“No one person invented the safe. Instead, the lock system, which all safe systems are based upon, is first credited to the ancient Egyptians, inventors of primitive lock systems to secure tombs and homes. Linus Yale, Jr., invented the modern combination lock in 1861, rapidly adopted by banks to secure their goods.”
Today there are basically nine different kinds of safes, including wall, in-floor and drop deposit safes all of which are mostly used for businesses. Can safes are a type of diversion safe and are very popular. Digital electronic safes and biometric safes are relatively new and are becoming more popular every day. Hotel safes are a very specialized product used only in hotels and motels.
But in this article we are going to talk about the favorite types of safes across America. Home, gun and diversion safes are the top three favorite types of ways to secure and hide valuables.
The purpose of all safes is to protect valuables from burglary, robbery, fire and other natural disasters. While it is true that some people specialize in breaking into safes, they are few and far between and most of them can be found in federal prisons.
By far the most popular are Disguised Diversion Safes. These are actually hollowed out containers of household, food and cleaning products that contain areas to hide small valuables such as jewelry, cash and credit cards. Some of them are even big enough to hold a handgun. One of the more popular models looks like a book that can fit into a bookcase or even on a coffee table. The idea behind them is to hide and protect valuables “in plain sight.” A burglar spends no more than 10 minutes inside a home and is highly unlikely to look at a jar of peanut butter, for example, for jewelry.
Gun Safes are next in popularity, mostly because close to 70 million people in the United States own handguns or rifles. These are considered prime targets for burglars because they are easy to pawn and easy to steal so it’s up to the homeowner to protect these dangerous weapons.
One example of a gun safe and one of the biggest available can hold up to 45 guns simultaneously. It is fireproof rated up to 1250° and weighs over 1,000 pounds empty. The exterior measures 72″ x 42″ x 28″ and it has a door thickness of 5 inches that is hard armor plated and drill resistant.
Home Safes are a favorite of homeowners because they are both fireproof rated for two hours at 1250° and most have vertical locking bars to prevent burglary.
They are much more expensive than diversion safes, but if you own more than $500 worth of jewelry, you should have a secure place for it. Most of them are big enough so they can also hold handguns and other items of value.