lubed it up? There is also the possibility that it was trashed for a reason...

[logosys]

Actually, one of the reasons I was looking for more info about this lock is that I can't get it open... I can't find anything to pop. Any suggestions? I've been itching to find out why I can't pick it open, whether it's tight tolernaces or security pins.

I doubt it is either. Locks this old tend to have a good bit of wear and tear on them, so the tolerances start to go. Keep in mind that most locks are designed for a 20-25 year life. If this lock was from the 60's, it has exceeded it's design life span by 100%. Next, security pins were not very prevalent in the 60's, so I doubt you'll see them in your lock. That said, there is a chance.

I would go with Chucklz theory and say 'There might be a good reason it's in the junker'

[stick]

The knob.

Well, after some coffee and some long hard staring, I saw something I thought I could break off. So I did. Turns out it didn't really break, but was made to come off...

These little weird clips.

After cutting myself numerous times with my screwdriver, I finally got the one on the left off. Taking off the inside knob, I finally got to a screw that I've been eyeing for a long time but haven't been able to reach. After unscrewing it, I ran into yet another one of those weird clips. Reaching for my trusty screwdriver, I reached in... and broke it, as evidenced by the clip on the right.

Finally got off the other knob, and ran into a circlip. With nothing but a screwdriver, I finally got it off, and after taking out another smaller circlip, I got to the plug. Yea, it's a bit blurry.

Well, it's a 6 pin tumbler, like I thought. No security pins, logosys was right, just masterkeyed. Thing that surprised me was that it didn't seem very used. The marks of the driver pins scratching the plug when rotating were faint, the pin holes weren't deformed at all.

It's nice to have though, because now instead of the little Kwikset deadbolt cylinder I've been carrying around I can play around with this one.

I weighed the knob; it weighs a whopping 4.5 pounds.

As for why it was thrown away, in some of the holes, the masterkey pins weren't actually straight in the hole; they were jammed in, and prevented the bottom pins from moving up. That's my only idea. The lock is in excellent condition, though my hands aren't.

[Varjeal]

I'm not sure of the exact setup within the company, but chances are Corbin is now a named division for certain products, much like Corbin/Russwin, and Russwin seperate. Fact of the matter is that they're under one corporate umbrella.