I have an antique Diebold fireproof filing cabinet that my father-in-law gave me when he retired and closed up his business. I don’t know when he got it, but I suspect it was sometime in the 1940′s when he went into the sawmill business in central Louisiana with his father. This cabinet has survived decades of

sitting in a tiny field office deep in the southern hardwood swamps. It survived floods and fire (well, actually a fire in the sawmill across the yard from the office — but it makes a good story, anyway) and is still intact and fully operational.

When we moved my fireproof filing cabinet into my office, it took three really big guys to heft it into and out of the truck and into the building. Made of heavy steel, it is about the size of a standard four-drawer filing cabinet, but it must weigh five or six hundred pounds. So, the place I had the movers set it down along one wall of my office is exactly where it has stayed for the past twenty years.

I have gotten excellent use from my cabinet. Despite its age its lock, latches and hardware are still in good working order. I use it to store my most critical business records, plus a few of my family’s personal possessions that would be devastating to lose in a fire.

My fireproof cabinet has a simple keyed lock, which is adequate for my purposes. But, if I didn’t have this old model, I would be in the market for a cabinet that is equally sturdy but equipped with a higher tech security system. It is amazing what advancements are available in fireproof file cabinets you can buy

online today.