Steve Santini 19 Sep 2008
#5Hello!
I'm selling Leg irons used in Kakola prison. Prison was shutdown in 2007. And I bought leg irons from man who bought them from auction where some material from prison were sold. Only few pairs were sold and these are last that I have.
Price is 800 euros. And includes postage to Europe or USA. I send them registered or with insurance if possible.
You can find pictures from:
http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/jaritap ... irons.html
If any questions, ask in email.
Thank you,
Jari
jari@jaritapanainen.com
www.jaritapanainen.com
This style of leg iron dates back to a period much older than the prison these may or may not have been used at.
This is not to say these leg irons were not used at that prison and are not as old as 15th or 16th century but the design dates back to that period and even farther back.
Personally, I have over the years owned several sets of these leg irons all of which were reputed to have been used at Kakola Prison.
As all of them came from the collection of the late escapist Timo I had no reason to doubt where he got them or thier provenance.
But... I have also owned, and still own a number of Medieval period leg manacles from Germany which are pretty much identical in function minus the leather coverings which seem to be seen more on Kakola Prison irons.
With a number of the Kakola irons I have had the hole for the chain is a cross cut hole like in this pair.
However not all of them are made this way and a few had a square or rectangular hole to feed the chain through.
It seems that with the German and older European "cup" shackles of this style, (so named because the early Medieval examples had a sleeve, or "cup" which fitted over the locking tabs and kept the shackle closed), that the cross cut hole variety pre date the simple square or rectangular chain hole.
But, even this is not always certain because it was up to the individual maker which small differences such as this were incorporated into the design.
IMHO, and based on all of the "Kakola Prison" irons I have handled or owned, this set seems to be one of the earlier examples (judging by the style of manufacture).
They are very nice but one must remember that the cup shackle irons were among the most widely used antique European restraint styles and saw a very long career dating from the 14th or 15th century right up into, and including the late 1800's and even later when similiar restraints were made for use in the Nazi concentration camps in the 1940's and for use on political prisoners sent into exile in Russia.
Cheers, Steve Santini
