New safe-opening weekend March 20,21,22

Traditionally Rob Zomer and Paul Crouwel organize a “safe opening weekend” every year. And this year is no exception. On March 20,21 and 22, they will (assisted by a group of other experts) try to open some of the 33 locked bank safes that were collected over the year and are waiting to be opened on a terrain in Haarlem (NL).

Martens Rosengrens safe LIPS VS safe

The ‘safe opening weekend’ is a very internationally oriented event and this year people from the US, France, Spain, Germany and the UK have shown interest in attending.

Even though we have a relatively large group of people working the safes, it will most likely not be possible to open all 33 safes in one weekend. Some safes on the top of the list are a martens rosengrens and a couple of Lips bank safes (like a Lips Europlanet, LIPS VS and Lips TAR).

safe cracking weekend

In the previous events the main focus was to drill the safes open. This year the focus will shift a bit to picking and decoding the locks, as well as trying a really unique tool that will hopefully open a high grade ‘unpickable’ safe lock…

We will also finally try to fully disassemble the ‘Russian lock‘. This extremely rare and special lock had been analyzed quite far, yet one part still remains a mystery. Hopefully we can fully take it apart this time and get it to reveal the last secret part. I will do my best to capture it on video …

The ‘safe opening weekend’ is meant for safe technicians all over the globe to learn from each other. If you are a safe tech (preferably SAVTA member) and want to attend this event, please mail Paul Crouwel (crouwel@xs4all.nl). If you are allowed in, the fee for the weekend is 60 euro (for food and drinks).

6 Responses to “New safe-opening weekend March 20,21,22”

  1. Is there space for a tool developer? 😉

  2. jord says:

    If any of you is interested in a good and cheap Hotel in Haarlem for the Safe weekend the tip.

    http://www.hotelhaarlemzuid.nl/packages.aspx

    Away for the Weekend
    3-day package consisting of
    • 2 x night stay in a comfortable room
    • 2 x breakfast
    • 1 x three-course dinner
    Room type: Standard
    Arrival: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
    Bookings: Throughout the year
    Exceptions: Holidays
    Price: € 119,- p.p.

    Based on a double room.
    Extra charge one person: € 35,00 p.n.

    see you there

  3. Barry says:

    Jaakko: As a new and rising star on the tool making firmament I think it would be good to have you there. On the other hand, Rob and Paul are running the show, and maybe they will reserve the limited space for ‘new blood’ to someone who is a professional safe technician (and savta member).

    Maybe it is best to mail Paul directly: crouwel@xs4all.nl

  4. Barry, point taken 🙂 I would be interested in tagging along to examine the locks and tools, but I’m not going to squueze in if there are people that really belong there.

    I’ll probably send email to Paul about this, but I think my friend from England (SAVTA member) might come there if he has time and gets permission), so I’m not totally sure that I would come even if granted access. Also have to figure out how my school goes around those dates.

    Last years safe weekend would have been nice now as I’ve already got one year of school in metal working (welding, machining, building things) and know quite much about metals and cutting them, but NDE is more the way I like it 🙂

  5. jord says:

    http://www.valk.com/pages/?id=3780&pacID=40892

    This is the English site for the Hotel reservation the other one is in Dutch sorry for that

    Away for the Weekend
    3-day package consisting of
    • 2 x night stay in a comfortable room
    • 2 x breakfast
    • 1 x three-course dinner
    Room type: Standard
    Arrival: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
    Bookings: Throughout the year
    Exceptions: Holidays
    Price: € 119,- p.p.

    Based on a double room.
    Extra charge one person: € 35,00 p.n.

  6. Jason Barlow says:

    Hi,

    I just bought a house in Nieuw Vennip and to my surprise when I opened the cupboard there was a large LIPS safe in there.. size is @ 2 mtr high and 1 mtr deep and I guess 1 mtr wide I have not idea how to open and cant imagine how to move it… but if anyone has spare time or wishes to have a go over a beer or two your most welcome.