Large Bramah Challenge Type Safe Key

Huw Eastwood

Here’s an unusual big ’un, Ø21.5mm barrel diameter, 110mm long, bow oval 48mm across, unusual 16 slots and weighs 142g.

Timothy

WOW! Good thing don’t have to carry around in your pocket. You have the lock to go with this key..??….

BigTreeKeys

Wow, that’s stunning! I’ve never seen one that large before and would love to have one for my collection. Do you happen to know anything more about it?

Paul Prescott

Now Huw, don’t tease …

What ?
Where ?
Who ? (maybe - this one I will accept silence on)

Is it ‘real’ or a creation.

I am leaning towards a creation as the turning is not quite right IMO.

On a side note anyone know the largest key with the most sliders that was actually made by Bramah ?

Doug MacQueen

I suspect a Frankenstein key. The bow and part of the part of the turning look to be from an older key, and the larger section of turning looks like it was made yesterday.

Mickthepick

What a great looking key. I could only imagine what it was used on!
Now for the reality… I’d love to examine this key under my microscope to see it detail. You never know, you may even be able to see the wear marks of the sliders, etc.

mercury

Mickthepick wrote
What a great looking key. I could only imagine what it was used on!
Now for the reality… I’d love to examine this key under my microscope to see it detail. You never know, you may even be able to see the wear marks of the sliders, etc.

It is a wonderful looking key indeed! I look forward to Huw putting us out of this suspense & providing more information.

Given Huw is quite capable of creating keys such as in the thread linked below, it might well be a modern frankenkey made from part of an old key, or it could even be modern and made from scratch.

Indeed, a microscope would be needed to have a chance of determining if it’s genuine. Check out : https://www.antique-locks.com/showthread.php/3919-Unusual-2-tiered-Bramah-Mordan-type-key-with-19-slots-and-solid-pin?highlight=Bramah

No matter what it’s origin, in my opinion it’s a great key.

…Mark

[unknown]

Huw Eastwood

Ok Gents, thank you for all your comments, I guess its time to reveal all.

It is indeed another of my creations, and top marks if you sussed its a franken.

The main barrel started life as a waste stub of steel bar a week last Monday, and the bow is off an old bridge ward key to which I then added the additional extra fine fluting to blend it all together.

All the patina was added late on Friday. It still looked like this up until a few hours before I posted, so Doug’s ‘made yesterday’ was pretty much spot on!

Gary Stephenson

Stop showing off, now make the lock to suit the key 8-)

Huw Eastwood

:-O I’m still making the lock to fit the nested brass key I made ages ago!

Doug MacQueen

Well you’re still young so there is hope.

biblioclef

[INDENT]

oldlock wrote
Now Huw, don’t tease …

[/INDENT]

oldlock wrote
What ?
Where ?
Who ? (maybe - this one I will accept silence on)

Is it ‘real’ or a creation.

I am leaning towards a creation as the turning is not quite right IMO.

On a side note anyone know the largest key with the most sliders that was actually made by Bramah ?

Oldlock, is it the one with 18 sliders??? Is it your key by the way?

[unknown] [unknown]

Huw Eastwood

Gary Stephenson wrote
Stop showing off, now make the lock to suit the key 8-)

Ok Gary, apologies..
This is probably stage 1 out of what will probably be about 10,000, but you gotta start somewhere 8-)

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step 8-)