BS: Why cover the keyhole?

Subject: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 06:12 AM

In the Victorian School where we old the Chester February Folk all the keyholes are covered by swivelling brass covers.
On another forum 3 possible reasons have been suggested for this (one was a spelling mistake).

Over to you.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Bert
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 06:18 AM

To stop the wind whistling through.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 06:30 AM

I bet Victorians thought the idea of a visible keyhole was indecent. A bit like skirts round the "lower limbs" of a grand piano.   Come to think of it I expect MLC agrees.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:00 AM

It might help to have to have a more specific description of the locks in question.

Victorian era locks were mostly "keyhole" locks using rather primitive keys. The "security" grades generally had a small post in the center of the round part of the hole, which made for a slightly more complex key and limited the "wiggle room" for manipulating a "skeleton" key.

I'm unaware of any common use of keyhole covers on any such, and don't find anything similar in reproduction hardware sources.

A "cyclinder lock" with a round cover plate was sometimes used in business and institutional doorways, possibly beginning ca early 1900s and seen up to perhaps 1930 or 1940. The opinion of most locksmiths in my (later) time assumed it was "because it's prettier" although it may have been sold based on a claim that it provided some "tamper resistence." (School kids esp. are prone to "sticking stuff into" any hole that's handy - and if they don't see a hole they're less likely to mess with it?)

The real reason probably was that efficiently "picking" a cylinder lock generally requires two hands, with one to manipulate the pick and the other to handle a separate "torque blade." Holding the cover open was a separate (although exceedingly ineffective) way of making the operation a little less convenient. A bit of chewing gum sufficed to hold the cover open, so it was little real help (but of course since DNA testing became common a real pro burglar must not leave any such traces).

Any pictures of the locks in question (or similar) that you could link for the curious?

John

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: GUEST,Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:12 AM

I have fitted them to stop the wind whistling through. They make quite a big difference when it's blowing force 8 outside!

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:40 AM

Searching for key-hole covers may not hit the mark quickly.
The correct term is Escutcheon cover

Cheers
Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: s&r
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:41 AM

here's a few

I've seen them fitted to house doors and also cupboars doors and drawers. I always assumed they were decorative, although as BBCW says you can get a real draught through an open keyhole.

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:44 AM

I use blutac on the kitchen door. Even though we have a porch with a door and the 2 doors are at right angles we do get a fair old draught with the prevailing wind.
The school doors are internal (though i suppose schools may be draughty places), so my alternative suggestion on the other forum was
2. to stop people peeping through
3. I accidentally left out a letter in posting that suggestion, leading to another possible use. Not possible in a primary school I would think.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:52 AM

Good call, Nigel.

And I do recall that the keyhole of that style in an early house (ca. 1900 construction) did provide a nice breeze on windy days, so it might have been a useful addition.

I don't see much of an added value for inside doors, unless opening the cover lit up the keyhole so one could tell if they were being "peeped at." Kids in my day all knew they should turn off the lights on their side before they spied on big sister & her friends, so maybe that's why I didn't think of it.

More seriously, in larger houses it was common to heat only a couple of frequently used rooms and the draft from an adjacent unheated one could be quite noticeable. (Bedrooms upstairs at grandma's were never heated. And the chamber pots got really cold; but they wouldn't let the kids go out to the outhouse after bedtime.)

John

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 08:22 AM

All that was true in houses generally right up to the 50s. Central heating? What a strange notion.

It still makes perfect sense blockingb the breeze through a proper key hole. If you can't run to a brass cover on a key hole you could leave the key in to stop the breeze. And keep out the spiders (or keep them in maybe.)

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Charmion
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 08:37 AM

And possibly to hinder the practice of vadalising the lock by inserting a wad of chewing gum.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 09:42 AM

Such would also keep out dirt and dust that could jam the lock mechanism.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 09:48 AM

You can still buy them of course, if you want a properly attired keyhole - See here

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 12:06 PM

If you can't run to a brass cover on a key hole you could leave the key in to stop the breeze.

Advice in the '40s for people who still had the keyhole locks on their doors was that you should NEVER leave the key in the lock. A little jiggling would push the key out, and if you arranged that it would fall on a piece of paper pushed under the door you might be able to retrieve the key, from the outside, to unlock the door.

(In that era, weatherstripping was pretty much an ignored, if not nonexistent, thing, and a quarter inch gap at the bottom of the door was fairly common.)

Of course those locks were so primitive you didn't often really need a key ...

John

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 02:15 PM

That advice was intended for these days.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: gnu
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 02:20 PM

A small piece of brass didn't cost much. Making all the locks the same cut down on order picking (handling) and errors, thereby reducing costs. And, as rap says, THEY keep the dirt out. Note I said "they". One on each side also keeps the peepers out.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Ed T
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 04:40 PM

""I suspect a keyhole cover is used to prevent one from acting on urges to penetrate a keyhole with a metaphorical skeleton key.""

However, there are several products options that serve the same purpose:
•Security points, which are can be sanded to be shortened and/or blunted and are compatible with all current models.
•Security insert, which fits inside a cage. Short rubbery pins protrude from the insert much like a chinese finger trap.
•Flex points, introduced July 2011, which is something of a hybrid between the above two items. It replaces the plate, as does the security points, but has rubber fingers that extend into the cage. They too can be shortened and/or blunted and also works like a chinese finger trap, to offer resistance to keys inserted, without sacrificing any of the tube diameter. They are compatible with all current models.

The main difference between the two modelsis the weld seam is on the side. This would tend to make the the security insert less resistant to splitting, as has been reported on a number of forums.

If you have the luxury of time and the proper tools, the best way to cut either device off is to cut the lock pin just above the hole where the lock is placed. Ideally you would hold the lock with pliers to keep the target area exposed, and then use a keyhole saw to cut through the lock pin to remove the lock. It is much more economical to replace the lock pin than the whole device.

Generally, the devices are very discrete. Loose-fiiting pants are recommended, and darker colored pants tend to be even better. You will learn over time that you are far more conscious of the bulge that you can see than other people are. As long as your clothes are loose fitting, nobody will ever know. Swimming poses a different problem though, as wet trunks tend to cling to the lines of your body, therefore could be more noticeable. People that notice would likely dismiss it has having a large member. You could diminish that by wearing tight fitted underwear under your clothes to keep it closer to your body; spandex underwear works well, if you're willing to wear them.

How long does it take to get used to wearing one?
It will vary from man to man, of course. Initially it will feel awkward, but after a while once the right fit is found - typically a few hours to a few days - it will come to feel more natural, and you will become less and less aware of it as time goes on. You may even find it to be pleasant to wear most of the time, as it would be a constant reminder of your partner, or at least of your own sexuality. Some men can wear these devices for weeks, even months at a time! But always practice safety and err on the side of caution

A good starter reference is "Male Chastity - a guide for keyholders" by Lucy Fairbourne, a book available through various websites and outlets.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Les from Hull
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 05:06 PM

They are simply there to keep draughts out. They move so easily to the side there's no other explanation needed.

When Maggie got one for her front door and told me the name they are sold under I was quite surprised. Escutcheon is a heraldic term for the shield in armorial bearings ('a coat of arms').

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: gnomad
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 05:10 PM

Escutcheon covers were the norm on the better rooms of various Victorian and Edwardian houses I lived in or visited in the '50s to '90s. Even in the old domestic quarters they were not unknown.

I imagine those same houses could well still have some, where the old locks are still in place. In some cases just the pin on which the cover had hung was still in evidence. In others the lock had been superseded by something more modern but the cover remained, often painted into place, as a draught/spying preventive.

On outside doors the covers served an important function keeping the rain and atmospheric pollution from damaging the lock mechanism. Some padlocks still have a cover for the same reason. You also find some covers on furniture of the same era, though I would suspect that in such cases their function is merely decorative.

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Nov 11 - 07:14 PM

"You'll end up peeking thru a keyhole on your knees"

Maybe it's to keep Bob Dylan outta your business???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Why cover the keyhole?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Nov 11 - 05:02 PM

From a Google of   

Song Lyrics with midi - The Keyhole in the Door


The Keyhole in the Door

We left the parlor early
I think it was scarce nine
When by the chance of fortune
Her room was next to mine
Resolved like bold Columbus
New regions for to explore
I took a strange position
By the keyhole in the door.

In bending down in silence
And resting on my knee
Most patiently I waited
To see what I could see
She first took off her collar
It rolled upon the floor
And I watched her stoop to get it
Through the keyhole in the door
Sweet Jenny then proceeded
In taking off her dress
And most of her under garments
Some fifty more or less
But to speak the truth sincerely
I think there was a score
But I could not count exactly
Through the keyhole in the door

She then unloosed her tresses
Her waving chestnut hair
Which fell in streaming torrents
All down her shoulders bare
Then quickly she rebound them
More firmly than before
While I watched this witching process
Through the keyhole in the door

Then down upon the carpet
She sat with graceful ease
And raised her spotless linen
Above her snowy knees
Two dainty sky-blue garters
On either leg she wore
And they made a charming picture
Through the keyhole in the door

She then approached the fire
Her dainty limbs to warm
And nothing but her shimmey
Concealed her lovely form
Thinks I take off that shimmey
I ask for nothing more
Ye gods I saw her do it
Through the keyhole in the door

And then with nimble fingers she
Donned her snow white gown
And on her bed sweet Jenny
Prepared to lie her down
Thinks I a bed so ample
Might hold at least one more,
But I did not dare to say it
Through the keyhole in the door.

Then down upon the pillow
She laid her lovely head.
The light she then extinguished
And darkness veiled the bed.
No use in waiting longer
I knew the show was o'er
So my post I then abandoned
By the keyhole in the door.

So come ye men of science
Why strain your eager eyes
A-gazing at the planets
That alumernates (sic) the skies?
For there are greater wonders
That you know of in your lore
For a telescope is nothing
To a keyhole in the door.

Child #27
From Songs the Whalemen Sang, Huntington
From the Journal of the Andrew Hicks, 1879