Antique Key?

[hosman321]

Ok, so I won this on ebay. Not even really knowing what it was. Now I feel kind of stupid. But the guy has a great ebay store and all of his other items appear to be totally legit.

Is this really a key? I can't find any key online from any century that looks like this. To me, it kind of looks like some sort of wrench rather than a key. Some kind of old tool? Any ideas? Total amount came out to $24.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120517627566

[waywardangler]

I collect tools but I have no idea what this is.  It is handforged or blacksmith made.  If it is a key, what type of lock would it open?  I have never seen anything like it but the fun part is to find out what it is and what it does.  Where else can you spend $24 and get that kind of entertainment?

[talesofthesevenseas]

Love the smooth, worn patina on that piece! I'd say go for it if it intrigues you and it's certainly got the cool factor going for it! It looks to me like maybe something you would use to take hot kettles off the fire? I would flip the item over to use it so that the "spikes" are up and would prevent the kettle handle from slipping off, and the arc of the shaft would help leverage it and you can use two hands. I would call it a "pot lifter". Just my guess!!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I wanted to comment, that seller does have a lot of really cool stuff!!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Here's a modern equivalent. A pot lid lifter:


Yours would look great on a kitchen wall! Love it!

[KC]

talesof...was going through my old sites and found this one and it has a beautiful hand door knocker on it....plus some mighty interesting padlocks!  Ya'll might have fun taking a look see!

http://somethinbeautiful.blogspot.com/2009/05/unique-vintage-keys-locks-knobs.html

[Skinny]

I wouldn't think that it's a key in the sense that it opens up some sort of lock. I just can't imagine that. It could be a tool that was used to wind up some large clockwork mechanism. That's called a "key" also isn't it? Otherwise, it could have been used to do something to some other sort of old machinery. It does say "early industrial revolution" to me, so the seller could very well have got it right at late 1600's to early 1700's. This thing wouldn't look out of place as a tool in an old water grist mill or water powered textile factory either. Unfortunately, the brave workmen risking their limbs next to the huge open gears and belts aren't still around to confirm or dis-confirm that theory.

A great looking hand made good deal for the price if you ask me!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Neat site KC! That door knocker is the hand of Venus holding an apple like mine is. That one is a more finely detailed version than mine. Love the locks, especially the figural ones!

This still looks like a pot or lid lifter to me!

[cogar]

That could very well be a door key but not a key for a lock made of metal. Via the date of 1650 to 1750 one has to remember that most all locking mechanisms were individually hand made and are probably better described as latches.

Thus, that could very well be a “latch key”. Think of a big, thick wooden door with a “slot” cut through it that was just barely big enough to insert that “latch key” through it to engage a “brace” or “trip lever” on the inside and then by pushing or pulling on the “key” one could then open the door.

The spacing of the two (2) prongs on the end of the key would be the “key” as to whether or not one could move the latching mechanism.

[hosman321]

Thanks for all the responses everyone. Did anyone else see that revolutionary war wool blanket he has? I'm losing the faith in him a tiny bit. He's selling a wool blanket from the 1700's-1800's for $75 that is in perfect condition. That would be worth thousands if it were really from the revolutionary war era, wouldn't it? The sites I found that make wool reproductions charge several hundred for a 1700's repro. I don't know, just my thoughts.

I can definitely see now how this could be a key. More precisely, a "latch" key.  Makes perfect sense. Again, I have been searching for latch-type keys like this and can't find any. I'll keep searching though to see if I can find any similar ones! I know it's a small object, a piece of metal. But if it is actually that old I'll be thrilled with my little piece of metal! Put it this way, we spent more money ordering pizza tonight than this item cost me. So, like wayward said...it's worth the entertainment alone! I'll probably put a little rope on it and hang it on the kitchen wall or something. Since something this simple is easily made these days, is there a good chance someone could have just forged this in recent years and it just looks old? Is there any way on earth to tell old iron pieces from new ones? Aside from patina. I mean...to me, metal is metal. I don't know anything about it! Thanks for all the help, I learn so much here!

[hosman321]

Ok, I found a few keys on this website that look a lot like mine. Not exactly, but bascily the same shape and concept for a key. The first two are from ancient times. The first from Egypt. The second from Rome. The third pic is medieval. I know mine isn't ancient. But now I'm finally starting to picture it. That medieval one looks like maybe the actual key part is corroded away though. I can't tell which end is up...




http://www.nokey.com/ankeymus.html

[KC]

I was wondering as well if it was a key that would turn on old lamp lights on city streets!  But 10" in length isn't that long for this type of thing.

Talesof....I was thinking that the pot lid lifter was feasible....but thought they were typically thicker!

I do lean towards the latch key item with cogar!  My grandfather had a pretty rough looking key of this sort for his barn from my recollection!

[talesofthesevenseas]

Cogar, can a latch key be this big? The Ebay listing says it is 10".

[talesofthesevenseas]

Whoops I missed part of the post above please ignore my post above!

[cogar]

I guess so, it would have to be big and long enough to reach through a really thick wooded door and still have enough of a handle sticking out to grasp firmly in one's hand to push or pull the "trip" lever say as big as a 2x4 or whatever. I have never seen a picture or a drawing of one, I just faintly remember reading a short description about such a locking mechanism.