Posted 10 years ago
bmseld
(1 item)
I'm trying to find a key for a old Yale & Towne lock I purchased. I was wondering if you could help me identify what kind of barrel key I should be looking for maybe in the antique shops. It has a number on the back of the lock "16". Is there away you would know what date this lock was from and what that number means? Any help you could provide would be great!
bmseld,
Hi, for the past couple of years, this has been a hobby and a service I provide to people in my local area (E. Iowa) - i.e. matching old keys to old locks. I have acquired (and continue to build) a large set of barrel keys - currently around 1500.
Nice lock, btw!
Let me preface what I am about to say with the disclosure that I am NOT a locksmith. I have minimal experience and no formal training. Now, on to the lock...
The Yale lock you have belongs to a class called warded lever locks. That is, there is a lever within the lock that must be engaged to open the lock. There are wards (metal strips, posts,etc.) inside the lock that are designed to block every key except the correct one from obtaining access to the lever. This design is very old (several centuries) and in general, is NOT considered to be secure by today's standards.
That said, the Yales tend to be especially well built, with tight tolerance. For many non-Yale locks, a key that somewhat close may be just close enough to open the lock. Not so with the Yale.
Options:
1. Take the lock to a professional locksmith. This is probably your best option. Hopefully, there is a locksmith in your town that enjoys working on older locks and is willing to open then lock and make you a key. Be aware that not all locks of this nature can be successfully opened - the internal mechanism may be rusted. Also, locks can be damaged in process of picking them open. The locksmith will do the best they can but with old locks, there are no guarantees. This will be the most expensive option as well since it will be charged according to the time required. Agree on a "not to exceed" price before beginning the work.
2. Continue to look for a key that works. It is possible you will find a key that works - but it may take months - and you'll need to find someone like me in your local area -- i.e. someone who collects barrel keys and is willing to let you taken some home to try out or patient enough to let you stand and try several candidates.
The URL below is a link to an ebay photo of a lock like your and the key you will be looking for. (I used "tinyurl" service to shorten then URL so that it was not eleventy billion characters long.) It appears the original may have been a short key, but don't restrict yourself to keys with short lengths. The bit end is much more important than the length.
http://tinyurl.com/key-for-antique-yale-lock
Ok so I just bought an older Yale lock without a key at the What Cheer flea market in Iowa and I live in Fairfield. How close are you to Fairfield? Thanks
I have the same lock but mine has the number 15 on it. I find information given outstanding and very helpful in my search for a key. I however would like to know what the 16 and 15 mean and some sort of date of the lock. I have talked to Locksmiths and they also want to take it apart to make a key, that is not going to happen. Any information will help, thanks in advance..
The number is the key number that matches the lock. I have several 14's and 15's. They used to come to the country stores boxed by the 24 with matching keys.