W Bell & Sons lock

abt20v

Found this in a old box off brass items my grandfather gave me…. Would love to know a little bit about this lock if anyone has a link or something ;-)

Dean Nickel

There is a chance that lock was in the US Navy back with they had sails. Can you post a picture of the backside? Do you have the key?

Tom Gordon

That exact lock (minus the “USN” and “Federal” words) is still made in the UK by Squire

Dean Nickel

So the question is when did that lock start production?

Tom Gordon

Over here we call it an “Old English Padlock” design….which is older than “old” would be in the US :-)
Does anyone think that these might be being made in India with sellable markings stamped on?

Scott Klemm

I have exactly the same USN padlock except mine has the name James Morgan & Sons. I made an enquiry about this padlock on 03-04-12, and oldlock responded. He said it was a fantasy lock made in Hong Kong. According to oldlock, “I discussed it a few years ago with a Squire factory rep and he knew all about them.”

Adrian Weber

I was also about to say that it looks exactly like the Squire but it also does not look like a fake to me. But the fakes are getting better in better. Could it not just be that Federal also made locks that look like the old English ones? What do you guys think?