The Evolution of the Trusty Safe

Security has always been an important part of human existence. This is particularly true when it comes to our most valuable possessions, which we have developed many ways to protect. For instance, the concept of the bank can be traced back to the days of the Knights Templar. However, did you know that safes existed as far back as the 13th century BCE? Of course, the technology behind these strong boxes continues to evolve. In order to appreciate where we may be headed, let’s take a look at the road that brought us to digital safes.

Early Safes: A Far Cry from Digital

It should come as no great surprise that the purpose of safes has remained the same over the centuries. However, the same cannot be said about the associated locking mechanisms. The Egyptians employed a series of pins that would be required to fall into position before the door would open. The Romans improved upon this concept with the use of tumblers and lugs. This made the safe much harder to “crack”, and around this time that keys began to appear. Each key would be shaped to unlock a single safe, dramatically increasing levels of security throughout the empire.

PRE-Modern Times

Safe suppliers began to enter into an industry of their own in the 18th and 19th centuries. Not only did the locking mechanisms become much more complicated, but additional features such as the presence of a bell that would alarm the owner in the event of a robbery were added. This was then augmented in the latter half of the 19th century with the introduction of timed locking systems. Timed locks only allowed the safe to open (even if the correct combination was entered) at a predetermined time. These were particularly popular in the Wild West of the United States, as they acted as extremely effective deterrents against would-be thieves.

The Dawn of Digital Safes

The technical capabilities of safe suppliers evolved once again in the 20th century thanks to the advent of electronic safes. As opposed to relying upon mechanical means alone, keypads and similar systems provided an additional layer of protection. With this electronic safes evolved into the products that we know today. Digital safes take the notion of security to the next level. Personalised pin codes, bio-metric thumbprint scanners, and even cameras designed to recognise the pattern of a specific retina have become commonplace. When you combine these features with the use of strong and lightweight materials, it is easy to appreciate why digital safes are indeed here to stay.

The good news is that the team at Trident Safes are able to provide customers with a wide array of styles, sizes and configurations to choose from. With our help it is easy to find the safe that best suits your needs. Whether intended for domestic use or within a commercial environment, it pays to be “safe”, so speak to our team for further infromation.