Ich bin ein Berliner! ;)

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Hi Guenter,

my congratulations,and welcome in the club! It seems this cuff has quite a story to tell, very nice!

Best,

Michael

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Great to see you finally get one.

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Congratulations Guenter and welcome to the club.
If only this Berliner could talk and tell us the story.

Best,

Lars

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Thank you, guys!

Michael and Lars (and everyone else, of course), I guess that you have (quite) the same Berliner version in your collection. Could you please show me a picture of the lock-case top? I wonder how the spots look like, where the big rivets are at my piece. BTW: the Y-Part of the middle bar is also fastened by two rivets, what is AFAIK not standard.

Best regards,
Guenter

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hooray.
Finally you have one. Welcome to the Berliner Club.
I am very happy for you as it was missing from your fantastic collection.
I was honored to see your collection twice now and this item is a great addition.
Perhaps I will be able to visit you again in a year from now.
Too bad you had to carry this all the way up the stairs to the 4TH floor!

Enjoy


Mark
O--O

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

"I am a jelly donut"

Howy
Cincy

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Thank you, Mark. You are always welcome.

And it's only third floor. At least here in Germany. Well, to reach the ground floor, you have to climb half a stairway, so maybe it's 3.5th floor.

Best regards,
Guenter

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hi Guenter,

I am quite sure that I do not have this model in my collection. The T-bar and the bows look like a Mühlenfeld Berliner, the lockcase is quite different. The feature that the T-bar is riveted to the lockcase is unique, I never saw this before. Could you please post a pic or two showing these rivets? Thank you very much!

Best

Michael

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hello Michael,

here it is.



So, maybe it is a "Bastard-Berliner" made out of two different broken cuffs?

Best regards,
Guenter

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hi Guenter,

After I had a closer look at all details on your cuff I actually believe this is a Mühlenfeld Berliner from the beginning.

First, looking at the bows. The teeth are identical to a Mühlenfeld as Michael says. Second, the Y-part with the hinge. The shape
is very much a Mühlenfeld.
Third, the top. The shape and dimensions to the lock house look like a Mühlenfeld but the key hole is over sized and most likely
by the person who made the repair. The key is most likely not original. Also the protruding hinge pin look like a Mühlenfeld in size.

The Y-part on your cuff is riveted but I believe it was once welded. I've never seen a riveted Y-part to the lock house on a Berliner, they are all welded.

Your cuff has been taken apart at one time as the rivets are replaced and visible. My guess is that this is a Mühlenfeld
which has been repaired and somewhat altered at the same time. Maybe it's a result by two broken cuffs put together.

BTW; the rivets on an original Mühlenfeld are never visible seen from the top of the lock house. They are flush. Not even the
rivets from the back side are clearly visible.

You still has a great piece of history!

I have added two photos of a Mühlenfeld Berliner to compare.

Best wishes,

Lars

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hello Lars,

thank you for your ideas, information and the pictures. They reflect my own thoughts. Personally I believe that the repair was made maybe in the Third Reich, because of the differences to the original patina. But I also think that the key is older than the repair, because it has the same dark brown patina as the cuff.

Best regards,
Guenter

PS: the cuff was found in a loft by an old gentleman.

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hello Guenter,


I also believe the repair is made a long time ago, possibly during WWII.

The key is interesting as it seem to be made by two pieces. It's more or less impossible
to tell weather old keys are original or not. For instance, the Mühlenfeld restraints had several
different keys. See photo.

Best wishes,

Lars

?t=1440754647

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Lars, you're right! My key is made by two pieces.

So, I have a name for my cuff - I call it a "Frankenstein-Berliner"!

Best regards,
Guenter

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Hello Guenter,

Your Berliner has lots of history to it and I really like the nickname

Best wishes,

Lars

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

.

Lars, Thanks for posting the pictures of the keys.
Have you seen more than 1 of the brass keys?

I would not have guessed that the factory would have made the keys from brass as it is too soft to use on some of the strong springs inside these cuffs.
It is so decorative too.
I would have guessed that it was a key to a furniture lock.

Guenter, Love the name of your newest item.
Please remember that:




Enjoy!


Mark
O--O

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

Mark,

I understand your question about the brass key and I agree with you. Brass is not the optimal metal for keys
as they get worn out due to softer metal.

The key in question came with a "small size Mühlenfeld 115", previously owned by fellow collector and editor Jean-Michel Robin.
He told me the cuffs came with this key and he thought of it as an original.

That doesn't mean the key really is the original. As an answer to your question; I have not seen another brass key.
On the other hand, this is the only "small size 115" known so there is not much to compare to.

For the people who are wondering what we are talking about, I have attached a photo of a "standard Mühlenfeld 115" compared to
the small size version which also could be referred to as the "small key hole version".

Lars

Sorry Guenter for "stealing" your thread but keys is an important topic

?t=1440799197

?t=1440799803

Hello fellow collectors,

after all these years I managed to fill another gap in my collection and finally get a Berliner. Well, with its crude rivets (maybe this is even an old repair) it’s not the most beautiful specimen, but I do not complain, cause the price was OK (but no bargain). It’s fully functional and the key seems to be original.





Best regards,
Guenter

Click to expand...

@Mark, well, it's not easy!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxxSIX3fmmo

Best regards,
Guenter