The Romans were the first people to come up with the concept of padlocks around 500 BC. They created iron locks with metal bolts that held them closed. Keys were required to open these locks. Basic keys were created by bending metal at 90 degrees, and while this wasn't high-tech, it worked efficiently.
Tumbler Lock, Egypt, Iraq, Greece, 1000 BCE
This simple tumbler lock was probably invented around 1000 BCE, although a date of 2000 BCE has also been proposed. Many sources believe this lock was invented in Egypt, though locks of this type have been found in ruins in Iraq that predate those found in Egypt.
The first key
Egyptian locking (wooden) was first used 4,000 years ago, and what is fascinating is that the principle of their invention is still used for today's mechanical locking devices. The wooden peg key was recorded at 14 inches long for doors and if the lock was on a main gate the key could be 30 inches long.
Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, circa 2000 BC
The earliest door lock consisted of a wooden crossbar on two wooden brackets mounted on the door and the door frame. The next stage in development was the use of a key. Bolted and barred.
Most historians agree that the oldest lock was found among the ruins of a palace in the Near East around 930 BC. Famously labeled as the first-ever tumbler lock, the device went from Egypt to Greece and Rome and was even found in ruins across the Middle East and Europe.
The earliest known key (and its corresponding lock) was found in the ruins of Nineveh, the ancient capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. This simple key was simply a wooden prodder that could be inserted through a small hole in a door. It worked by lifting a bar of wood placed across the inside of the door.
History of mechanical locks started over 6 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, where locksmith first managed to create simple but effective pin tumbler lock that was made entirely from wood. It consisted of the wooden post that was affixed to the door, and a horizontal bolt that slid into the post.
The Kieldrecht Lock (Dutch: Kieldrechtsluis), referred to as the Deurgank Dock Lock (Dutch: Deurgankdoksluis) during construction, is the largest lock in the world.
The ancient Egyptians invented primitive tumbler locks that held a bolt in place across a door; their tumblers were wooden pegs up to two feet long.
Bump keys are specially cut keys that can bypass the security mechanisms built into traditional pin and tumbler locks. Bump keys are also referred to as “999 keys” because all of their ridges are cut to the maximum depth (999) in a key-making machine.
A piano has many keys but can't open a single lock.
"A Piano" is the correct answer of this riddle.
Master Keys Set. Occasionally, someone will want the locks they use in their institution, organization etc. to have “mastered” locks. This means that although all the individual locks have individual keys, there's also a “master” key that will open them all.
As early as 4500 years ago, there were doors that swung on their own hinges. Originally they could only be locked from the inside using beams and bars. The only manageable material available for making a door or gate was wood, which was an expensive product imported from the cedar forests of distant Lebanon.
W. A. Martin is an African American inventor who patented the lock on July 21, 1889. This was an improvement over the 4000-year-old bolt invented by a Chinese.
The Romans used several types of locks for doors: the Laconian or primitive wooden pin tumbler lock, the padlock and the built-in or fastened-on metal lock.
The Stronghold SS100CS padlock is the world's strongest padlock.
Kwikset Standard Deadbolt
The standard Kwikset deadbolt is the most common lock in America.
The two chambers have rises of around 68 ft and 34 ft respectively. Passage through the double lock can take between 45 and 60 minutes. (See photo on right.) The deepest lock in the world is Oskemen Lock, bypassing a hydro-electric dam on the River Ertis in Kazakhstan, with an incredible rise of 138 ft (42m).
Some Medieval treasuries and armouries had up to a dozen locks on the door! Read more about Medieval locks. With gallant knights away on Crusades for much of the first half of the second Millennium AD, it became traditional for the Lady of the House to keep the keys to important safes and storerooms.
Along with simple latches, rim locks or box locks that mount onto the surface of the door were the primary locks seen on houses from the early 18th century to about 1850. Before a lock industry fully developed in America, many such locks were imported from England.
Lock picking is a combination of skill, training, practice, specialist tools and patience. However, trust us, that is not the profile of the typical UK burglar. UK burglars are not highly skilled, trained lock pickers. They are thugs who try and batter their way through your door and lock.
One of the most common (and easiest to pick) locks is the pin-and-tumbler, which is a type of cylinder lock. Cylinder locks are used in most deadbolts. When picking a pin-and-tumbler lock, put the tension wrench in the keyhole and turn it as if it was a key.
Deadbolt door locks are the most secure type of key lock and are commonly used on exterior house doors. Single and double cylinder locks are classified by strength from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Grade 1 is the highest and provides the best security.