What type of lock would use this key?

[Peter McCollum]

Hi,
At the link below is a pic of a key that belonged to my late father. I'm wanting to learn what type of door/cabinet/safe normally uses this type of key, and any comments about the date-range.
Visible markings are "Independent Lock Co.", and "Fitch[burg]...". I understand this is ILCO, but from an earlier time.
The key should be pre-1975, and may go back to the 1950's or so.
I'm not a locksmith, but I understand some basics of lock types and such.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kioUHMhqIQw2A0cZmHoahrklO-nENKrx/view?usp=sharing

Thanks!
Pete

[jeff kiral]

According to what I found, this is either for an entry door or a padlock.

However, I cannot find any key blanks in KBD12 that have those notches in them. Possibly could be for a safe deposit box. In any case, it looks like a low security key, meaning that it probably went to a padlock in my opinion.

[Peter McCollum]

On Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:56:42 PM UTC-7, jeff kiral wrote:

> According to what I found, this is either for an entry door or a padlock.
> However, I cannot find any key blanks in KBD12 that have those notches in them. Possibly could be for a safe deposit box. In any case, it looks like a low security key, meaning that it probably went to a padlock in my opinion.

Thanks Jeff! I didn't want to 'bias' the conversation, but I should mention that based on Dad's career, I expect it would be for a room or file-cabinet or safe that would be found inside a secure government facility. A lockable filing cabinet (or safe-deposit-type box) from the 50's would be my first guess (without any real data on my part). As for security, it perhaps would NOT need to "stop a bad guy", but rather to prevent other personnel in the facility from getting into something if they didn't have the correct key in-hand. I have a bunch more random keys from Dad's things. I'm going to see if there's another of the same style that still has the original markings on it.

[Peter McCollum]

> On Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:56:42 PM UTC-7, jeff kiral wrote:
>
> > According to what I found, this is either for an entry door or a padlock.
> > However, I cannot find any key blanks in KBD12 that have those notches in them. Possibly could be for a safe deposit box.

I found the "KBD12" doc online. For the cross-section shape, the Yale 998ZG is very close (but no dimensions are given). In other ways, it looks like many of the safe-deposit keys.
FWIW, mine is 2mm thick, and 8mm wide. And 28mm from the tip to the base of the head. The deepest cut is about 2.5mm.

Pete

[newpreceden...@gmail.com]

As a locksmith who specializes in antiques it looks more like a higher quality steamer trunk (like the one sold here https://www.ebay.com/itm/113940176657?hash=item1a875d1f11:g:HssAAOSwzaJX4FIK ), safe deposit box or security cabinet key is also very possible, especially given the information about your father's career. Whatever it went to it was definitely a variation of a lever mechanism, rather than pin tumbler lock. It's definitely interesting as I've never seen, in person, that bow design on an old ILCO. You probably won't find it in any modern key blank catalogue.... In the next few days I'll go through some of my scans of antique catalogues, I've got stuff going back 1890s through 1970's, and see if I can come up with a better idea.