Froggatt Darby (small)

Well I have done a lot of reading here and elsewhere. This is clearly the most update and informative of any sites I found and its been fascinating reading about my find.

I am not an antique collector but I liked that show Antiques Roadshow because there are so many great stories behind items used in the past.

I am a contractor and my neighbor (older gentlemen) had a old looking variable size pipe threader. I paid a buck for it and found some cool old books including a farmers daily journal from 1884.

As I was paying and ready to leave I noticed something metal in a sandwich bad labeled "handcuffs from Nevada City" and immediately paid $20 for them.

I will post my own pictures when I can get better lighting but I found some pictures of another model almost identical to mine.

The inside dimensions are 46mm chain to lock barrel and ~6cm top to bottom.

They are a little rusty so I really want suggestions on how to preserve them because it has a key and they work perfectly.

Its something I do not intend to sell and I really enjoy how well made they are.

Total length is about 23cm. The center swivel has a distinctly pointed top.

The key is marked at the top with the number 33

Both cuffs are marked Froggatt, Warranted, Wrought with a number 20 perpendicular to the words.

On the other side of each cuff the word HARD is stamped.

On one cuff, adjacent to the word hard next to the bottom of the lock and upside down from the HARD mark is a stamp which appears to be a name.

The first letter is obscured but it looks like a H (maybe U) then a period and then HESSE is clearly readable.

I will try to go back and see what else the seller may know but I am fascinated with this item and would love to find approximate date of manufacturing and who HESSE might have been.

These pictures are almost identical to what I have:

Well I have done a lot of reading here and elsewhere. This is clearly the most update and informative of any sites I found and its been fascinating reading about my find.

I am not an antique collector but I liked that show Antiques Roadshow because there are so many great stories behind items used in the past.

I am a contractor and my neighbor (older gentlemen) had a old looking variable size pipe threader. I paid a buck for it and found some cool old books including a farmers daily journal from 1884.

As I was paying and ready to leave I noticed something metal in a sandwich bad labeled "handcuffs from Nevada City" and immediately paid $20 for them.

I will post my own pictures when I can get better lighting but I found some pictures of another model almost identical to mine.

The inside dimensions are 46mm chain to lock barrel and ~6cm top to bottom.

They are a little rusty so I really want suggestions on how to preserve them because it has a key and they work perfectly.

Its something I do not intend to sell and I really enjoy how well made they are.

Total length is about 23cm. The center swivel has a distinctly pointed top.

The key is marked at the top with the number 33

Both cuffs are marked Froggatt, Warranted, Wrought with a number 20 perpendicular to the words.

On the other side of each cuff the word HARD is stamped.

On one cuff, adjacent to the word hard next to the bottom of the lock and upside down from the HARD mark is a stamp which appears to be a name.

The first letter is obscured but it looks like a H (maybe U) then a period and then HESSE is clearly readable.

I will try to go back and see what else the seller may know but I am fascinated with this item and would love to find approximate date of manufacturing and who HESSE might have been.

These pictures are almost identical to what I have:

Click to expand...

You got a good deal on the Froggats. I'll leave it to my elders and betters to describe their history.

They look in great shape. The only cleaning I'd do would be to remove as much rust as I could with an oily rag. I prefer gun oil and cleaning patches. They're cheap and easy to get, and gun oil is a good rust preventative. I'd not use anything more aggressive, as there is nice patina on those cuffs. I'd not want to remove that.

Well I have done a lot of reading here and elsewhere. This is clearly the most update and informative of any sites I found and its been fascinating reading about my find.

I am not an antique collector but I liked that show Antiques Roadshow because there are so many great stories behind items used in the past.

I am a contractor and my neighbor (older gentlemen) had a old looking variable size pipe threader. I paid a buck for it and found some cool old books including a farmers daily journal from 1884.

As I was paying and ready to leave I noticed something metal in a sandwich bad labeled "handcuffs from Nevada City" and immediately paid $20 for them.

I will post my own pictures when I can get better lighting but I found some pictures of another model almost identical to mine.

The inside dimensions are 46mm chain to lock barrel and ~6cm top to bottom.

They are a little rusty so I really want suggestions on how to preserve them because it has a key and they work perfectly.

Its something I do not intend to sell and I really enjoy how well made they are.

Total length is about 23cm. The center swivel has a distinctly pointed top.

The key is marked at the top with the number 33

Both cuffs are marked Froggatt, Warranted, Wrought with a number 20 perpendicular to the words.

On the other side of each cuff the word HARD is stamped.

On one cuff, adjacent to the word hard next to the bottom of the lock and upside down from the HARD mark is a stamp which appears to be a name.

The first letter is obscured but it looks like a H (maybe U) then a period and then HESSE is clearly readable.

I will try to go back and see what else the seller may know but I am fascinated with this item and would love to find approximate date of manufacturing and who HESSE might have been.

These pictures are almost identical to what I have:

Click to expand...

try here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

type in HESSE in the search
if u get nothing then try the H or U HESSE
the number 20 i think is the 20th pair made and the #33 key went to the 33rd pair made i say this because i have pairs 27,78,&89 all with original keys marked the with the same numbers,also have set number 76 without key

Well I have done a lot of reading here and elsewhere. This is clearly the most update and informative of any sites I found and its been fascinating reading about my find.

I am not an antique collector but I liked that show Antiques Roadshow because there are so many great stories behind items used in the past.

I am a contractor and my neighbor (older gentlemen) had a old looking variable size pipe threader. I paid a buck for it and found some cool old books including a farmers daily journal from 1884.

As I was paying and ready to leave I noticed something metal in a sandwich bad labeled "handcuffs from Nevada City" and immediately paid $20 for them.

I will post my own pictures when I can get better lighting but I found some pictures of another model almost identical to mine.

The inside dimensions are 46mm chain to lock barrel and ~6cm top to bottom.

They are a little rusty so I really want suggestions on how to preserve them because it has a key and they work perfectly.

Its something I do not intend to sell and I really enjoy how well made they are.

Total length is about 23cm. The center swivel has a distinctly pointed top.

The key is marked at the top with the number 33

Both cuffs are marked Froggatt, Warranted, Wrought with a number 20 perpendicular to the words.

On the other side of each cuff the word HARD is stamped.

On one cuff, adjacent to the word hard next to the bottom of the lock and upside down from the HARD mark is a stamp which appears to be a name.

The first letter is obscured but it looks like a H (maybe U) then a period and then HESSE is clearly readable.

I will try to go back and see what else the seller may know but I am fascinated with this item and would love to find approximate date of manufacturing and who HESSE might have been.

These pictures are almost identical to what I have:

Click to expand...

Thank you for the feedback. Life is a little hectic so I am haven't dug into the history more yet.

So if it has a mild rust patina gun oil is ok? Inside lock and key its clean.

Those photos aren't mine but I will take some when I get a a chance.

If you it was the 20th made, what year would that be?

And what does the key number denote? I think I read another post here saying a model like this was for a jail in the UK.

I can't imagine how they ended up labeled as "Nevada City" sheriff cuffs.

Nevada city is in Northern California and when I looked at the map it looks like it may be near where the farmer lived whose journal I bought recording his daily life during 1884-1885.

He doesn't mention a wife and there were two clipped out newspaper ads for ladies dresses with picture of a fancy gal.