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Berlin Key

en.wikipedia.org

141–150 of 153 posts

Re: Berlin Key

#141
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can replace the lock with one of these: https://5.imimg.com/data5/EI/SP/MY-3690463/hardwyn-hcl-301-2...

I don't think I ever saw these used in a residential setting. Commercial buildings are a different story.

I've not seen them in Germany for example, but the cylinders were standard, so it's an easy swap (you can keep the old lock and swap it back if you leave). Keeps you from being locked out, for sure.

Re: Berlin Key

#142

Any sociologists want to summarize the Latour essay?

I'll take a shot.

The subtitle of the essay is "Doing Words with Things", which is a reversal of the famous essay of John L. Austin "Doing Things with Words". Austin pointed out that words have practical effects. Consider the speech act 'I do', when two partners marry: it are the words that have a specific effect in real life.

Now Latour claims that we -- philosophers, sociologists, but others as well -- have to pay attention to the effects material objects have on people interacting with them. He claims that a specific way of acting can be inscribed in an artifact.

So the key is an example of this: you can only take your key out, if you lock the door behind you. Rather than having a message next to the door saying "Please lock the door behind you", this type of behaviour is enforced through the artifact itself.

So social mores or norms can be inscribed in and enacted through material objects (and not just through words).

At least that's an ELI5 version of what the essay intends to convey.

Re: Berlin Key

#143
post #19

Video showing how it is used, really neat! https://youtu.be/UW4jZLEgaiU

It seems that you can accidentally, or not, lock the door without fully closing it, thus leaving it essentially unlocked, so the key isn’t quite fool-proof.

Some have a lever on the edge of the door preventing the key turning if the door isn't closed

Re: Berlin Key

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can't leave through my (brand new, to-code) front door from inside without a key to unlock it first. I'm sure I'm just ignorant, but it sounds like your lock is on backward. Every front door I've ever seen can be unlocked from the inside without a key. Example: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Schlage-Deadbolt-Satin-Brass-Single... Could you link to a lock that's similar to what you're talking about? I'd feel very unco…

This is what a lock in Germany and most of Europe looks like: https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmax-attachme... It's the same from both sides (except for the screws, you can only unscrew it from the inside). Both the inside and the outside have a keyhole, and while a key is in one side you can't put a key in all the way from the other side (this way you can lock from the inside, leave the key in, and ev…

In Sweden I only recalled having seen internal keyholes on older installations, newer homes have a turn on the inside. Haven't lived there in years tho so only going off of vague memories.

e.g.

https://productimages.biltema.com/v1/image/product/small/200...

or

https://dam.inwido.se/files/19/6619/6619_2_820.png

Re: Berlin Key

#145
post #17

The English description on that page doesn’t make it easy to understand what this key does. ”Its name comes from the fact that it has two key blades (the part which activates the bolt) at each end of the key, rather than the usual single blade” How does that lead to the name “Berlin key” or either of the German names? I would guess “Berlin key” comes from the fact that it predominantly is used in Berlin. ”After unloc…

[deleted]

Re: Berlin Key

#146
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please contribute to the Wikipedia page, you seem to have some better information than is there currently.

It would be reverted immediately. Requires external sourcing.

The other names are already on the German wikipedia page: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durchsteckschl%C3%BCssel

Re: Berlin Key

#147
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those are peodominately used in situations where someone could reach in (via a broken window or space between bars) and simply unlock it. A solid door should not have this type of lock in the US.

I think it could be a US / Europe thing. In the UK (where I'm originally from) I think almost all door locks I've seen require a key to unlock from the inside, but in the US (where I've lived for 7 years) I don't think I've ever seen one - they deadbolt usually has something that you can unlock by hand without a key from the side (and not even an option to lock it from the side with a key).

I'm also from the UK but I left more than 30 years ago. I feel nervous every time I visit my family in the UK because now they all have locks that require a key on the inside and frequently the key is misplaced.

I understand the reason for it but I wish a better solution could be found.

Re: Berlin Key

#148
post #14
post #10

I'm surprised some houses still use this. As it's impossible to leave the building without a key in case of a fire. I suspect it may even be illegal today.

As an American living in Switzerland one thing that has consistently surprised me is the difference in fire safety rules: not having any smoke alarm or fire extinguishers in homes is common, and it's also common to be able to lock people inside rooms/apartments/buildings so that they can't leave without having a key. It's possible to lock someone in my apartment even if they have the key if the door is locked with th…

I'm currently living in an apartment in Switzerland where the house and the whole street is a UNESCO World Heritage. Due to the building regulations that accompanies, lots of wood is still used. Like for example the whole attic is made of wood.

Because of that we can call the firefighters at not cost, even false alarms are not penalized. But no mandatory smoke alarms or fire extinguishers even though this building still has a working old time furnace for heating. Go figure.

Maybe they expect the Swiss neighbor watch to raise an alarm more accurately than a smoke detector would. Old Swiss people are always suspiciously watching over their neighbors.

Re: Berlin Key

#149
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is what I did when I moved into my house. Dead bolts only, and dummy handles below.

deadbolts can still have a key on the outside & a paddle-knob on the inside. That's the normal case here in Canada.

Right, but I can't lock myself out with one.
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