What is it with Mattatucks?

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

...experiences?

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

The Mattatuck cuffs can be very difficult to use if you don't use them exactly as the original factory instructions tell you. I've handled many of the cuffs and most work correctly once the rotating disc is put in the correct position. I made a special key by grinding down a standard key to rotate the disc into position without unlocking the cuff, and this usually fixes any problems with the way they work.
Stan

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Right you are, Monica.

Dick Norman, in

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Right you are, Monica.

Dick Norman, in "Modern Handcuff Secrets for Magicians," recognized the benefit of the Mattatuck (and Judd) "arming" mechanism, but also realized that it came at the cost of "a complicated series of internal lever linkages using many springs and parts." Additionally, confusion with key insertion/usage could easily lead to the mechanism being "thrown out of synchronization ... difficult to get disc back into the proper working order." This, he hints, led to its waning popularity.

For what it's worth, I once sold a pair to someone who quickly got the cuff out of whack (and broke the key inside to boot.) I managed to fit another key and repair the cuff to working again. The key filing wasn't to difficult but the keyway orientation was a tedious affair.

For anyone interested, "Modern Handcuff Secrets for Magicians" contains a decent treatment of the correct function of the Mattatuck as well as a way to open the restraints without using a key at all.

It is a classic work on cuffs and certainly belongs on collectors'/enthusiasts' bookshelves. I think Cannon's sells it.

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

BTW Joe,

I seemed to have the same problem as RMP Mark with the post. Best, Paul

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Hi,

IMHO, the Mattatuck cuffs, are if anything, too simplistic in the number of moving parts and the latitude these have for "wandering" inside the lock case.

There is the rotating disc, the bolt, and 2 springs.

And all of these are housed in a frame with internal guides that are anything but precision.

The fact that the bolt when thrown from the cocked or "armed" position is only stopped by a cut out in it's assembly slamming up hard against the key post is not good and tends to cause the post to become loose and "float" or move from side to side a bit.

And, another problem with the deisgn is that the "tooth" or "pawl" end of the bolt assembly is made from folding over a sheet of metal to make the single triangle shaped locking pawl.

I have seen Mattatucks where after repeated useage the area of this fold has weakened and in fact cracked off, leaving a small bit of metal drifting around in the lock case where it can eventually find it's way the rear of the lock case by the bow arm hinge and get lodged in the spot where the bolt assembly drops down into the cocked position when the cuff is unlocked.

When this happens the key rotated disc cannot pull the bolt far enough back to execute unlocking and the cuff is in effect jammed in the locked position.

Yes indeed, there are a lot more problems to be found with the Mattatuck design than just a keyhole disc that may rotate on it's own out of sinc with the keyway.

Sloppy tollerances and cheaply manufactured internal parts also plague this design.

Steve Santini

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Monica,
I haven't gotten around to posting pictures just yet of the insides of the lock. I had to make a new disc for a pair and took pictures of all the various positions of the disc in operation. If you sent me your email addy, I will send you the pictures. They are not difficult once one knows the internals and how they work.

-Dorson

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Hi Steve, thanks for putting a finer point on this. Paul

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Hi, I have to agree with Santini that the internals which are far too simple. I have also noted on some that the spikes (under the lock cap) can be worn or missing, these two spikes locate the disc in either deadlock or unlocked position and the return spring can be weak and not seat the disc properly.

The normal cause for problems is a poorly made key which is forced into the space between the outer edge of the disc and the keyhole instead of the half moon hole in the disc as per what Stan describes as the correct operation of the cuff.

Ian

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Thanks, everyone. Knowing the inner workings helps immensely, but my cuffs were defective or became so over time. Made to break, it seems, was the Mattatuck design.

It is so weird with the 'Tucks; Both times, before getting trapped in them, I made sure they were operational and sans glitches. Then, on my wrists they went....you know the rest. The 2nd time I got stuck was with only one wrist. I made sure not to break the key off this time. I drove the cuffs and my wrist to a locksmith, who used vice-grip pliers to hold the key (from the top) and pushed down with great force in order to depress to spinning key disc, which became elevated and immobilised, farther down into the lock housing, finally allowing the key and the disc to be turned in order to release the locking mechanism. Whew!

Dorson, I've seen drawings of these cuffs, so thanks anyway.

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

Sorry, I was pinched for time and didn't proofread that last paragraph, which is a mess. In short, the lock had to be opened with force beyond what I could apply with tools and 1 free hand. Anyway, that makes twice I had to be freed by a locksmith from my 'Tucks. Anyone else?

Do their locks have a reputation for malfunctioning? I have 2 pair, both in outwardly superb condition and, on separate occasions, I've gotten stuck in each pair. The keys became useless (if not part of the problem?). For fear of knowing the outcome, I've double-locked them and put them away, never to be closed around my wrists again. Yes, I know, operator error..... (-; Anyone else have similar

All this talk about the mattatucks i opend a pair out of the box ....all these years of having a brand new pair i had to go play with them....OMG i should pay attention to some things ...i dident know they double lock.....and for a new pair the nickel plating is not great.....not a very good cuff i think it will go back in the box .....