Help id lever lock stamped 'U.S.'

Pete

I found this smoke house style lever lock on my farm in the dirt. Case is rusted, so no markings, but ‘U.S.’ is stamped on the key hole cover, which is brass along with the escution. Measures 2.5×2.5×0.75. I’m looking for the manufacturer, date, and significance of the U.S. stamping. Thanks in advance!

Pete

Please! Anyone? Help! I’m going to pee my pants I’ve been waiting so long and I know someone can help me!

oldbiscuit

Pete, Your lock was made by the “United States Lock Co.”. They were in business around 1860-1880. They were located in Shelburne Falls Massachusettes. They were sold (the company that is) to Yale Lock Co. Your lock in the condition it’s in has very little if any value money wise. However,the fact it was dug up on your farm could make it a collectable keepsake or an interesting conversation piece. I hope this answers at least some of your questions. Mark🙁happy):

Pete

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Thanks for the info Mark! Would there be a book I could purchase that would have a photo of the lock (the way it should look) and some info on it? I don’t have time to get into lock collecting and am amazed that there is so much interest. Lots of interesting info in this website. I fugured the lock isn’t worth anything in it’s condition, but you are right it has lots of value to me. What would it be worth if it wasn’t all rusted?

Pete

Dean Nickel

Value of any lock always depends on if it has a key, if it works and what condition it is in. So if you had that lock in new condition and a key that worked it might be worth $40-200 depending on the market you were selling it in and if someone else had one in that same show or online. Sales of old locks are a fickle thing. Sometimes you get $40 for the same lock you got $150 last time for only a month or two before. I had 3 locks at one time and let them go over a 6 month time frame. The first one was ok but the one in the middle was the lowest and the last one was the highest. Nothing had changed in how I worded the ad and the starting price.

In your case I would say that cleaning it will destroy what little value you have. But putting a compound to turn the rust isn’t out of line like those used on restoring car frames. Now that you have removed it from the ground it will rust faster.

Brian Denyer

I have seen this illustarted in a Russel & Irwin catalog form the US Civil War time period.
If I recall it was dated 1863.

Brian …………………………………….

oldbiscuit

Pete check out this web site Iron & Brass Locks 1 or get a copy of “The Padlock Collector” by Franklin M Arnall. Another good book is “Early Locks and Lockmakers of America” by Thomas F Hennessy. There was a book put out several years back on Smokehouse padlocks,but I can’t remember who the author was and I think it’s out of print now.Mark

Pete

Thanks Dean, Brian, and Mark! The lock was my great, great grandfathers. I found it on the family farm, unfortunately, burried in the dirt. Everything else here of value was stolen, so I guess it’s just as well. There isn’t much left to rust, it’s very brittle and falling apart, and I have used the rust converter chemicals in the past, and liked the results, so I’ll probably try to preserve it as best I can that way. It’s nice that it has some brass on it, otherwise it would be impossible to id. Thanks for the book references, I may set up a mini museum and having some documentation might be useful. That Russel & Irwin catalog might be of help also to id some other things I find. Thanks again everyone!

Pete

———- Post added at 06:03 AM ———- Previous post was at 05:49 AM ———-

oldbiscuit wrote
Pete check out this web site Iron & Brass Locks 1 or get a copy of “The Padlock Collector” by Franklin M Arnall. Another good book is “Early Locks and Lockmakers of America” by Thomas F Hennessy. There was a book put out several years back on Smokehouse padlocks,but I can’t remember who the author was and I think it’s out of print now.Mark

I checked out the website, but they all look like English manufacturers. The locks all do look similar to the one I found, but none really match. So U.S. Lock Company stole the smokehouse idea from the English?

And doing my research, on farms in this area, the house was never locked. The only building locked would have been the smokehouse, since it had the valueable meat in it. And it was also common on farms to hide the meat in the grain bins in the granery, but I think they did that so the mice and rats didn’t get to the meat. You don’t think of people stealing back in the day, but if you were starving, I guess it makes sense.

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