whats so great about these cuffs? is there a unique lock design, i like them I just dont know enough about them to purchase them.. but may want to add to the collection andy information from owners on why there a great cuff please share ! thanks,
Nice photos Damon, we know there are at least 4 different models, the first time I knew about them was in about 1973 when I met a prison warden at The Magic Circle in London, as a budding escapologist I said I could escape from any police or prison handcuff! He told me about the Chubb handcuffs that were used purely for escorting high security prisonners and he described the complex key. I contacted Chubb's and they confirmed they did manufacture handcuffs but a Home Office Licence was required to purchase them.
I did contact the Home Office who were very unhelpful and could not help me. I had been in touch with a collector in Canada John Minnery who was a registered locksmith and collector and he wrote to Chubbs who agreed to supply him, I told him to order 3 pairs at £25- each including keys and inserts and said I would pay for them all if he sent just 2 sets back. This was agreed and so in about 1974 I had 2 brand new sets.
In 1975 when Jim Stewart and I founded 'Fetters' our initial products were from Hiatt but I did contact various oversea manufacturers and soon we were offering Clejuso, Saf-Lok, Alcyon, Heinrich Hagge Deutsche Polizei, Rivolier, LaPegy etc. I wrote to Chubb's again and said I had their Escort Handcuffs in my collection and they did agree to supply us with their products as 'collectors' handcuffs all were to be keyed alike and I seem to remember the keys were marked CC9.
Further research revealed that Chubb started producing them in about 1963, until then the prisons were still using the Hiatt 'Home Office' pattern cuffs. I do have a photo of Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones being taken to court in 1965 wearing the early 1st model cuffs - see Alex Nichols Book. This 1st model was polished aluminium and the 10 disc locking barrel was held in place with a visible pressed on plate exactly the same as the Chubb Padlocks. I only know of 3 sets of this 1st model pattern that still exist.
You MUST get a set for your collection, although they are really nothing new - remember Romers cuffs and LI look like 2 large padlocks and the inserts were part of the Patent Claims made by Broome & Wood, they are still so different to anything that is currently produced and do represent the highest security locking mechanism ever used on a set of handcuffs with over 6 million key combinations.
I agree with previous posts make sure they have keys. Chubbs still supply them and a new set with 3 keys and inserts currently cost about £400-
Good luck.
Chris
