Locks and keys are ancient technology – yet they’re still some of the most common mechanical devices ubiquitous in our lives today. In this blog entry, the lock and key experts here at SOS Locksmith will share some interesting and scintillating facts about locks and keys.
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In Medieval Europe, villages would have a single assigned keykeeper tasked with guarding everyone’s property in town, as well as locking people’s homes!
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The Ancient Egyptians created the first pin locks out of wood about 4,000 years ago – and these large devices needed more than one human to open often.
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In 1917, the first key copying machine was built with a wheel and sheet metal. Before this, all keys were made uniquely, and would have to be duplicated by hand.
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The Ancient Chinese developed unique padlocks in the shape of animals. Only the most powerful of families had locks.
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Female Vikings considered having keys a sign of social status. Married women kept keys, and would wear their family keys on their dresses as honor – the more keys carried, the more respect you commanded, signaling your heightened level of responsibility.
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During the 1800s, wealthy Victorian families would buy Story Locks with pictures on either side. These are incredibly rare to find today.
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A unique form of puzzle box safes were created in Japan’s Hakone, and were meant to hold small items or sharp items from children. Some larger puzzle boxes even held words or expensive tools. These boxes could only be opened with the right sequence of movements, and were named himitsu-bako.
