Lock Types

We normally define a rim lock as a lock or latch mounted on the surface of a door or drawer. A rim lock is the perfect accessory when a little bit of security is all you need, but you would like to provide it in a stylish way. Most of the antique locks that you usually think of, for instance, would qualify as rim locks. A good example of a place to use a rim lock would be on a closet or perhaps even a bathroom door.

Usually we would find a rim lock, so much as the primary lock on the house's front door, but perhaps on a back or side door. Usually it would be in conjunction with top and bottom deadbolts. The reason is that, frankly, a rim lock is not secure enough to be used as your home's primary locking mechanism. For a professional thief, it is not that difficult to interfere with the locking mechanism.

Rim locks can be found in a variety of metals--everything from brass to solid iron. Prices will run the gamut, from $20 for something simple to perhaps as much as a hundred dollars. Part of the rich experience of having a rim lock is the key itself, which is often quite fashionable, and like the rim lock, can often have an antique look to it.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that rim locks have been used in the United States for as long as the U.S. has been a country. Because there were so few locks in the 1700s, there was a growing neeed for sturdy locks. The lockmaker's trade literally began with the invention of the rim lock. And so, in many ways, every other lock available owes something to the sometimes-forgotten, yet always memorable rim lock. Not to be used so much for maximum security, these locks still have a place as an accessory that adds a dash of style to your home.