The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

european convention

20 visible archived posts · 20 preserved total · topic ID 2502

patrick-handboeienfreak 08 Mar 2008

Hi to all

just at home from the european convention
it was a great day
my thanks go to all who has been there and special to
peter cuffman

best

patrick-handboeienfreak

germanhandcuffs 08 Mar 2008

I just returned home after having a great and special day!
It was great to meet all you guys in person...
Thanks a lot, Peter! I am looking forward to the 3rd European Handcuff Convention in 2010

Cuffman 08 Mar 2008

Thanks to everyone who was at the convention! I had a great tima and hope you did too.

Peter

Unresolved image reference ↗

Chris Gower 10 Mar 2008

Just a quick message to say what a great time I had at the Convention, it was really great to meet new collectors and finally meet other collectors who I have known for many years but never spoken to.
My apologies for not saying good-bye to many of you especially Peter, Lars, Stan and Tom. I went to collect my car at 3.50 it was only parked 2 minutes away and got within 100 yards of the Convention Centre when the Police stopped me and told me I had gone through a no entry sign so stood there while I had to reverse the car and go out. Well 20 minutes latter having gone through the narrow really busy streets the Sat. Nav once again directed me through the no entry sign - luckily the Police were not there this time!
So once again Peter many thanks for all the hard work you put in to make the day very memorable.
Chris

Stan Willis 10 Mar 2008

I agree with CHRIS. It was an excellent show and everyone had a great time. We could only wait so long for Chris. I am still in Belgium and having a great visit with Peter. More details when I get home March 18. Everyone should put October 2010 on their calendar fro the next European Convention.
Stan

Atame.Muc 10 Mar 2008

Although I am not on the picture (*), I was also there and I want to thank Peter for making this great convention possible - it was marvellous that even more guys than 2006 met this time. Thanks to everyone who was there!

Our travel back to Munich by car went extremely smooth and took less than 6.5 hours. Petra, Ralf and I arrived tired but safely.

Best regards and hope to CU all again 2010 (after Germany won the soccer WM ),
Guenter

(*) I visited the restrooms but came back in time for Peter last picture, but he decided to use an other one.

CuffmanBelgium 10 Mar 2008

Ok, here's another one (including Guenter)

Peter

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Atame.Muc 10 Mar 2008

Great! Now everyone can play "find the difference"!

Bet regards,
Guenter

Michael Busch 10 Mar 2008

Hello everybody,

we also are back from our trip to Belgium and me and my family had a great time again!

In fact I took something home for the collection, but the most important thing is meeting friends sharing the same interest.

Thank you very much, Peter, for organizing this great event! The meeting place was excellent and I really love the restaurant. I should have taken some of the cherry beer home with me...

Best wishes from Greven,

Michael, Nele and "Vincula Junior"

P.S. My email account is OK again, I can accept mails now.

holstcollection 10 Mar 2008

#10

I fully agree to what all others already have said! Peter has established a very nice European collectors meeting and we all had a really great time together. The restaurant we went to on Friday evening was great!

To arrange a convention takes a whole lot of time and effort, I know Peter had to take several days off work to make it. To those of you who couldnt make it this time; dont miss out the next meeting in 2010!

Finally I will thank Peter and his parents for their great hospitality during my staying in Belgium.

Greetings from Sweden!

Lars

mike.muc 11 Mar 2008

#11

Back home again, I realize what an incredible event it was! I enjoyed being part of it a lot. There were so many nice cuffs to see, so many wonderful people to talk to, so much fun to have ... it was GREAT!

Thanks to everybody being there for making this a very special event and last but not least a big THANK YOU to Peter for organizing everything.

Unknown / guest 11 Mar 2008

#12

Oops ... of course the last message was not from Anonymous but from Mike.MUC

Andy-58 11 Mar 2008

#13

Hello,
i am also back again. The convention was GREAT! So many interesting cuffs, so many interesting people! Thank you to Peter for organization of this event and to all other people. Thanks to Alex Nichols for signing books, to Dan and Stan for very interesting conversation about lockpicking including some practice and many more.

On flight there where funny faces from security at airport as they have seen all my handcuff keys (about 50), but cuffs where not in hand luggage... So no problems, but what have they thought about a man with so much keys?

Best regards
Andy-58

Damon Shields 12 Mar 2008

#14

Just curious. Are there any problems with bringing back handcuffs/locks/restraints from Europe to the US? I've had duty cuffs in checked baggage but it before the current security levels.

Andy-58 12 Mar 2008

#15

Hello,
more interesting: are there no problems to take leg irons from EU to USA? There is an export prohibition for leg cuffs out of Europe, but i don't know if it is only for commercial or for private too.

There was an error from me in the first posting, it was Chris and not Stan who had also tried to pick ADI SAF-LOK. But also many thanks to all who has given lectures and to all presenting interesting and nice cuffs.

Best regards
Andy-58

CuffmanBelgium 12 Mar 2008

#16

Hi Damon,

I never had any problems taking cuffs across the Atlantic in my checked baggage. Last time was in October 2007 and I took cuffs both ways.

Peter

Damon Shields 12 Mar 2008

#17

Thanks Peter. Good to know. A factory rep told me that UK handcuff manufacturers can not ship to any country that uses leg irons. When I thought back to trips to S.Wales and London I don't recall seeing leg irons but my trips were pre-collecting so I never really noticed. It would be a nightmare to find a nice pair of cuffs and lose them on the way home to a Customs restriction.

weaseldandaw 13 Mar 2008

#18

Hi guys & gals,

Sorry I have not responded earlier, but a house two doors down was struck by lightening on Monday & it blew my modem up. I have to wait till 20th to get a new one, but have borrowed a friends pc to quickly send this.

Thank you very much Peter for organising a super event. I had a great time meeting you guys at last. I cant wait for 2010! I will post more when back online properly.

Dan

P.S. Chris & I were stopped at customs on the way back. They asked what we had in the car & when we said "about 300 weight of handcuffs" they said "you are collectors" & let us go without even looking in the car!!!

Tom Gross 21 Mar 2008

#19

Hello everyone. I may be the last attendee to return from the European Handcuff Collectors Convention. After Antwerp I took a jaunt down to Brussels and then into Germany and just got back last night.

First, let me echo all the positive comments about that wonderful event, and especially about the efforts of Peter Pensaert in putting it all together. It was wonderful to see old friends and make new friends. Everyone had a great time and it was also a fantastic learning experience. Not only did I see things which I had never seen before, I saw things of which I had never even heard.

In reviewing the various posts concerning the convention, I note that there is one subject which has not been addressed. There is a new reference book available on the subject of European shackles, and which was for sale at Antwerp. It is by Mr. Jean-Michel Robin, a Belgian collector, and is entitled Enntraves Fers & Menottes. The text is in French, but even those people who cannot readily read that language will enjoy the excellent photographs, and the captions accompanying such photos are easily understood. Here is a link to Mr. Robin's web site, where ordering information can be found:

http://www.rigidcuff.com/2virgin.com/jmrobin/index.html

Mr. Robin is, by the way, presently working on Vol. 2 of this reference work, and Chris Gower was kind enough to allow him to photograph some of his magnificent examples of French leg irons which he brought to display.

Stan Willis 21 Mar 2008

#20

I echo Tom's remarks about "Entraves Fers & Menottes". Part of the book is pictures and descriptions of Jean Michel Robin's collection. Another part contains pictures of unusual restraints from the collection of the Chateau des Comtes a Gand. I was lucky enough to see the later collection in person. Much of it is on display at Castle Gravensteen in Ghent, Belgium. If you like unusual restraints, this book is a must have.
Stan