King breaker handcuffs

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Any new escape artist wanting to be known as "The New Houdini" at all.

It would be like every new singer to come down the pipes hoping to be compared to some dead singer from yesteryear.

There is no value in that and no way for any artist to be appreciated for thier own unique talents.

To live constantly in the shadow of a dead man and to hope to be compared to him means the art also remains in the past.

Not good at all.

The future for escapes is with any new, bright,or original artists who do NOT try to be like Houdini or do things the same way he did.

Steve Santini

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

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Then where do we get the name "Santini"?

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

Peter Falk.

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

Good one! That was funny Anon.

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074330/

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

Not even Peter Falk, but Jack Cassidy. Too much information.

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

Hi Anonymous,

In the days of vaudiville, Escape Artists were known as Handcuff Kings. Occasionally they would be challenged by members of the public or craftsmen (Carpenters, Locksmiths etc) & even other Escape Artists trying to ruin their credability, who thought they could come up with a restraint (a lock, a handcuff, packing crate etc) that could break/beat the Handcuff King. These items, if successful were known as King Breakers.

With regard to rules etc. Either today or in yesteryear, it is of utmost importance that the item be checked to be in full working order before a challenge is accepted.
Some EA's will say that a cuff needs to be a police regulation cuff, but the real EA's will regard any item as a challenge.

I myself would say, NEVER accept a challenge without looking at how it is to be achieved & overcome. You don't want to put yourself in a position of certain failiure & destroy your reputation!

Also on this thread, I would like to add that I am thinking of researching the King Breaker more & would be grateful for any information on the subject.

Feel free to email me guys.

Dan

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

I'd never known the origin of that phrase, so thanks for the very clear explanation Dan. And congrats on producing what looks like a very nice set of King breakers as shown in that pic from the Convention.

Mike Riccard
a.k.a. Mikeintightpants
Centre of England

With seeing what Dan has made (see conv pics), great job by the way Dan. I was wondering what other types of King breaker cuffs are out there. Also what constitutes a king breaker i.e Is it a regulation type cuff that has been fixed in a certain way to not open? A cuff that is impossible to open even with the key, like Dan's. Does the cuff have to appear like a fully working cuff, so the challenged escapist thinks there's been no tampering, Does it have to be a handcuff to be a king breaker?

Are there any rules to stop escapist from getting challenged today or what were the rules from yester-year. Do escapist's today need to be challenged, I see from looking on the web a number of escapist's bragging about there talents, how do we know who is the new Houdini, do we care today?

Any thoughts...

Click to expand...

Very often when press covers a new escape artist the call him or her "The New Houdini" or "The Reincarnation of Houdini."
It just goes with the territory.
As far as I know the name Houdini has not hurt any artist associated with it.
Norm