I can't open my safe.?

[andor25]

I have a Marvin Safe that was patented in 1871 in New York City, New York. It's been in my basement forever and it's made of a steel. Any ideas?

[bernd]

Dynamite.

[marq]

http://mikesoldsafe.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/how-i-opened-safe.html
Some interesting material, the safe in question there was also a Marvin.

The link http://www.crypto.com/papers/safelocks.pdf in the blog is also good reading, the principles of a manipulation attack are described toward the end.

It is also a good condemnation of "security by obscurity" as once the method of operation is understood, attacks can be directed at the method, requiring far fewer trials than an exhaustive search.