[Mock]

I have no idea where to find the answer to this and hate to make a whole thread about it, but it must be noticed! Does anyone have any idea how long it would take for a medieval locksmith to produce a key? It's, ah, a vital part of my story.

Sorry for wasting your time / give me an answer now or I will put a hammer through your monitor. :)

EDIT: Medieval locksmithing, by the way. Talk about setting the standards high...

[Dazzlinkat]

In those days size really matters. Exceptionally large and/or small keys require more work. Also, what is the key to be made out of? Does the locksmith have to mix metals: tin and iron, tin and copper, etc, or does he already have basic forms on hand. Another factor is did the locksmith make the lock or is he making a key for something he needs to examine first? Is he making the key in his own shop or does he need to use a traveling kit and bare essentials? How complicated is the lock?

[Mock]

Oh. Um... :o

I guess it would be a regular size, and he already has the materials on hand. Actually, is it possible to have a gold key? Because gold is yummy for fantasy toys. The whole thing is pretty unrealistic, I guess. The locksmith is given some drawn diagrams and has to do it all based on that. He's doing it all in his smithy or whatever. As for the lock itself... not sure, hadn't really thought about it. I don't think it has to be complicated, but this key is supposed to be the only thing that can handle it. I guess it could be simple. I'm thinking Pirates of the Caribbean, if you've ever seen that. Don't know if the chest of Davy Jones is actually hard to open, but only his key can unlock it.

Blah, now I'm obsessed with the idea. Thought it would actually be a semi-original idea for the introduction of the standard magical artifact--having it actually being made by your standard peasant, instead of it simply being found by our hero.

Thank you for your help (regardless of whether you can make any sense of this junk)!

EDIT: Oh, crap, and it's medieval too, not modern. Sorry...

[Dazzlinkat]

If the key needs to be mostly gold, then come up with some alloy to make it stronger. Pure gold is very bendable and useless unless you add ... oh, tin. Tin was a VERY common metal to make into alloys. If a smith has a diagram describing exact dimensions, then probably no more than a day. Alot of the locksmith's job was in determining those dimensions, and the strength needed to turn the lock. The stiffer the lock, the stiffer the key.

[Mock]

Nice, thank you so much! One day. Gold and tin it is.

Dazz is a genius, people.

[TheGhost]

I looked into locks and lockpicking a few years ago. In the medieval times, they hadn't yet developed pin and tumbler locks; rather, the typical lock was called a warded lock, if I remember correctly. Maybe poke around on that and see what you find. Here's a free one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warded_lock

[Mock]

Thank you, sir! Right away.

[BrianC]

The main thing to take from that Wiki article is that a locksmith could not make a key for a lock without having access to the lock, or an already existing key, or a really good guess. Bronze or iron would likely be the most common materials.