Researching Quick Release Cuffs

I'm not an escape artist; my grandson who performs under the name Qua-Fiki is an aspiring escape artist. He has invented several escapes, and is currently writing an e-Book called "Escapes For Teens" that is being published on my web site, the Magic Nook. I'm not mentioning that in order to sell his e-Book since I doubt that any members here are teens. However, he has developed a new type of chain cuff and I am trying to help him research the history of quick release chain cuffs for his e-Book. We are particularly interested in the old standard version that consists of four short chains separated by a large metal link. Does anyone here know who first used it or invented it?

Thanks in advance for any leads you can give us to follow up.

Professor Spellbinder
http://www.magicnook.com

Him all the luck with his career in escapes and new book.

While I do not know who exactly invented the large loop cuffs with the 4 chains, over 15 years ago I ivented my own unique variation which uses a solid bar that seperates the hands instead of the silly looking loop.

In time fellow escape artist Shawn Ness opened a store where he sold a limited number of these cuffs I had made and which I called, "The Santini Lightning Bar Cuff."

Eventually, Shawn stopped operating the store and selling product and I at the same time stopped making my bar cuff available to escape artists.

Shortly thereafter I was contacted by an escape artist named "Pastor Clyde" who asked me if I would allow him to manufacture and market my Lightning Bar Cuff.

I told Clyde that I was no longer prepared to offer my design to the escape world and I assumed that was that.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the story because a few years later Clyde ripped off my design (with only a slight modification in the way the chains were attached to bar) and began selling "his" design on Ebay.

He still tries to sell them there to this very day.

I bring up the above as a cautionary tale to warn you to be careful about protecting your own designs.

The world of escapes, like nearly all others, is filled with a few people who if they cannot do things the honest way seem to have no problem "lifting" the original ideas and concepts of others to 1) make a buck, 2) or have a good escape prop without having to do the work to think it up in the first place.

Do your best to protect your designs anyway you can.

Steve Santini www.thedarkmaster.com

Both Qua-Fiki and I decided that the best way to safeguard his design would be to never photograph it or allow it to be seen on YouTube. Anyone who wants the secret will have to buy it "on faith," which we hope will be enough to keep out the "faithless."

Qua-Fiki is new to this, but I have seen it for over 70 years in magic and I remember seeing that dratted Quick Release Chain Cuff with the big loop when it first began to show up in magic stores. It soon became the "restraint of choice" for every young magician who wanted to do the Sub Trunk (which was practically everybody). Then the comedy "in and out" routines started, which further eroded its usefulness as an escape.

To keep that from happening to Qua-Fiki's Chain Cuffs, our plan is to keep it a strictly "Do-It-Yourself" prop rather than manufacture it, which cuts out the lazy "cookie cutter" magicians who only buy props ready made by a "professional" with a "professional look" to them. I guess that means shiny and sparkly, which these are not. He will also explain in his e-Book the story of those "other" chain shackles and why it is in the best interest of the purchaser never to be photographed or video taped wearing Qua-Fiki's cuffs.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond and be assured that we will make every attempt to protect his design. You (and others) may wonder why we publish the secrets at all, but it is to establish a dated claim to the invention within the magic community, most of whom are honestly concerned about protecting intellectual property, which is, after all, what most magic secrets and escape secrets are.

Professor Spellbinder
http://www.magicnook.com