Houdini handcuff question

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

Hi,
Yes, these cuffs do today exist and are in the David Copperfield magic memorabilia collection. They were known as "The Mirror Cuffs" as it was the Mirror newspaper of London that had challenged Houdini to escape from them. According to legend, a reporter for the enwspaper had met a blacksmith who had spent several years of his life inventing "a lock no mortal man could pick". We know this is bull flop because the Mirror cuffs contained twin, or nesting, Bramah radial lever locks, which were invented some time before the challenge cuffs were even made. The locks in these cuffs were also not invented by Mr. N. Hart of Birmingham who was alleged to have invented and constructed both the locks in the cuffs and the cuffs themselves. In all likelyhood the entire challenge was cooked up by Houdini. I myself have seen these cuffs many times when they were formerly on display at the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame in Niagara Falls, Canada prior to that museum having a fire. The cuffs were spared the disaster and were sold to Mr. Copperfield. In fact, a number of years before the museum burned down I challenged the museum owner in the press to lock me in them so I could try and get out of them. He refused. In closing, Mr. Copperfield, if you happen to be reading this I am still very much wanting to attempt an escape from the Mirror cuffs. You can contact me via my website at www.stevesantini.com Yeah right! As if this is ever going to happen! Regards, Steve Santini

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

O.K. Your on!

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

Dear Mr Santini
Please confirm your request in writing and address it to me.

David Copperfield
9107 Willshire Blvd.
500# Beverly Hills
CA 90210 USA

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

I'm not sure what to think about this. Does David Copperfield actually come on board regularly?

I wonder if Mr. Copperfield has ever tried to escape them.

You know I just remembered on one of his TV specials several years back he showed a pair of Houdini's cuffs that he had bought and put them on Houdini's grave. Were those the mirror cuffs? Anyone else remember seeing this?

Tim

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

"Yeah, ...Right!"
It is highly unlikely the real "Mr. C" would come on this board let alone look at it. After all, he is an illusionist and not an escape artist or restraint collector. The posts claiming to be from him are probably just some seriously deluded person's warped sense of reality. Steve Santini

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

Hi Steve
I am the genuine Chris Gower and want to wish you all the best to escape from the Mirror Challange cuffs owned by David Copperfield. As you are no doubt aware they have the Bramah lock although I have my doubts as to whether it is a genuine Bramah (I believe it to be the French equivalent that is on the set of cuffs that Sidney Radner owns and showed me at The Magic Circle about 6 years ago when they re-enacted the Seance on 31st October). The French lock has no anti-pick notches in it and can be opened with a pick similar to to commercially available HPC Tubular Lock Pick. In the mean time it is with great regret that I am unable to attend the conference this year BUT I WILL be there next year with a couple of other English escape artists / collectors. I will be bringing a few of my prised cuffs including the PLUG '8' Legirons that Houdini failed to escape from when he visited the Hiatt factory in we think 1904. Do you want to accept this challange?
Chris

I've been meaning to post this question for a while. I read a book on Houdini years ago and always remember this part where a locksmith or blacksmith whatever challenged Houding to escape from a custom made pair of cuffs. Parts of the story I remember were that Houdini tried to get him to take them off so he could take his jacket off but Houdini ended up cutting his jacket up. After quite some time he did escape but evidently they were a bear. I think the guy had to turn the key several times to lock them on. Sound familiar? Are they around today or any knowledge thereof?

Tim

Hi Chris,
Thank you for the message. And thank you for being the "genuine" Chris Gower! I have had a personal interest in the Mirror handcuffs that goes back at least 25 years or more. I grew up only hours from Niagara Falls and as a youth I used to literally haunt the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame where the Mirror cuffs were once on display.

I had heard in the past about the very rare plug 8 leg irons you have. I agree that it would be quite challenge to escape from them what with the very elongated centre pin down the middle of the lock and also the graduating threads blocking most keys or threaded "pick keys" from screwing in far enough to even reach the spanner. Some day perhaps I will have the pleasure of meeting you and perhaps even giving these leg irons of yours a "go".

That being said, I have a funny feeling that while taking on your leg irons and, (if either very skilled or very lucky lucky), escaping from them would be a true and very severe test of skill, it would pale in comparison to media acclaim a person could generate from a release involving the famed "Mirror Cuffs".

Thank you again and I do hope we meet one day. Regards, Steve Santini