Ultimate & One-off Freestanding Safes

Huw Eastwood · 2014-04-11T13:27:20+00:00

Hello everyone, here’s a subject I’ve discussed with many people countless times over the years, and thought it’d be a good one to get some discussion going on here with members world-wide. Over the years a few of the big safe manufacturers have produced an ‘ultimate’ bespoke safe for unique circumstances, usually at the request of a large banking institution or private corporation. I’m talking free standing safes here, and not ‘walk-in’ strong rooms or vaults, which have of course been covered many times in other threads. By ‘ultimate safe’ I’m referring to unique one-offs or small-run (2 or 3 units for example) which are constructed differently and above a manufacturers standard production ‘high grade’ safes. I’m not thinking of the countless so-called ‘luxury’ safes on the European market, as these are mostly just re-worked ‘badge engineered’ versions of other manufacturers euro grade models. I remember seeing a safe on the net which I think was presented to the Vatican as a gift, for use by the Pope- again from what I could see it was yet another re-worked euro grader made by someone else, fitted with pointless gimmickry and it’s 1 or 2 million price tag was meaningless, likewise another euro grader a few years back, (which I still fall off my chair laughing when I think about it) ‘styled’ like a Bugatti Veyron and actually licensed and endorsed by the company (with an equally ridiculous price tag). I’m not thinking of safes with ridiculous paint jobs, any of the so-called luxury models with plush interiors and automatic watch winders, carbon-fibre cladding etc. Also exempt is anything bling- 18K gold S&G combo dials with baguette diamonds set around the bezel (ohh yes- you’d be amazed) aren’t what I’m talking here, I’m thinking of ultimate security safes built 100% for all-out protective security and defence. I’ll start things off with a great candidate for number 1: 1- 1980s SLS Gem This one, for me at least, is undisputable as only 2 were ever made, and both examples were uniquely constructed, and not just based on one of their existing top of the range Bankers Treasury models. They also produced a slightly lesser ‘Sapphire’ version of which a few more units were made. I think both were produced in the mid 1980s, and that one of the Gems was destined for HM the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and the other for private use in the Middle East. The latter example I think ended up at a US dealer and was offered for sale at about $45~$50,000 some years back. A truly serious safe of massive construction- although relatively small in terms of overall size, the protective door slab and walls were 8 inches thick, and it featured SLS’s usual aluramic (aluminium with ceramic) armour with glass plates and randomly positioned live and dead relockers. 2- 1929 Chatwood CB Quality Here’s another of which only 2 were ever made. This one has been briefly covered in a post elsewhere on here, but surprisingly had little reaction. You can see a couple of very rare pictures kindly posted by safeman on his ‘Very special Chatwood’ thread. Produced purely at the unique request of the Commercial Bank of Scotland, ( the CB stands for commercial bank),both were identical and nothing short of monstrous in size and construction. Much larger sized than the SLS Gem, with 10 inch thick door slab and 10 inch walls and a weight of about 7 tons, this beautiful Chatwood is possibly the largest and heaviest free stander ever made? Also interesting is despite a door 15 inches thick overall, they didn’t give it crane hinges and huge capstan handles ‘vault door style’, it just had an ordinary brass loop handle, standard hinges and looked pretty similar to one of their early Diamond safes. 3- Tann Diamond This model started as a one-off special commissioned by DeBeers for storage of their most valuable stones at their London HQ. Featuring heavier walls and defences than their Super Treasury, the Diamond started out as a single bespoke unit but was so successful it resulted with DeBeers requesting several more. Tann’s then went on to produce an altered, toned-down version of it as their standard top-of-the range safe above the Bankers and Treasury models. Other possible candidates: 4- Chubb With such a long and prestigious history I think there must be many Chubb examples which we simply never got to hear about, especially in terms of those produced for Royal use. Their ‘bird cage’ built to secure the Ko-I-Noor (think that’s how you spell it) diamond at the 1851 Great Exhibition is definitely one worthy of mention, but the overall principle it employed isn’t really a ‘free standing’ safe as such. Likewise after the famous Cornhill robbery and other similar hold-ups they pioneered new secure containers for bullion and cash, but these were mostly heavy rectangular chests and strong boxes, and not really free standing safes proper. Chubb certainly made their mark with bespoke strong room and vault installations worldwide, but I’m not aware of any one-off ultimate safes to include here. Anyone know of any? 5- Fichet- Le Super Fichet? Not sure of this one- there’s some old literature floating around which might suggest this was just a very expensive top-of-the range model and not a commissioned one-off. They made a very heavy safe in the mid 1920s which I think was model 242. had a very thick stepped door and a weight of about 2500 kg- absolutely incredible for the size of the safe. Some suggest the later ‘Le Super Fichet’ of 1928 was a one-off improved version of the 242, but I don’t know for sure. Anyone know anymore? There must be many others from all those European and American manufacturers, so it’d be great to hear what you guys can add from around the world 🙁happy):

Gary Stephenson

Huw Eastwood wrote
Unfortunately no pictures and never seen one, and not intending to worsen your condition and make you drool even more but Hobbs apparently made an anti blow-pipe copper alloyed ‘Branch Bank’ of even higher level than the progress G’s that for some reason was never even catalogued..

picture of a progress g

[unknown]

Huw Eastwood

Wow that came out of nowhere! Cheers for posting that Gary- what a beauty, so even the G’s retained their characteristic Hobb’s look, it’s even got the classic rolling-pin hinges- only the handle looks a bit different. Still original paint and lining too, that’s cracking!

safeman

Huw Eastwood wrote
Wow that came out of nowhere! Cheers for posting that Gary- what a beauty, so even the G’s retained their characteristic Hobb’s look, it’s even got the classic rolling-pin hinges- only the handle looks a bit different. Still original paint and lining too, that’s cracking!

Not many to be seen nowadays. Interesting handle much publicised in 1865 as Hobbs Patent Locking Handle.

I’ll stick in some other illustrations of the “Progress G” and details of J M Harts Patents including the Progess G’s Patent staple boltwork.

I’ve included an early illustration of the “G” Strongroom door which shows the locking mechanism in some detail,

The last patent from 1911 for an anti-explosive device was probably the first such protection and from memory fitted to the Branch Bank quality which also had the Hobbs National Protector as one of the locks.

[unknown]

Chubby

What type of AED was that one?

Gary Stephenson

tried to post some Hobbs aed pictures, but wouldn’t let me, will try later. Love the old Chatwood and Hobbs stuff, if I had to pick something modern as good gear it would probably be Leicher grade 6.

Gary Stephenson

tried to reduce their size

Chubby

So simple, but it would be hard to design anything much more effective at blocking the boltwork.

I remember seeing something similar on a Hobbs 3.5″ door. I don’t remember it having the warning, though. Of course a simple deadfall like that is fine as a dead aed on a strongroom door, but is vulnerable to an “Australian attack”.

I wouldn’t fancy trying to burn into the door. That chain would very easily melt.

Huw Eastwood

Some nice clear photos there, they sure don’t make ’em like that anymore- love the boltwork on those clutch-bolt SRD’s.

Seeing the advert safeman posted for the diamond merchant’s safe reminded me I’d seen old images of those before but never with Progress G mentioned, so was unaware that they were actually ’G’s.

Interesting info on the locking indicator handle, never even heard of it before let alone seen one! Thanks again Gary & safeman.

Paul Prescott

Gary Stephenson wrote
picture of a progress g

Nice indeed - where was / is it and what locks were fitted ? Looks like a combo dial in the middle ??

[unknown]

Gary Stephenson

I seem to remember it had three keylocks, I assume anti-violence, bankers change and protector, but the safe was locked up and many years ago, I think they scrapped it eventually although I would hope someone who knew what it was saw it and saved it, but probably not.

Gary Stephenson

just looked at the photos again, cannot remember a kc lock on it, so maybe the middle bit just controlled keyway shutters, old scans of photographs, so cannot make out details

Huw Eastwood

Just been looking back at the Bankers clutch-bolt SRD’s safeman posted and now realise I was wrong in thinking what I thought at a glance was the boltwork shown on the right being that of the door on the left.

It clearly isn’t- it’s even more interesting in that the boltwork shown has the huge Anti-violence lock at centre height, plus what I’ll guess is the Patent solid change-key protector lock at the top, and what I’ll also guess it the basic powder proof protector lock down the bottom.
But whats really got me curious is the position of the rack and pinion drive for the boltwork. Assuming the handle spindle drives the centre pinion gear (there’s nowhere else for it!!!), that would put the handle three quarters of the way down the door near the bottom…

safeman

Chubby wrote
So simple, but it would be hard to design anything much more effective at blocking the boltwork.

I remember seeing something similar on a Hobbs 3.5″ door. I don’t remember it having the warning, though. Of course a simple deadfall like that is fine as a dead aed on a strongroom door, but is vulnerable to an “Australian attack”.

I wouldn’t fancy trying to burn into the door. That chain would very easily melt.

Chubby, this relocker is in two parts - the chain restrained drop bar and the cross-locked ball-bearing plate next to the bolt throwing gears.

I would have found it difficult to explain without Gary’s photographs. In the third picture with the bolt and cover removed it is just possible to see the relocking bar tilted out at the lower end and behind which is a large ball bearing which will have dropped out of it’s retaining recess to cross lock the relocker.

[unknown]

safeman

Huw Eastwood wrote
Just been looking back at the Bankers clutch-bolt SRD’s safeman posted and now realise I was wrong in thinking what I thought at a glance was the boltwork shown on the right being that of the door on the left.

It clearly isn’t- it’s even more interesting in that the boltwork shown has the huge Anti-violence lock at centre height, plus what I’ll guess is the Patent solid change-key protector lock at the top, and what I’ll also guess it the basic powder proof protector lock down the bottom.
But whats really got me curious is the position of the rack and pinion drive for the boltwork. Assuming the handle spindle drives the centre pinion gear (there’s nowhere else for it!!!), that would put the handle three quarters of the way down the door near the bottom…

Huw, I think this can be explained as ‘artistic license’. Having looked at the Progress ‘E’ drawing the same misplacement is very similar. The artist may have sacrifised layout in order to enlarge the lock detail of the Anti-Violence lock.

[unknown]

Chubby

OK, so once fired it deadlocks in place. So the Australian attack wouldn’t work!

Gary Stephenson

Chubby wrote
OK, so once fired it deadlocks in place. So the Australian attack wouldn’t work!

curious as to what you mean by the Australian attack, turning it on its ar**?

[unknown]

Tom Gordon

Gary Stephenson wrote
curious as to what you mean by the Australian attack, turning it on its arse?

Giving the safe so much beer that it throws up its contents all over the floor?

[unknown]

Huw Eastwood

Tom Gordon wrote
Giving the safe so much beer that it throws up its contents all over the floor?

Tom that could also be a Welsh attack using Brains SA…

Think Gary had the right idea but adding the extra bit of info I can think that’s missing would probably be a bit over the boundary for here, anyway I have to admit that gave me a good laugh Tom 😃:

Chubby we all know you like your AED’s so knowing an Australian attack won’t work why not try the full sideways Bulgarian AED attack using very strong Rakia..

[unknown]

Chubby

Yes, some crude AEDs are just a deadfall and in those cases inverting the safe will free them.

Huw Eastwood

safeman wrote
Huw, I think this can be explained as ‘artistic license’. Having looked at the Progress ‘E’ drawing the same misplacement is very similar. The artist may have sacrifised layout in order to enlarge the lock detail of the Anti-Violence lock.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17161[/ATTACH]

Thanks safeman, good old artistic licence I don’t think I would have thought of that tbh, it certainly had me scratching my head when I realised the bolt work handle was only two foot up from the floor!

[unknown]

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