The term “safe” is derived from the word “safety” and indicates its main purpose which is to provide safety and protection for our valuable items from theft and fire and while many people are familiar with the basic concept of a safe there are
several interesting and less known facts about these secure containers such as:
History of Safes
Although modern safes are a relatively recent invention the concept of securing precious items go back to ancient civilizations like the ancient Egyptians who created hidden chambers in their pyramids and tombs to protect their treasures and in ancient Rome they also used secure lockable boxes as “safes”.
Fireproof Safes
Fireproof safes are specifically designed to protect contents against high temperatures and fire but what many might not know is that these safes contain a layer of fire resistant material that is activated by heat and this special material can store water like gypsum which releases water vapor when heated helping to keep the interior of the safe cool and protect its contents from fire damage.
Many modern fire safes also use perlite which is a type of volcanic glass that originates from magma and the use of this special material is an advantage because of its excellent heat resistance.
Safe Cracking and Manipulation
Safe cracking or safe manipulation involve skilled techniques to open a safe without the combination or key and preformed by professional safe crackers who are listening to the sound or feel the movement of the safe internal parts to detect the correct alignment in order to open it and although it looks really easy in the movies it is a real skill that requires patience, finesse and a deep understanding of the safe specific design.
Time locks Security Feature
Time locks are a feature in some high security safes particularly in bank vaults which prevent the safe from being opened until a predetermined time has passed and this feature acts as an extra security measure against burglaries as it makes it impossible to open the safe even if a robber has the combination or key.
The most expensive safe
The most expensive safe in the world as of 2024 is the “Narcissus” and it was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, with price tag of $336,000 it features a high gloss chrome plated aluminum interior, handcrafted cabinets with watch winders and drawers that automatically open upon owner recognition and its dimensions are six foot tall, one foot deep, weighing just under a ton it is one of the slimmest safes available.
