Your Favorite Antique, Vintage and Contemporary Handcuffs?

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

My favorite antique cuffs are the Palmer manacles (big suprise), my favorite vintage cuff is the S&W model 94 (followed very close by the Alcyon model 15900), and finally, my favorite contemporary cuffs are the Clejuso model 15 Heavy Weight handcuffs.

Next!

Cheers, Mike

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

Click to expand...

Hi Jason,

first one question: when does "antique" end and "vintage" begin?

Best regards,
Guenter

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

Click to expand...

Hmm… good question, Atame.
While not very cut and dry, I usually consider the cuff to be an antique if it was patented in the 19th century or made prior, though I’ll let the collectors draw their own criteria. Vintage, on the other handcuff, I’d consider to be anything more recent than antique but no longer made.

What did you have in mind?

Regards,
Jason

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

Click to expand...

Hi Jason

So many cuffs... not easy!

My favourite antique model is perhaps the Marlin Bottleneck version 2. - I like the shape and the special lock.

My favourite vintage handcuff model is more difficult. I like the Kayser No. 5 (Hamburg 8) , because of its unique design - but this could be considered as an antique model. Maybe the rare model 2 of the GDR Vopo handcuffs , which is IMHO a really nice looking but also strong and massive hinged model.

My favourite modern handcuffs (which means model that is still made today) are Chubb Escord, , which I would consider as the most secure model. And most of all it does not look like a Peerless clone .

Best regards,
Guenter

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

Click to expand...

Awesome pictures, Guenter!

I was watching an episode of the 70’s police show, McCloud, the other day and could have sworn that McCloud – who had been bopped over the head by criminals – was fastened around a lamppost with his own Peerless handcuffs. Using the pause/zoom/pan features of my DVD player, it was revealed that they actually were a pair of the many Peerless clones on the market, lacking ditched jaws, a standard key post, etc. These were actually the first ‘real’ looking cuffs that I owned about the time that the show debuted here in the states.

There is a great close-up picture of the modular antique Palmers that Mike mentioned in the <A HREF= http://www.handcuffs.org/gallery/palmer.jpg target=_blank> Handcuff Gallery</A>.

Happy collecting!

Jason

Greetings fellow handcuff collectors:

Well, I’ve been meaning to conduct this informal inquiry for a while.

What are your favorite antique, vintage and contemporary handcuffs?

My favorite antique cuff design has long been the Bean Prison model. Unlike the majority of collectors that I’ve spoken to, I actually prefer the linked design over the much more highly sought Bean Giant.

My choice for favorite vintage handcuff was much more difficult, but after lengthy deliberation, I will have to go with my Smith & Wesson model 91 (polished nickel) cuffs.

Being less enthusiastic about contemporary cuffs, I will have to choose the Alfa-Proj 9921 model, with its flat, double-bitted key, reflective nickel finish, and ultra smooth action.


Your turn…

Click to expand...

While not made by the Peerless Handcuff Company, my favorite thumbcuff design is the rather archaic Peerless Thumbcuff (circa 1920’s). The lock and key design is reminiscent of the well known Bean Giant, and was likely inspired by said.

These probably weren’t made in great numbers as the originals are scarce (see Yossie’s site), but faithful reproductions are fortunately still made by The Stockade Locksmith, Ian McColl.

What are your favorites?

Jason