Are you the gatekeeper?

February 25, 2006 10:35 AM

Can you identify this key?

It's been in a drawer in our house for years, and no one remembers why. It doesn't fit any lock we can find in our possession (jewelry boxes, doors, luggage...). Now we're just curious about where it came from. I know this is a long shot, but can anyone recognize this key or make an educated guess as to its origin?

Actual size is 2.25 inches (57 mm). Scratches and grooves in the metal seem to indicate that it has seen some use in the past.

posted by mbrubeck to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

Best answer: My parents have a few very similar keys that fit their antique dresser, chest of drawers, and china cabinets. My best guess it that is for an older piece of furniture.
posted by Meredith at 10:49 AM on February 25, 2006

I was going to say it looks like the keys we have to our old china cabinet.
posted by terrapin at 11:04 AM on February 25, 2006

Definitely looks similar to the key that our family had for an antique cabinet.
posted by cloeburner at 11:10 AM on February 25, 2006

Yep, I concur...it's probably from an old cabinet, which may not even be in your house any longer. If you've seen the movie The Indian in the Cupboard, your key's remarkably similar to the key used to open the antique cupboard in the story, which looked sort of like a fancy wooden painted wall medicine cabinet. In the movie, the mother collects old keys, and has a biscuit tin filled with keys that look like yours.
posted by iconomy at 11:14 AM on February 25, 2006

Agreed, in fact the "key" part (the section that goes into the lock) looks exactly like the key to our desk/bureau seen here, vintage late 1800's I believe.
posted by jeremias at 11:15 AM on February 25, 2006

Response by poster: Amazing! Meredith's post prompted me to go to the garage and unearth a beat-up old secretary desk. The key unlocks the top desk drawer. (Sorry, no further mysteries or treasures in the drawer.)
posted by mbrubeck at 11:21 AM on February 25, 2006

most certainly for an old secretary or cabinet ... my grandparents had one of those with a key just like that
posted by pyramid termite at 11:24 AM on February 25, 2006

Is it also possible that it could be a reproduction? I vaguely remember the local craft store selling these by the bin-full a few years back...all repro hutch/curio/armoire/china keys.
posted by kaseijin at 12:06 PM on February 25, 2006

Meredith might have been right on the money, but it sure looks like an old-fashioned handcuff key to me...
posted by Incharitable Dog at 12:12 PM on February 25, 2006

I've seen one like this on a grandfather clock's door.
posted by wackybrit at 1:06 PM on February 25, 2006

Damn, before I clicked the link I was ready to say "G# minor?"
posted by ludwig_van at 9:30 AM on February 26, 2006