LOCKS, HANDLES, AND OTHER LOCKSMlTIf WAKES. 171 



output, the largest is that of Mrs. Tcplov; it not only works locks, but also other 

 kinds of locksmith wares, such as hinges, bolts, handles and the like, as well as 

 different stove appliances. According to official data the yearly output of this factory 

 amounts to 71.000 roubles; the sum must, however, be regarded as something under 

 the actual value, as for 5 or 6 years past the production reached 100,000 roubles, 

 and since then the output has not decreased, but on the contrary has increased 

 very much, hand processes being replaced by machinery, as for instance, in the 

 making of hinges. Another rather large manufactory, with a yearly output of 

 60,000 roubles, is owned by Batashev Brothers. The other establishments of the kind 

 are great in number but not in the quantity of production, which may be placed 

 altogether at 100,000 roubles per annum. 



The manufacture of mortise locks at the factories, as well as in village work- 

 shops bears the character of a household industry. The works are not so much en- 

 gaged in the iinishing up of the goods, as in preparing the different parts, which 

 are cast, stamped and forged. These parts with bars of iron and brass of the length 

 required are then given to the village workmen, who put them together. The 

 manufactories do the sorting of the goods produced by the village workmen, gen- 

 erally with great severity, put their own marks upon them, after finishing them up, 

 and then pack them for the trade. 



The village smiths, even those who work for themselves, always buy the 

 forged, stamped and cast parts of the lock at special establishments and then only 

 do the filing and putting together and fixing them in the lock casings, which they 

 themselves make. The making of keys forms a separate branch of industry. Only 

 small keys are forged by hand, the work being generally done by means of stamp- 

 ing machines. 



Keys are stamped of seven different sizes, from Nos to 6 and the prices of 

 the smallest, middle sized and largest per hundred are as follows: 



No. 0, length 3 inches, 10 pounds of iron per hundred. . . . 1.80 roubles 

 No. 3, « 2 « 5 « « « « « ... 1.10 < 



No. 6, « IV* < 2'/2 « « « « « ... 0.80 « 



Special locksmiths buy keys from blacksmiths and then finish them off by filing 

 and polishing them, with two or three sets of emery. Eeady made keys are sold by 

 them to the regular smiths at the following prices per hundred: No. 0, at 5 roubles, 

 No. 3, at 3.50 roubles, and No. 6, at 2 roubles. 



Besides the different kinds of mortise locks, such as door locks, generally called 

 palatni, cupboard, table, box and chest locks, padlocks to some extent are also pro- 

 duced in the region of Tula, their prices being from 3 kopecks to 5 roubles apiece. Of 

 the padlocks the most remarkable are the so-called French locks, -which have some- 

 times a hidden keyhole and are generally of a very complicated type and of such 

 finish and shapes that they do not differ much from the foreign original; their prices are 

 not high, from 1.25 to 4 roubles apiece. Little brass padlocks also form a speciality of 

 the Tula smiths ; they are sold from 4 to 50 kopecks each. Door locks are also made 

 of the French pattern; their mechanism generally includes clasps, on the number of 

 which depends the price. 



