I bought a pair of Cuffs today and I think they are Irish type figure 8 cuffs .They have numbers stamped into both the cuff and the key. Is this just a way to make sure you have the right key for the set?I wiil post a pic and hopefully someone can tell me more about these.
Thanks
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Hi
Your cuffs are Irish 8 style but are not Irish 8's. An official Irish 8's would have been a cuff that was used by the Irish Police or would have been a cuff that was at least suitable for service and met the specifications that they require.
Your cuff is an imported novelty from India or Pakistan and is basically a wall decoration or one that can be used theatrically. They appear on eBay by the hundreds and come with some great stories. Sometimes they were said be have been used on slave ships and other times they were used on Al Capone. Some stories have them used at Alcatraz and other times they were Civil War cuffs. Most sellers state that they were found handing on a nail in Great-Granddads barn on his farm in the Deep South. In a couple of years, I am sure one will be sold as the actual cuff the Saddam was wearing when he went to the gallows.
I hope you paid no more than 20 or so dollars for your cuff.
The numbers seem to be arbitrary. The correspond to nothing unless the factory worker who helps make these cuffs starts off at 001 in the morning and finishes off his day at 145 or so and gets paid accordingly.
I have written an article or Fake and Fantasy cuffs as a guide on eBay. Over 2000 people have read it so far. I have had a few emails asking about these cuffs and I was able to prevent a few from making a costly mistake. It appears here:
http://reviews.ebay.com/HANDCUFF-COLLEC ... 0001203284
If you have a question about cuffs, please come to my guide or come to this forum for friendly and professional advice, before you buy them.
