Saturday, February 5, 2011

Antique Skeleton Keys And Their Appeal To Collectors

By Weasley Levitt


In today's world many are fascinated by acquiring things from past eras. Some go even further and seek out things that seem to have a mechanical bent to them. This can include an item that is as small as antique skeleton keys. They choose to acquire those items because of the many styles that they have been created in. Their design can often be said to be somewhat ornate as well as functional.

This object's simple design would often consisted of a cylindrical shaft or shank and a single minimal tooth or bit that wast flat and of a rectangular shape. Another feature that was unique to this type of instrument was what was called the bow. It is where the user would grasp it to insert it in a lock to open it. Its look range from something that was plain to extremely ornate.

The purpose of a key of this kind was to bypass the security measures of a lock that has been warded. Thus it has been filed or cut to fulfill that particular purpose. In times past they were used in the locks of cabinets of many kinds and doors to homes and businesses in the early days of Colonial America. They remained in common usage until about the 1940s.

These locks and the objects used to open them were most often made of brass. Pewter was occasionally used as well. Cabinet locks commonly did not have double action levers. Thus they were not as secure as their owners believed or hoped they were.

Today in modern times these keys still exist and are used in a more limited way. They are used for opening vending machines and handcuffs. Others are used in the restoration and remodeling of homes that were built in the Victorian era.

Antique skeleton keys are something that seems to fascinate many collectors. Their simple seeming design often includes functionality as well as beauty.




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