Book - Manacles of the World

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Hello,

Make it easier for everyone.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/270813336233

Starting bid, $75.00; postage, $6.00; auctions ends on...drum roll...9/11.

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Soooo, Tom. How's that make you feel?

Ready to do a 2nd edition? We'll all pitch in.

Brad

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Brad, hi!

Who says I'm not back in publishing already? Maybe I am, and simply choose to sell my books one at a time, for $75 each! Ha!

Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a gentleman who had been a U. S. Army officer stationed in Germany in the late '40s. He and a pal, another officer, would periodically go out scrounging for Nazi artifacts, mostly just for fun. But they also appreciated that there was a market for these items and prices were only going up. One day they happened to walk into a factory and discovered that it had been where the SS daggers had been manufactured. While snooping around they found the original dies which had been used to fabricate the hanger for the SS dagger. I know many of you have seen these and know what I mean. They are two chains made with alternating links, one being the SS runes, the next being the Totenkopf, the death's head symbol. These are extraordinarily rare, far more scarce than the SS dagger itself.

The two American officers "confiscated" those dies. Nobody objected or even said a word. (What was the factory manager going to say after all, especially in the '40s? "Wait, you can't take those. Next week we're planning on manufacturing Nazi stuff again.")

Their forgeries (yes, I knew that unpleasant word would have to come up!) are absolutely perfect. Remember, these are the original dies. It would take a metallurgical analysis to distinguish them from the legitimate item. But these guys were very astute. Why flood the market? Why not just make 5 or 10 a year, and sell them one at a time, at different gun shows, for top dollar each time.

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

HI Tom,
I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in here. I for one would love to see another edition of your book. We know you could never
match the price of the first. Who cares! Your first book was a "must have" for all of us, and to many still is a must have.
I'd certainly pay more for another edition. I also would be happy to send any photos, information, etc... you would want that
I could provide. I have much info on the mitts, Wisner Hoyt, Woods cuffs, Lorey, etc... I saw a previous post in which you stated
you thought another edition would not be needed. I believe it would be. I, for one, would love to see it. Please consider doing another
edition sometime in the near future. Thanks much for the work you've done.

Best Wishes, John Bushey

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

I agree with John. Any book (and certainly one like Tom's) about handcuffs is a great resource for all collectors, both new and 'old'.

Go for it Tom!

Greetz,

Peter

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

I got the book that steve had up.Its been along time that i havent had this book.I think theres a post up around 2004-05 when i lost mine and asked if someone had a copy so glad i got one comming.As for the second edition YES tom make it happen i will take one.

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Thank you, John and Peter and everybody else, for all the kind words. You've actually got me thinking about this, something which, a week ago, I would have bet money would never happen.

Some of you might have read the messages which I posted in the thread "Pics of Early Smith and Wesson Models". To make a long story short, I posted what I thought was a completely innocuous message about an incredibly trivial detail concerning the S&W company. I was then subjected to an unprovoked personal attack by a certain senile, old coprophagiac who is evidently jealous that he had been so totally eclipsed as an authority on handcuffs and has therefore been deprived of the income derived from cheating beginning collectors. In this psychopathic attach, my book was characterized as "pitiful" and it was then suggesting that I had not written it anyway. This got the thread way off-topic, as I began a reverie about the writing of the first edition and the problems involved with anybody who contemplated writing such a book today. I wrote, among other things,


"I pity the author of any book, these days, which purported to be a comprehensive guide? He or she would be bombarded with complaints and derision. 'Hey! You call this a reference book? You failed to mention that there are variations of the Pratt Combination Cuff without serial numbers!' ... Consider all the details which emerge on this web site, brought to light by a large number of observant and scholarly people. Could all of those details ever be cataloged in a single book, with pro and con arguments about questionable issues? Very daunting."


I persist in believing that the project is beyond the capacity of any one person, at least any person who had other interests and aspired to have any outside life. But with the help and contributions offered, it might be a different story. I might just be possible. Let me give some thought as to what would be involved in this matter.

Thanks again for all your encouragement and interest.

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

HI Tom,

I guess I'd have to agree that any book published may not be complete, nor 100% accurate. We are discovering information all the time.
We do the best we can, and then hope that others may take our work and go further with it. As an example, in the past year I discovered another
size of Romer handcuff most of us didn't realize was out there. Damon Shields found a 3rd size of Rankin handcuff. I know at least one collector who has all three sizes of Rankins now. It's only because of books like your first book, Joe Guinta's patent book, The Handcuff Annuals, Joe Lauher's British Handcuff Book, and all the books written before, and those that will come, that this information will be uncovered, and motivate others to find information unknown at present. My thanks to the Cannons for bringing us together several times with the conventions. They allowed many of us to meet and spend some great time together. And, Because of this forum and the knowledge we share, we learn more about our hobby. I am constantly looking things up in old, and sometimes scare or even rare books; information that will start a full research project.

The chance to open a Lorey handcuff led to the Lorey book, and it was two friends (Joe Fox and Mark Lundblad) who inspired me to research the patent holder, Joseph Lorey. Acquiring my third pair of McKenzie Mitts led me to research those, with the help of so many of our friends out there who own a pair, and others as well. All those I've asked to help have supplied what they can, and I truly thank everyone for the help. These projects would not have been done without everyone's assistance. I know I spent several all-nighters researching old newspaper articles and talking with Joshua Ohlmeier at every hour of the night as we finally began finding information when searching out "metal mitts", "Steel mittens", etc. I still frequently look back at your book Manacles of the World for photos and information. I know you have a lot more photos you could add, plus new information, and yes, many of us I'm sure would be willing to contribute photos, information we have, etc... to make another edition possible. I believe there would be a demand for another edition, and that current and future collectors would greatly benefit from such a work. So I'm thrilled to hear you are at least thinking about the possibility.

Best Wishes, John Bushey

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Tom- A new book would be fantastic. Not a week goes by that I dont find myself going through your first book and or the Annuals that Joe put together and so many contributed to. It would be great for the hobby and collectors new and old.

Damon

If anyone is interested, I just listed this book on E-Bay. Item 270813336233.

The book is in very good condition with the exception of the binding which has come loose for some pages. See the photos for details.

Thanks,

Steve

Dear Tom,

It might be worth your while to contact Matt Forte, mforte72@aol.com, the author of American Police Collectibles and American Police Equipment, both of which were published several years after your book.

Matt has a law enforcement background, is a meticulous researcher and is on the Advisory Committee of the National Law Enforcement Museum, in Washington, DC.

Matt promotes his books himself, through Google Books and through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. As has been discussed, much new information has come to light since then. It has crossed Matt's mind to combine both his books into one, very updated volume.

I think if the two of you were to compare notes, as it were, you'd stand to gain valuable insights that often escape you when you're bouncing ideas off the reflection in the mirror.

Matt's a personable, intelligent, responsible individual. You'll like him. Tossing ideas and experiences back and forth could prove productive.

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm