Q: "Who needs a Safe?" A: Most robberies are a very quick event. The thieves plan to be in and out before anyone notices. Typically they will be out to grab small items they can easily carry without drawing attention. You may even be home when they call. The best protection for your possessions is to lock them in a well hidden and/or properly fitted safe. And it must be fitted
correctly.
It is becoming more and more common for thieves to steal the safe when they can easily remove it!
Q: "Why do locksmiths sell their safes for so much when I've seen them in the hardware for a third of the price?"
A: Well, we all know you get what you pay for. That safe in the hardware store is actually a very good safe - for the purpose it was built. Unfortunately the hardware staff aren't always trained with the knowledge a locksmith spends years learning and so they will quite correctly tell you it is a safe - end of story. Not quite. There are many different types of safe for many different applications.
For example;
Cash safes, pistol/rifle safes, document safes, magnetic media (computer tapes) safes, wall safes, floor safes, deposit safes, travel agent safes, etc. The safe typically sold in a hardware store is a fire resisting safe. As stated earlier, they are very good - at protecting paper from fire. They are, on the other hand, not very good at protecting jewellery from a thief with a
screwdriver
By the same token, a safe sold as a thief-resisting safe may not always protect your birth certificate from a fire - though some can.
Q: "Is a second hand safe inferior to a new safe?" A: Not always. A safe holds it's value well as they are usually very robust and their quality rarely changes over time. Though as safes can last forever, much older safes may not be fitted with modern day advances in thief resistance.
Q: "What locking mechanism is more secure, a key, combination or digital lock?" A: They all are very similar in resistance to manipulation and unlawful opening. The difference really is in the convenience and cost. Some people don't like carrying that large key in their pocket or trying to remember which way to turn the combination dial first. A digital lock may be the answer. Some people don't like having to remember a new number (along with their bank account passwords etc..) and prefer the straight forward method of turning a key. It really is a personal choice.