History of Ilco?

KD

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Feb 3, 2003, 8:38:29 AM2/3/03

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Does anyone know or have links to the history of Ilco (now Kaba-Ilco)? I
haven't been able to find anything on the web. I know they were Ilco-Unican
for a while...
When did Independent Lock Company change to Ilco? When did they start
marking keys Ilco instead of Independent Lock Company? When did they move
from Fitchburg, Mass?
Anyone have an old catalog or key blank reference?
Thanks.

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d...@tanj.com

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Feb 3, 2003, 2:17:37 PM2/3/03

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KD <KD_locksmit...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know or have links to the history of Ilco (now Kaba-Ilco)? I
> haven't been able to find anything on the web. I know they were Ilco-Unican
> for a while...
> When did Independent Lock Company change to Ilco? When did they start
> marking keys Ilco instead of Independent Lock Company? When did they move
> from Fitchburg, Mass?
> Anyone have an old catalog or key blank reference?
> Thanks.

There is an article in the april 1979 Locksmith Ledger about "ILCO/Unican:
60 years of growing..."

Summary; Ilco founded by Morris Faulk, first keys on market in 1922.
Unican was started by Aaron Fish, a teenager, in the late 1940s.
The push button lock that, in my mind, is most associated with Unican
was developed for Bell-Telephone of Canada in 1961.

Unican was incorporated in the US in 1968. In 1972 Unican acquired
the Independent Lock Company, forming ILCO/Unican. They moved to Rocky
Mount NC the same year.

I saw another article on Kaba, which detailed their acquisition of
ILCO/Unican. I don't remember where....

The article was quite interesting, giving a good sense of the history.

Daniel

d...@tanj.com

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Feb 3, 2003, 2:30:27 PM2/3/03

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KD <KD_locksmit...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know or have links to the history of Ilco (now Kaba-Ilco)? I
> haven't been able to find anything on the web. I know they were Ilco-Unican
> for a while...

For Kaba's press release when they acquired ILCO...
http://www.kaba.com/e/presse/presse22122000-e.html

Daniel

KD

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Feb 3, 2003, 3:11:31 PM2/3/03

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Thanks!

<d...@tanj.com> wrote in message news:lfz%9.153273$_s4.53998@rwcrnsc54...

> There is an article in the april 1979 Locksmith Ledger about "ILCO/Unican:
> 60 years of growing..."
>
> Summary; Ilco founded by Morris Faulk, first keys on market in 1922.
> Unican was started by Aaron Fish, a teenager, in the late 1940s.
> The push button lock that, in my mind, is most associated with Unican
> was developed for Bell-Telephone of Canada in 1961.
>
> Unican was incorporated in the US in 1968. In 1972 Unican acquired
> the Independent Lock Company, forming ILCO/Unican. They moved to Rocky
> Mount NC the same year.
>
> I saw another article on Kaba, which detailed their acquisition of
> ILCO/Unican. I don't remember where....
>
> The article was quite interesting, giving a good sense of the history.
>
> Daniel

Leon Rowell

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Feb 3, 2003, 5:11:21 PM2/3/03

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I have ILCO catalog #8 (no date), Catalog # 9 (Dated 1930), Catalog # 10 (dated
1932), & supplement #10A (dated 1934).

Leon Rowell

KD

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Feb 4, 2003, 7:17:53 AM2/4/03

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What's in the catalogs? Locks, key blanks, both?

"Leon Rowell" <leo...@netins.net> wrote in message
news:3E3EE909...@netins.net...

> I have ILCO catalog #8 (no date), Catalog # 9 (Dated 1930), Catalog # 10
(dated
> 1932), & supplement #10A (dated 1934).
>
> Leon Rowell

Leon Rowell

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Feb 4, 2003, 10:21:28 AM2/4/03

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KD,

Catalog #8 says on the cover: Cylinder locks, Padlocks, Key blanks, Hardware, Auto
Switch keys, & Lock accessories. It also shows three models of Key Machines in the
back.

Leon Rowell

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Feb 4, 2003, 10:28:08 AM2/4/03

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I forgot to mention it says in the front of the book "Complete stocks carried at
the following branches":

23 Warren St. New York, N. Y.
2109 Cass Ave. Detroit, Mich.
183 W. Lake St. Chicago, Ill.
17 North 5th St. Philadelphia, Pa.
121 Second St. San Francisco, Calif.
406 Wall St. Los Angeles, Calif.

Leon Rowell

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Feb 4, 2003, 10:32:03 AM2/4/03

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I forgot to mention it says in the front of the book "Complete stocks carried at
the following branches":

23 Warren St. New York, N. Y.
2109 Cass Ave. Detroit, Mich.
183 W. Lake St. Chicago, Ill.
17 North 5th St. Philadelphia, Pa.
121 Second St. San Francisco, Calif.
406 Wall St. Los Angeles, Calif.

Leon Rowell

KD

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Feb 4, 2003, 11:15:08 AM2/4/03

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Very interesting... Thanks.

"Leon Rowell" <leo...@netins.net> wrote in message

news:3E3FDCF3...@netins.net...

> I forgot to mention it says in the front of the book "Complete stocks
carried at
> the following branches":
>
> 23 Warren St. New York, N. Y.
> 2109 Cass Ave. Detroit, Mich.
> 183 W. Lake St. Chicago, Ill.
> 17 North 5th St. Philadelphia, Pa.
> 121 Second St. San Francisco, Calif.
> 406 Wall St. Los Angeles, Calif.
>
> Leon Rowell

Leon Rowell

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Feb 4, 2003, 11:34:31 AM2/4/03

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No problem....

Leon

j.k.lock

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Feb 4, 2003, 7:11:52 PM2/4/03

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The book "Locks and Lockmakers of America" by Tom Hennessy of the Lock
Museum of America contains information about many manufacturers,
including ILCO. For example, it says that the ILCO marked keys
started appearing aroung 1922. I believe that the book is still
available from the museum (Terryville, CT).

randyha...@gmail.com

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May 5, 2019, 10:52:28 AM5/5/19

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