Extreme Rare German Handcuffs. Late 1800's

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Ya we know Maybe we should call the local media and have it on the 6 O clock news.I also see who sent him the information He must be emailing all the people who list handcuffs and give them a price.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Greetings!

This appears to be a very rare variation of the legendary Kakola handcuffs. They are in excellent shape, though I noticed an impression in the lock tube which can be seen in the third photo. Does this impression go all the way through the tube or is it just a small defect in the casting?

Regards,
Jason

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

I am glad these were mentioned here.
What is that secondary key hole on the neck of the lock tube?

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Oh, Anonymous, you are not only a coward you are also an envier!

Guy asked me before he offered his nice cuffs at eBay (and without mentioning that he wants to sell tem there) what he might have and I answered him in all conscience.

I know that some - maybe including you - probably would have tried to betray him and get the cuffs pretty cheap. But not me.

Guenter

PS: @Guy: good luck with your auction!

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

What you see is not a defect. Both sides show that notch, which is part of the casted or machined slot that you see in the open cuff picture.

Guy

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

I am not sure what you mean by 2nd hole. Maybe picture 4 I just posted will answer or my previous answer to a similar question.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Gunther,
All 4 collectors answered my question with honest estimates and one offered to buy them. You didn't. Also, I was advised by the collector that offered $1000 to put them on EBAY. Everyone, including you were very helpful. Also, I am selling these, as favor to a friend who owns them, is on full disability, has a neuro disease. I keep nothing!!!! She is totally broke and on welfare.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Hi everyone,

I think Günter may be right with his estimation of $2000 for this piece. It looks even nicer than the one that I bought in January 2011. Here a pic from Joe's "Recent auctions" for comparison:



The connection on the cuff that is currently auctioned is made up with a swivel and not just a ring like on my piece. Also the thickness of the bows seems to be different, with the bows being more slender on the offered cuff.

But before I might bid, I also have to ask: is there a hole in the lockcase (upper part, near the "entrance") where there should be no hole?

Best,

Michael

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Hi,

I answered this for someone else on the form. There is no hole. What you see is on both sides of the cuff and is simply the end of the slot cut or casted. You can see the locking nubs and slot on picture number 4 where the cuffs are open.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

I believe this is what people are questioning

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Thank you.

I never noticed that. It looks like a small break, not drilled. Do not know how it got there but is not a casting defect.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Picture 3 on EBAY

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Are the lock cases different sizes or is this an optical illusion due to the angle of the photo? Also there appears to be a mark that follows the top plate. I ask in regards to it may having been opened for repair in the past. One last question that perhaps Michael can answer...is this thought to be a Swartiger?

Thanks

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Under a magnifying glass it seems to me that the marks on one side of the square plates are not pin holes but casting or stamping imperfections because I see nothing on the other square plate. Also, the top plates showing the key lock are the same size (measured with my micrometer. If one side looks larger it is just an optical camera illusion. Also 82 is stamped on the other cuff.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

A very interesting handcuff.

Just to clarify some ancillary issues, the name "Shawdow Turi" must unquestionably refer to the battle of Chateau-Thierry, which of course took place in France in 1918. Americans were, in fact, involved in this battle. I am also skeptical of some other aspects of the stated provenance of this piece. It is not that I question the intentions of the owner, it is just that facts, especially as transmitted by elderly persons, can become garbled over so many decades. (I couldn't begin to count the number of Japanese sergeant's swords which I have seen over the years which came with the story of having been "taken off the body of a dead Japanese colonel".)

Although I am not aware of any such cases, it is possible that American deserters wound up in Germany. But I consider this highly unlikely. No American troops were on German soil during World War I. There were, conversely, hundreds of American deserters throughout France and Belgium. Granted, it is possible that a soldier who deserted in France could have made his way to Germany, but why would he? Further, under no circumstances could an interpreter ever be considered "highly ranked". Further, I consider it incomprehensible that Germans of that era would offer any opposition to representatives of the American government, no matter of what rank. After all, America was the only country which stood between Germany and the harsh vengeance sought by the French. The French, on the contrary, were by 1921 hostile to the Americans for a variety of reasons. So if any Americans were arrested, in pursuit of a deserter, I strongly suspect that this took place in France. I would love to see a copy of the Denver Post article which was mentioned.

All of which has absolutely nothing to do with the legitimacy or the value of these handcuffs. Look at the 4th photo, and in particular the notches in the bow. These are unquestionably Finnish, and a very rare variation.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Thanks Guy for the quick response. Just to clarify...the height and width of both lock cases are the same and there is no mark that follows the top plate of the lock case or anything else that might lead you to believe it has ever been tampered with at any time? I only ask because I'm interested in the piece...not to discredit such a fantastic and rare cuff.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

@Blackburn:

The upper red circle shows the spot I wrote about, the lower circle shows the end of the notch of the moveable bow and should become invisible when the cuff is closed further.

Best
Michael

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Hi all,

These cuffs are rare and interesting but I have to disagree on the Finnish origin, I think of them as German.

I agree that these cuffs have a great similarity to the Finnish "Kakola" cuffs, especially the milled bows and
the shape to the lock house.

As Michael already pointed out, he won a similar set on German eBay last year. He also showed me a picture of a
similar set located at the police museum in Berlin. A Belgian fellow collector has another set but stripped from
the linkage. One of our US fellow collectors has one
set too. None of these cuffs came from Finland.

There is one detail with these cuffs that makes me confused - the key! The seller stated the key is home made but it
apparently works the cuffs great. All other keys I know for these cuffs have a plain bit key. -Not with a protruding
top as this one. The "Kakola" takes a similar key with a protruding top.

The name "Schwertiger" (different spellings occur) came from the late Finnish escape artist Timo Toumivaara. I have a
chamois leather tag that came with a set of small size "Kakola" I bought from Timo's former collection some years ago.
The tag says "Scwertiger" and "German manufactured handcuffs" in Finnish. I think this is the explanation to how the
"Kakola" got referred to as "Schwertiger". Timo thought of them as German which we now know is wrong.

The final, and maybe the most interesting, question is how these cuffs are connected to the "Kakola" as the design is
so similar?
One of them came out first and was then copied. I wonder when and by whom! My personal impression is that
the "Kakola" are sturdier than the German "siblings" and came out first. Just like the Konepaja Voima were patented in
Finland in 1928 and then copied and manufactured by H&R in the 1930's.



Regards,

Lars


www.holstcollection.com

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Thank you Michael,

I did not even notice it, but the camera did!! I put it under a magnifying glass and looks like a small jagged edge hole so it is not drilled. I doubt it could just be worn threw. Seems someone crudely break into the side of the lock cap. Who knows? Maybe an effort to escape. I would guess someone of locksmithing skills at that time would not leave such a crude hole but I do not know.

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Dear Lars,

this handcuff was produced by Karl Schwertfeger in Hannover 1882.

Why?:

- Congress of Vienna 1815...
- ... 35 independant princedoms + 4 free cities (~39 states) with different laws, weights & measures, currencies et cetera.

...

- Franco-Prussian War 1870 - 1871.
- Proclamation of the (II.)(Kaiser-)Reich in Verseilles.
- Reichsvereinheitlichung (~Standardisation) 1882 ff.
DRP(a.?)(German Reichspatent)in 1883...
...1918: Germany lost WW I and had to pay reparations inter alia
patent licences...(according to Versaille II)...
> Finland was allowed (internationally) to produce the (in)famous "Kakola" handcuffs without patent licence, after 1918...

Hope I could help a bit further


Kind regards
Hanseatenhans

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Hi all,

I thought this thread could be continued due to some new information.

First, I believe Hanseatenhans is correct. These cuffs are likely made by Karl Schwertfeger and possibly patented in 1882 as to the stamping.

Since the last posting I got the opportunity to get a closer look at Michael's set which is very similar in design and construction.
In addition, I was very fortune to acquire the same cuffs this thread is all about.

As I have a few Kakola cuffs in the collection, I got the opportunity to compare them. The German cuffs are much lighter than the Kakola but the general construction is very similar.

My belief is that the German cuffs came out first and were copied by the Finns. The Finns made great copies; the Tower Bottom Key discussed here at the Forum before is a good example.

The first version of these German cuffs have a key hole that goes along with the bows (Michael's). They take a standard bit key. The second version, which I call these cuffs, have a key hole in a 90 degrees position to the bows, just like the Kakola. They take a key similar to the Kakola - a key with a protruding bit.

No patent papers are found yet but I believe these cuffs are of German manufacture. See some photos below.

Talking about Hannover; my friends Michael Busch and Peter Pensaert are visiting an illusionist performance by Andrew Basso (The Illusionists) in Hannover this very evening. Those of you who attended Cannon's Conventions in California probably remember this young and talented Italian illusionist and escapist.

Have a nice Halloween all of you,

Lars

www.holstcollection.com


Michael Busch German cuffs


Top view of Michael's cuffs


Second version (my cuffs and the cuffs in this thread)


Comparison. German cuffs to the left, Kakola to the right.


Kakola

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Lars

Great cuffs and very nice pictures. Thanks for the post.

Joe

We have listed the German Handcuffs from the late 1800's.
EBAY Auction # 300701922452

Thanks a lot for your appreciation Joe!

Lars