I am glad to see so many people responded to my request for information about
the ‘pandora box’. The best lead was came by Jason Jones. He found a similar box
for sale on antiqenet.com … Price : $17,500.00 USD!
There is a lot of info on the antiquenet site about it:
Description: A rare French antique iron clad three key strong box. Makers mark Brevete – Magaud de Charf – Marseille Oak frame, clad with iron plates and thicker 2-3 mm iron strap reinforcements. The round bosses are fasteners, large steel rivets found on all sides. The interior has iron sheeting formed to cover the frame. Oak sorting shelves finish the inside. – All three keys, latches and mechanicals fully operational. Opening instructions documented and illustrated.
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Status: Sold Reference#: DF7_101
Condition: fine Year: 17th century
Country: France
Height: 39 in. (99.06 cm) Depth: 20.5 in. (52.07 cm)
Width: 28.25 in. (71.75 cm)
The nice thing about the antiquenet.com add is it contains some very high detailed
images of the keys. Enough to give us an idea what to expect and what it is going
to take to open it. The next challenge is to find blanks this size to modify ….
Maybe we will see the box in real life this wednesday. To be continued…
Some L shape wires will easily open these locks,
They are only warded locks with no ‘biting’ as we know it,
Should take you 10-15 mins to open the box in this way at the very most,
pw: Maybe you are right. I do have some extreme strong L-shaped hook wire that could do the job. Let’s wait and see …
Well good luck guys 🙂
Grumble … four of the finest Toool members have tried their best for over two hours. Many times we had the feeling to be ‘very close’ to open the box. But it remained closed. We will try again in a week or two, bringing more and better tools this time. And use lots and lots of WD40 to soak the mechanism before we try …
agreed…it has absolutely no biting, best to use an L shaped wire or if you can, a french key that fits…your going to need a lot of lubricant on such an old thing..good luck!
a little out of text but if anyone is interested in a s&g model 833 i have 2 up for grabs
pablo:
what would be considered up for grabs?
I’m definitely interested
mail me : rukwind at gmail
DO YOU KNOW WHY THERE IS 3 KEYS… ?
I’ve got the same safe box…
Regards
Fabrice
I have found one of these boxes on display in Trinidad at Fort George, not in great condition. Would be nice to know how it got there and who it was made for.
The front lower panel has the initials
E P A
C
I myself am English and working in Trinidad for 2 years and found this site by chance.
thank you for article that you post in Antique
I have found a very similar box in Cairo Egypt – see http://www.antique-locks.com for a couple of my comments on similar boxes there.
I have the three keys to my box, which opens easily using the left key only. The middle main key not being used and its corresponding main lock mechanism having seized open. the little key is for gaining access to the two large key holes – all key holes being originally hidden away.
My box incidentally seems taller than the box illustrated and advertised for 17,000 dollars. It has a bottom door as large as the top door with the three keys. The bottom door opens with an internal handle. There is no bar between the two doors.
I’d be happy to provide photos etc. if required.
Buenos dias soy jose de españa, estoy interesado en la compra de la caja fuerte,pero queria saber cual era el precio yo estaria dispuesto a pagar 6000€, tengo una coleccion de este estilo y es lo que estoy pagando por ellas, gracias
I have a very old lock from the interior of a wooden chest (long since rotted away), and it takes 3 keys to operate as well.
Would you know anything about this or where I would get more infomormation ?
? AM FROM TURKEY.? HAVE SAME CASE.WHEN ? SAW THE CASE ?N TH?S PAGE ? REALLY EXC?TED SO MUCH.BUT ? HAVENT SECAND CASE .
pardon i havent 3. case key