Is this a kra352?

[Tynee]

The offset lock hole on the drawer section is throwing me off.

 

[Tynee]

Actually, looking at other 352's the lock for the lower section is on the body, not on the door. Not sure what this is?

 

[bobcatdan]

Probably a MBC who made SO boxes in the beginning. After SO started making their own, MBC continued with very similar, basically the same boxes with minor difference.

 

[Tynee]

That thought had crossed my mind.

 

[bsg1]

looks to me that your box may be a Snap-on KRA-352 or Snap-on KRA-352A, both coming after the 1950s KR-352. my KR-352 has a lock site on the pullout door position as yours does and features a lever lock inside the bottom storage area that locks the 3 drawers when the door is closed. the KRA-352/KRA-352A also feature this lever lock.

there would be no need for an additional locking site at the top section of the box because of the already supplied lock on pullout door and locking lever which serve together as a security system for the 3 drawers and storage area. my guess is that if your box is a Snap-on KRA-352/KRA-352A, it will have the locking lever as described. if so, the offset lock hole at the top drawer section of your box would almost certainly not be original to the piece and not provided by the factory.

a parting thought at my end is the possible reason that the lock site was installed at the top of your box. the owner may have wanted to be able to close the pullout door without locking the drawers. to achieve this, the locking lever would have to be removed or disabled. upon removing/disabling the locking lever, the drawers would be unlocked and unprotected, even with the pullout door being locked with key. the owner may have then installed a top lock with this in mind.

 

[Tynee]

All very interesting ideas. Alas, I didn't get to it on time on CL. It was about 2.5 hours away, and I watched it for a month while I looked for other excuses to get up that way. About a week before I had to go through there for work, it sold.

Oh well, there will be others.

 

[bsg1]

late entry, but there is the possibility that the box is an older Williams. Williams did put out rolling boxes with a top lock like the one pictured in OP's photo and the drawer pulls look to be very similar/same.