Thank you for welcoming me

Thez

Hi everyone, thank you for welcoming me to the forum. The photo in the first post is a French rim lock all complete with its original keys. The large key I suspect is also French and is 7 inches in length, the small unusual looking key is a French latch key, also known as an “Odell key”. I do have a couple of folding keys in my collection, the bit and stem fold back into the shank and bow effectively reducing the key to half its original length. They have no makers names or markings of any kind, l suspect that they might be American, they have that “Russell & Erwin” look about them. I will post a photo of them when I find them. Here are some of my largest keys, the biggest one at left is 9.5 inches in length, the other two are 9 inches. All together they weigh 1.5 kg, age and origin Unknown. They have significant wear to their bits which suggests that they have considerable age.

Huw Eastwood

Interesting keys, although I think there was more than likely some modification and alterations going on there to be honest.

The 7 lever key in the centre is the ‘odd one out’ and suggests to me the original stem/bow was cut and the brass bow added to replace the original to ‘fancy it up’.

Likewise with the fluted brass bushings on the other two keys, which are of a much older type. They look nice and add a nice contrast but are out of place on that type of key. They are interesting and nice looking keys though, regardless of their past and it’ll be interesting to hear what other members think.