unknown "Ball" Darby handcuffs

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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they look to me like their adjustable. and the chain is diffrent if someone gives you a price how soon might they end up on ebay. Don,

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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Hi Ron

I have a pair of these and I also do not know who made them.
However, when I bought mine I was told by the dealer that they came
from Poland. He did not say made in Poland, just from Poland.

But who knows?

Joe

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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They look to be crude in construction and reminds me of the stuff from India or Pakistan. From the looks of it, the hinge on the lock case looks like metal folded pressed together and probaby brazed to the lock case? The bow looks to be cast and the key looks to be of cheap construction too... Without more detail pictures hard to tell...

-Dorson

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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In my opinion these cuffs are well made and not crude at all. However I am not sure if the key is original. @Joe: do you have a similar key with your set?

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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Ron

Mine did not come with a key at all. I use the smallest arm of Ian McColl's
cruciform key to open them.

The cuffs are old, lightweight, but well made. I am pretty sure they are European, but their exact age and origin is just a mystery that we need to solve.

JOe

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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Hi Joe,

I think you're right that the cuffs are European. I was just told by another collector that probably these cuffs were in use by the Dutch police before the old type Lips.

regards, Ron

Recently I have found this pair of "Ball" Darby handcuffs. Does anyone know their manufacturer, age, value etc. Any info would be much appreciated.

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Thought I would show scan of the set that I have in my collection, they were bought about 25 years ago from a London Dealer who simply described them as adjustable handcuffs with Acorn Linkage. I believe the key to be original as there are signs of the handcuffs being nickel plated originally and the key also shows signs of nickel plating. Certainnly the handcuffs and key seem to match. Never really took much interest in them and thought they were probably made in the Far East somewhere. I agree that they are well made so could possibly be European. There are no marks on them to give any indication. Many years ago Ray McKee told me that most Indian made Darby pattern cuffs usually had a series of dots where the plug in the lockcase was fixed rather than the English type of manufacture where the plug is fixed with a series of X or Y type markings. The plugs in the above handcuffs are slightly recessed and the lockcase seems to have been peened over to hold it in place.