Do I really need a key for my violin case?

June 25, 2012 at 06:25 AM · No.

Locking your case is useless. All that will happen is one day, you'll really need to open your case, and the key will be missing or damaged,

As far as theft is concerned, its much easier for a thief (who probably isn't all that intellectually outstanding anyhow) to just grab the case than to try to figure out how to open it and take something specific.

June 25, 2012 at 12:20 PM · Actually, in the case of a violin, I would rather the thief could open the case easily, because that way there would be a better chance I could recover the violin in one piece.

The lack of paperwork would worry me more than the key--you're sure it is a Musafia? If so, then congrats on a great find.

June 25, 2012 at 12:38 PM · I completely agree with the above comments. The only situation I can envision where locking a case would make sense is if you have children in the house who might want to open it, etc. But there is still the issue of easily losing such a tiny key.

June 25, 2012 at 12:58 PM · The first thing I tell anyone who buys a locking case from me is to find the key and throw it away. I learned this the hard way years ago when I bought a locking briefcase. It was very embarrassing to pay a locksmith to pick the lock on my own briefcase. He told me to remember that the briefcase wasn't a house. If someone wanted to steal the contents, they could simply pick up the case, walk away with it, and break into it later at their leisure.

June 25, 2012 at 01:38 PM · I only lock my case to avoid unwanted opening… Or if I let my violin @ work before my lesson…

If I ever lost the key… A screw driver will open it easily. If it don't I have 4 screw to remove the lock. Not a big deal.

June 25, 2012 at 02:53 PM · I'd love a violin case with a combination lock, then no key-loss problems.

June 25, 2012 at 03:29 PM · 2 phone code, 2 bank card code, home door code, work door code, teacher door code… … …

Enough code and numbers, let's keep the key's ;)

June 25, 2012 at 03:58 PM · I have 24 keys for mine. About half are important, and the rest of minor significance. I try to stick with using the ones that are the least sharp or flat: the sharp ones cut holes in my Target jeans pockets, and the flat ones bend and break too easily.

June 26, 2012 at 06:53 PM · The time when your case lock is going to be stuck shut is when you are in line at the airport security or when you are due in the orchestra pit in ten minutes. Think about it.

June 30, 2012 at 01:13 AM · John - I've gotta admit, a lot of what you say goes right over my head - but I hear you on the keys! Mine are arranged on the ring so they all point the same way, and are organized by category (car, home, office).

June 30, 2012 at 06:13 PM · Actually, I'm a a woman - I know you can't tell by initials.

I'm messy about some things and obssessive about others. Got to have my keys done up right!

I have some plastic colored covers over the keys to make it easy to tell them apart. Got them cheap at the hardware store near the counter where they make key copies.

July 3, 2012 at 12:57 AM · John - I think the original question was answered pretty well by other people, so hopefully the OP doesn't mind our sidetrack.

Don't worry about what I said about being over my head. You tend to post a lot on the more detailed technical/equipment topics, which I am usually not that into, no matter who's posting.

Also, I get the feeling that you write in a speculative/stream-of conscious/free-association style, saying whatever ideas pop into your head, whether relevant or tangential - you are thinking aloud in your writing.

I do find some of your tangents entertaining :) and obviously I jumped right in on the diversion into key sorting!

July 6, 2012 at 06:28 PM · I have a lock on my new case. I don't want it but it's there. The case is great though so I'm willing to live with it. Is there a way I can render the lock inoperable and in a permanent state of being unlocked. Yesterday I closed the case and the bolt had fallen so the clasp wouldn't close all the way. I left the key in the case just in case. The only other alternative would be to cut off the part where the bolt locks into with my side cutters. Not hard, but then the clasp won't hold as well. Although the zippers do a fine job by themselves...

July 6, 2012 at 06:52 PM · One very good reason for locking your violin case is when you have visiting infants with inquisitive fingers. However, my two violin cases don't have locks, so on these occasions I put them high up on a wardrobe, out of sight and reach.

July 7, 2012 at 05:03 PM · Piano locks - that reminds of the story of the little boy who was taking his grade 1 piano exam. When the exam was over the examiner called the teacher in to give her the sad news that he was unable to give little Johnny a pass grade because he just didn't seem to know where any of the notes were, even in the simple scale of C.

The teacher immediately went to the piano and looked at it. "The lock's in the wrong place", she said, "I always tell my pupils that Middle C is two notes to the right of the lock."