A New Safe a New Challenge

Again I managed to get my hands on an unopened safe from trademe.

This one is small and light which is a nice for a change. I can just put it on my desk to analyse it.

After some internet research I found out that this safe is one of these hotel safes that have a digital combination lock. Next to that is a tubular key lock which is normally covered by a panel which can be removed. This key lock is an overwrite which enables the safe to be opened if the combination was lost or the batteries had died.

The person selling had the safe at his rental property and the tenant went overseas leaving no key or combination. I am quite certain that the safe is mostly empty. When shaking it there is only a very small rattling inside (maybe the key?).

The keypad shows no signs of life (there are 3 LEDs above the keys which stay dark no matter what I press). If anybody has any information or manual for these types of safes (like, how to set a combination,) let me know.

I think that the key lock is the weak part of this safe. If the batteries are empty it might be the only option anyway.

The Origins and Contents of the Safe

After some research on the internet I managed to reconstruct most of the details of how the safe ended up being on an internet auction for me to buy.

In 2000 an American couple bought a holiday home in Christchurch, New Zealand, bringing the safe with them. She tragically died in a car accident in 2006 in Texas. A relative then investigated the safe (which apparently led to the drill holes next to the lock) and wrongly declared it empty. The husband returned to New Zealand in 2008 and got an auction house to auction the contents of the house. This included the locked safe. A local antique dealer bought a number of items, including the safe, on this auction. He tried two locksmiths to open it and eventually gave up, not wanting to spend more money on it. He then listed it on TradeMe a New Zealand internet auction site similar to eBay, where I managed to buy it.

When I finally opened the safe it was full to the brim with things. Most of it were documents, family photographs and other family mementos. Besides that there were two sets of US silver flatware and a collection of bead necklaces.

A few days ago I managed to contact a son of the previous owner. Many of the documents in the safe related to him. He was very pleased to hear that some items thought to be lost were still in existence. He asked me to send him the family photos, mementos and documents, which I did yesterday. He gave me some further background to the safe. It has been in his mothers family since they bought it in an auction in 1977. He still remembers the last combination it had, which is different from the one it has now. He thinks its likely that his mother had the safe opened at some stage due to loss of the combination on her part.

My next plan is to have a closer look at the lock by taking off the inside cover of the safe door. I will report about that as soon as I find the time.

The safe arrives

Today the safe was delivered by the seller. It was easier to move than I expected, due to wheels that allow it been pushed sideways. I estimate the weight top be somewhere between 100 and 200kg. I could easily manoeuvre it into the basement.

My first impression is that it looks better than on the pictures. For some reasons the safes surface appears rusty on the photos.


I am publishing more photos of the safe here:
Safe Photos

The seller told me that he bought the safe in an household auction after the owner died in a car accident. The drill marks next to the dial and the cut marks in the base were already there when he acquired the safe.

The make of the safe as stated on it is:
Herring Hall Marvin Safe Co Hamilton Ohio

How I bought the safe

I bought this save on a New Zealand internet auction site beginning of this week:

Safe auction

The seller indicates that the combination to open the safe and the content of the safe are unknown. Further it is clear from the questions and answers in the auction that multiple attempts have been made to open the safe, including drilling and cutting into the base. Wether any of these attempts were successful is unknown.