The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

For Christmas I got.....

20 visible archived posts · 20 preserved total · topic ID 1027

The Amazing Michael 26 Dec 2005

....a set of Ian McColl reproduction Mirror Cuffs with the Bramah cylinder in them. I also got a pair of South African hinge style cuffs and a pair of S&W model 100 ADA cuffs (it's an escape artist handcuff). Okay, who is next???

Cheers, Mike

P.S. For Christmas, I ALSO got....banned from the Tragic Cafe' Forums!!! I guess I was NAUGHTY!!! But, how did I get the Mirror Cuffs from Santa if I was naughty???? Oh boy, I guess somebody else got the lump of coal I was supose to get, and I got their Mirror Cuffs!!!! Is there no justice in this world?!!!

Monica 26 Dec 2005

Now, back to playing with all my new toys.

John 26 Dec 2005

Tell us more details. I'm sure everyone will want to know.

Cheers.

Rothen 26 Dec 2005

Surely - surely! - you can treat us poor unfortunates with nowhere to keep a handcuff collection (the only reason I don't have one yet!) to some pictures of your Christmas goodies so we can weep with envy into our plates of cold turkey?

The Amazing Michael 27 Dec 2005

I am not sure how to post a picture on this post. I have sent a photo to Joe to attach to one of my posts here a while back, and it never happened. I searched for a way to do it, but the answer I came up with was to put it up somewhere else and post a link or send it to Joe.....I am at at a loss. ????

Cheers, Mike

Parabellum.org 27 Dec 2005

It's very easy to do, you simply go to the www.imageshack.us, you choose some pick from your HDD and click "host it", you wait a second and it should be stored there, then you choose the "direct link" to the photo, copy it and paste it to the text of the standard post. Hope this helps.

asiancuffs 27 Dec 2005

I got a pair of "Butterfly prison wrist shackles" (I made that name out).
Quite interesting mechanism.

Unresolved image reference ↗

Dorson 27 Dec 2005

I saw those on ebay recently, guess you were the lucky one. Most intrigueing device but I didn't believe that they were 100+ in age as the seller said they were. Anyone know anything about it's origins, etc.????

-Dorson

The Amazing Michael 28 Dec 2005

Here are my new Mirror Cuffs with the Bramah cylinder!!!

Cheers, Mike

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The Amazing Michael 28 Dec 2005

#10

Okay smart guy!!! Now how do I make it smaller?!!! LOL!!!!

Sorry Joe, I didn't mean to make it that big! LOL!!!!

asiancuffs 28 Dec 2005

#11

I saw that "Butterfly wrist shackles" in EBay too, but I am not the one who get that piece. Another piece is listed now:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Civil-War-Style-Pol ... dZViewItem

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I have posted some restraints pictures to some sites a year ago and one of the item was this "BWS". This item was widely used in China from 1950-1970, especially during the cultural revolution. During that period of time, resources were so limited and locksmithing was almost extinct. However, there was a huge demand of restraints due to the political struggle, so "basic" restraints (easy locking, no locking mechanism is needed) were used. This BWS needs only a padlock to hold the cuffs together. Another item is what I called the "Double Us" which pictures were attached.

I think the seller at EBay saw my postings and reproduced this item. At least one piece of information in his listing was correct: a replica.

The BWS that I received was an authentic original item which has half a century of history and has been locked onto many's wrists. This was given to me by a collector in China and he made some replicas too. The ending price of $68.50 of the EBay first listing was reasonable. See how much the current piece goes.

Unresolved image reference ↗

Parabellum.org 28 Dec 2005

#12

Sorry, Michael, I didn't predicted that the pic would be so big:)
You can always resize the image using Irfan View or paste the link to the "Thumbnails for forums", it ataches a nice miniature to your post which is linked to original photo.

Dorson 28 Dec 2005

#13

Asiancuffs,
I think you got the better deal, having seen both pictures side by side, yours is much better constructed. The one this guy on ebay is selling is a cheap reproduction and lacks the covering over the hinge area, etc. So what is the history behind this "butterfly" prison shackle?

-Dorson

The Amazing Michael 29 Dec 2005

#14

Parabellum, I tried to send the photo as a thumbnail, but it would not send in that size. I still haven't figured it out yet. Thanks for getting me this far!

Cheers, Mike

asiancuffs 29 Dec 2005

#15

It can be understood that the seller can only get the idea of the mechanism of the butterfly wrists shackle from the pictures I posted and cannot get the details of the piece. That's why he missed out the shield for the hinge.
My friend also sent me a replica he made and it is exactly the same as the original one. Other than the Butterfly, he also sent me a T-shackle (upper arm to wrists) which is quite interesting too.

Attached are some pics of them in use.

Unresolved image reference ↗

Monica 29 Dec 2005

#16

Looks like the work of a certain Australian.

Joe Lauher 29 Dec 2005

#17

The cuff up on eBay # 7734319092 is not a handcuff.
It is the main body of a Tavern Puzzle made my the Tucker Jones House, Inc.

http://store.yahoo.com/tavernpuzzles/pz-sfrs.html

The puzzle has a ring that fits over the middle part. You have to figure out how to remove the ring.

The puzzle is supposed to look like a handcuff. The name of the puzzle is "self restraint."

Joe

Parabellum.org 29 Dec 2005

#18

As for me, it looks like a typical Ring of Nibelung but in very unusual shape, quite easy to guess how to remove the ring.

asiancuffs 30 Dec 2005

#19

This Butterfly restraint was modified from a very old Chinese game which has over a thousand year of history, the best translation for the name of this game is "9 magic links". Other than this pattern, there are thousands of other patterns, I attached a website that featured some easy ones:
http://www.dragonpuzzle.com/mt_puzzle.htm
If that item is for sale with that price, it is a VERY good deal. But I wonder if it is a "full" size for wrists or not.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, resources were limited during 60s - 70s and they self made different kind of restraints which does not involves detail locking mechanism, lock by using a padlock is the best choice. This butterfly shackle was widely use as it has a little "flexibility" depends on how the padlock was placed in the middle rings to cater for larger or smaller wrists. The other popular self made restraints "the double U s" has a limitation of wrists size, however is more restrictive. The double U s still use now for prisoner transport. I attached a few photos from the news showing the double U s in use.

Unresolved image reference ↗

Joe Lauher 30 Dec 2005

#20

The Tucker Jones puzzles are very well made and indeed are wrist size.
They are made about three miles from my house. All their puzzles are well done and highly recommended if you like that sort of thing.

Joe