Medieval Recreationist Forges Authentic Warded Lock, Cannot Remember Combination to His Own Shed

Historical blacksmith and medieval recreationist Edwin Wardplate has completed a painstaking 200-hour project to forge an authentic 14th-century warded padlock using period-appropriate materials and techniques, a triumph somewhat undermined by the fact that he cannot remember the combination to the $7 Master Lock 1500D securing his own workshop. 'The warded lock is a masterpiece of medieval engineering,' Wardplate said, holding up the hand-forged iron padlock, which features ornate Gothic tracery and a rotating ward system that he reverse-engineered from museum photographs. 'It represents the apex of pre-industrial security technology. I made every component by hand, including the key, using nothing but a coal forge, a hammer, and an anvil.' He then gestured toward his workshop door, which is secured by a combination padlock he purchased at Walmart in 2019. 'I think the combination has a seven in it,' he said. 'Or possibly a four. I've been entering through the window since October.' Wardplate's medieval lock has been appraised at $3,400 by a specialist in antique security hardware, who praised its 'extraordinary fidelity to period construction methods.' The Master Lock on the workshop, which can be bypassed using a shim cut from an aluminum can, is worth approximately $7. 'There's an irony there that I'm aware of,' Wardplate admitted. 'I can explain the operating principles of every locking mechanism from the Roman era to the Bramah challenge. I can forge a ward spring from raw iron bar stock. But a three-digit combination padlock has defeated me utterly.' His wife has suggested writing the combination down. Wardplate has refused on the grounds that 'a true security craftsman should not need to externalize his keys,' a position he maintains despite entering his workshop through a window for the past four months.