Expert: Terry V Andreasen (Andy) - 5/13/2009

Question
QUESTION: TERRY. I have been restoring antique safes for 25 to 30 years. I just ran across your web site. I am impressed in the amount of information you have ie. dates of different companys mfg ect. do you sell any books, pamphlets, flyers ect with this info? thank you BILL

ANSWER: Bill,

No, in fact I have been toying with just that idea as there really isn't a "history of safes" book available.

The biggest problem has to do with time.  Between the full time job with the safe company, kids, grandkids, wife, sailboat & my motorcycle, I hardly have any time left over.  Ok, now that I've got my whining done, I enjoy the research, especially when a non-safe person has an older safe and wants to restore it.  I would love to be able to restore some of the beautiful oil paintings I have seen on some of the antiques, but my "artistic" capability is extremely limited, in fact kids with crayons probably are more artistic than me!  I am more mechanically inclined.

I would like to see some of the work that you have done.  If you have any pictures feel free to send them to me as well as a resume of your work, I'm always looking for people such as your self to refer customers to.

Thanks for checking in.

Andy
andy@securitysafeusa.com

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Andy. As I explained in sept I restore antique safes. I am in need of a person (hopefully you) who can make a 6pin key for a HERRING & FERREL grasshopper safe. The safe is open. also the owner would like to purchase any info you may have about this safe. Thank you.BILL

Answer
Bill,

Yes, I can fabricate a key, but i'm going to need the lock to make it.

Basic History for Silas Herring:
Competing safe technologies were tested in 1840.  "The great trial of safes at Coffee-house Slip, foot of Wall street, New York, in 1840, in which all the leading fire-proof chests then made were destroyed, while the newly introduced Salamander bore off the palm of victory, was witnessed by Mr. Herring."  According to another account, "About 1841, Mr. Silas C. Herring became interested in Wilder's safes, first as agent and afterwards as a manufacturer. In 1844, the safes under this patent were made by Mr. Herring." Herring agreed to pay Enos Wilder a royalty of one cent per pound for the right to be the exclusive seller of Wilder's Salamander safes in New York City.  In 1841, these safes were $40 to $250, and they were produced at the rate of about three a week.  In 1867, Herring claimed that since 1841 it had manufactured more than 30,000 safes.

Farrel, Herring & Co was kind of an "off shoot" of the Herring Safe Co.  It appears they joined around 1851 or 1852. In 1861 Silas C. Herring had 4 offices, two were listed under Farrel, Herring & Co., and two were listed under Herring Safe Co.  Many of the safes manufactured were basically identical but would bear the name of one or the other.  These companies continued until the merger with the Marvin Safe company and the Hall's Safe & Lock Co., in 1892, to form Herring-Hall & Marvin Safes.

Let me know if you need the key fabricated.

Andy