Post #3180300
2026-04-26 16:23 UTC
@ArtBrew@mastodon.art AFAIK teeth/pins above keeps grime from accumulating in the mechanism because it falls out, but in practice it rarely makes a difference, especially with rentals where they end up getting swapped out anyway.
I don't know of any advantage to teeth/pins below other than perhaps consistency with lever locks (where keys are usually inserted teeth-below for reasons too long to fit in this post), which were also common in the UK and Europe for a long time.
Replies (1)
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@eishiya@mastodon.art 2026-04-26 16:37
@ArtBrew@mastodon.art Another factor: landowners are cheapskates. Some doors open to the left, some to the right, and it's quicker to install a lock "upside down" than to rotate the cam (which opens the latch/bolt) so it both matches the door orientation and has the teeth/pins above. Maybe in the past, locksmiths were paid enough to care about these details xP