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Who can identify these Darby handcuffs?

15 visible archived posts · 15 preserved total · topic ID 2173

germanhandcuffs.tk 31 Jul 2007

Hello All,

I bought this pair of unknown adjustable handcuffs on Ebay.
Could be British, could be German, could be anything, I guess...
Can anybody tell me more about it?

On the tiny picture no. 3 a marking, placed on both bows (turningpoints) is visable; it looks to me like some kind of shield with a "Z" in it.

Thanks in advance for your reactions,

Kind regards,

Dirk

www.germanhandcuffs.tk

Don 01 Aug 2007

are they KUB or a Modern Reproduction. thats all i can think of.

S.A. 01 Aug 2007

Hello, probably Clejuso because it are too well made to be KUB or reproduction.

germanhandcuffs.tk 01 Aug 2007

I compared them with the KUB models and the HIATTS 115; they come close in some ways, but they are not equal. Cuffman also mentioned Clejuso as manufacturer.The cuffs are not brandnew and there was no key available. I bought them from a German guy, by the way. Did Clejuso manufacture/reproduce such Darby's several years ago, like in the seventies?

Andy-58 01 Aug 2007

Hello,
Clejuso had made Darbies, handcuffs and legcuffs. Clejuso Darby handcuffs have 7 ratchet positions, if i look at the pictures, they have 6 or 7 ratchet positions. But fastening of ring to bow looks a little bit different to Clejuso Darbies seen on pages from Atame or Enris. Atame has 3 Clejuso Darbies on his page: one platet version, cap is closed by 8 hammered (?) points, one unplated version, cap closed by hammered y-shaped points like Hiatt and one unplated version with chain connected to lock cases instead of bows. But last version has no visible points on cap. Maybe, this is also a Clejuso Darby, but i am not shure.

I think, Clejuso Darbies are much older than 1970, the 12D (swing through model in different versions, without and with doublelock) are made 1960.

Best regards

Andy58

The Amazing Michael 01 Aug 2007

I doubt that they are KUB.....look under the worn off plating; they are made of steel. KUB makes everything out of brass with a heavy layer of chrome plating. My guess would be Clejuso or another European handcuff maker, but not Paki. Just my opinion.

Cheers, Mike

Annon 02 Aug 2007

Kayser?

germanhandcuffs.tk 02 Aug 2007

Kayser also crossed my mind. At this moment infact I doubt between Kayser and Clejuso. Do the markings make any sence to someone? I have enlarged the picture:

Atame.Muc 04 Aug 2007

Hello Dirk,

this is surely no Pakistani reproduction. It is an old piece probably made in Germany. I Do not think that it is a Kayer model, because Kayser Darbies have rounder bow ends..

I have a similar Darby in my collection (see picture). It has the same cylinder top without hammer marks but only 4 locking position. I got it from an Argentinean seller, but it is marked "Made in Germany" according to the "Merchandise Marks Act" of 1887 for exporting goods.

Best regards,
Guenter

Unresolved image reference ↗

germanhandcuffs.tk 04 Aug 2007

#10

Thanks, Guenter. I already saw the picture on your website and I must say this particular Darby comes very close, except for the difference in locking positions. I will bring it to next years convention, so you can take a close look and compare them with your own Darby. Hopefully I have found a fitting key for it by that time , but never the less it was a real bargain: I paid 52 EUR for it.

Regards,

Dirk

Atame.Muc 05 Aug 2007

#11

Three more pieces in my collection have such a plain cylinder top without any hammer marks. I believe that all are of German origin. The first is an old Clejuso Darby with special swivel to tube connection. The other two (one with two different sizes) are of unknown manufacturer (maybe this is the Clejuso "Triumpf" model, which can be seen on the also attached ad). My other German Darbies all have dot- or Y-shaped hammer marks.

Best regards,
Guenter

Unresolved image reference ↗

germanhandcuffs 06 Aug 2007

#12

The Darbys you show and mine seem to come from one 'family', so to speak
I studied the markings on my cuffs once more and noticed that the one on the other side has some kind of writing above the shield. The former picture I provided just shows something like a rotated "8" but this looks more like a monogram (WW or WV?)or something like that. The markings on both sides are very small (only a few millimeters) and could perhaps be some kind of "Abnamestempel". Maybe it does ring a bell to you, Guenter?

Regards,

Dirk

Atame.Muc 06 Aug 2007

#13

Sorry, Dirk, but I have never seen this mark before.

Best regards,
Guenter

Just Guessing 08 Aug 2007

#14

While I'm not familiar with this particular mark and I've never seen one like it on a pair of handcuffs, it would appear to be a tradesman's mark indicating a royal appointment, the maker's monogram inside a shield with a crown over it. On items where there is a larger area to work with it would have something like "Locksmith (Silversmith, Blacksmith, etc.) By Appointment" written below it. It appears to be more scandanavian than european. It's quite possible a local antiques dealer could be more helpful in finding out who the maker was.

Badar Janjua 05 May 2008

#15

Hi Friends,
This adjustable handcuff is not KUB made.

Badar.

KUB INDUSTRIES.
www.kubind.com