Chambers Banana German Lock???

[Dave B]

Barbie, Sign me up for one of those, its a beauty!

[Jim Chambers]

I appreciate the offer to pre-order this lock, but that is not going to help.  It'll just add more paper work to an already too large stack.  I can assure you I want to get this thing in production just as much as you guys want one.  If I just didn't have to sleep, eat or @#$%/!! I might have it finished sooner, but......  The version I finally get in production will have most of the relief artwork removed.  After trying to properly finish one of these with all that stuff cast in, I concluded that if you have enouch skill and knowledge to clean up all the relief stuff you have enough skill to chisel it on there starting with a blank plate.
I knew as soon as people saw it someone would ask for it in left hand.  The answer is a definite NO.  I doubt I'll ever recover the tooling cost on the right hand version, and even if I lived another three or four life times I'd never sell enough left hand ones to break even.

[omark]

just curious, jim, thanks.   mark

[marcusb]

Shame about the art work, it makes the lock

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I disagree marcusb.  I think the lock's architecture carries it, and frankly, would look better, to my eye anyway, engraved.  The internals are fabulous.

[James Rogers]

I disagree marcusb.  I think the lock's architecture carries it, and frankly, would look better, to my eye anyway, engraved.  The internals are fabulous.

Agreed. Much can be created with one unadorned from the start.

[marcusb]

I agree Taylor, the internals as usual look great

As for the decoration

Diffrent strokes

[omark]

I disagree marcusb.  I think the lock's architecture carries it, and frankly, would look better, to my eye anyway, engraved.  The internals are fabulous.

Agreed. Much can be created with one unadorned from the start.

well, some can.   then theres the rest of us.    mark     

[Blackpowder Barbie]

With ski season upon him, Mr Chambers may be able to squeeze in any lock time until spring. 

Thought ya'll might get a kick out of this photo too!  The hotdogger himself!

[t.caster]

Yah....that pic must be 20 years old
I got out yesterday and X-C skiied for the first time on my new knee (replaced Feb. 2010) and it worked great! I have a couple miles of trails thru my back woods. Snow & weather conditions were about perfect, but they change constantly around here, so you can't get a regular routine going throughout the winter

[Daryl]

Hmmm - why 2 different locks in the pictures? Note the fixed, lower jaw postion of each picture. It is also less heavy than the top one and has a narrower waiste- maybe just an optical illusion. Saw one of those once before, through a beer stained glass.

[Blackpowder Barbie]

Yah....that pic must be 20 years old
I got out yesterday and X-C skiied for the first time on my new knee (replaced Feb. 2010) and it worked great! I have a couple miles of trails thru my back woods. Snow & weather conditions were about perfect, but they change constantly around here, so you can't get a regular routine going throughout the winter

Nope it was taken in 2008.  He didn't bring home any photos last year!  Think he was like you, excited to have a surgery that allowed him to ski - back surgery that is.

[t.caster]

My hat's off to him! Must be a survivor! I can't think of anyone I know in our age group (60 something) who can still ski downhill. Much less, so gracefully

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Geez Daryl...I'm impressed with your powers of observation.  I agree, that they are two different locks.  There are too many things different for them to be one and the same.
Barbie...?  Jim...?

[Blackpowder Barbie]

Ok, I thought those were the two photos I needed, but you guys are right, the bottom photo is a different lock.  What lock - I have no idea?    I'll try and take a photo of the back of the correct lock tomorrow and get it posted.   

[Jim Chambers]

You guys are correct, the photo of the internal side of the lock is from a flat faced German lock I considered making.  But, considering how long it is taking to do the round faced one, I don't think I will live long enough to do the second one.
As far as old guys skiing, I once overheard a French ski instructor tell his student who was not satisfied with his technique, "What do you expect, you're  been skiing only 23 years."  I've been at it much longer than that and (hopefully) have improved over the years.  At least I very seldom fall.  Actually, at my age I'm too darn afraid to fall.  Something would surely break.

[smart dog]

Hi Jim,
You are not that old and should be skiing the good stuff till you drop dead.  You should see some of the "old" guys competing in the Wintermeister races in Stowe Vermont.  That race combines giant slalom, a 10km cross country race, and a 5km speed skating race, all in the same day.  One of my friends who was over 80 years old used to compete every year.  I am 55 and still pack 45-50 lbs of gear into my study areas, which are sometimes 10 miles from the nearest access points.  The hiking is all bushwhacking up and down mountains and  through temperate rainforest or over wet muskegs that are like walking through snow.  I have two bad knees from old injuries and I use a cane now, but so what.  I still work my 25 year-old grad students pretty hard.  So keep skiing and having fun my friend.  Now if you only made a proper pistol lock, I would die happy.

dave 

[Jim Chambers]

Our local ski resort gives free season passes to anyone 65 or older.  There's a group of us old guys usually waiting when they open the lifts every morning.  Most are over 70 and have been skiing for more than 50 years, and we're usually some of the fastest ones on the slope.  Some things just improve with age.