Cuffs' size standarts of past ages

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Welcome to the forum!

I'm quite convinced in the days before adjustable handcuffs, every reputable blacksmith (or dungeon keeper) would keep a couple of assorted sizes. I have 5-6 different sized cup shackles, some really small from 5,5cm, to about boot leg iron size (11cm). So they would probably try to find one that would fit. The smallest one even appears to have been further reduced in size by adding metal plates on the inside. The cup shackles are actually thinner (and lighter) than you would think. They were quite common in Germany.

The problem is not so much present with leg irons; 1-2 sizes will probably work for most costomers

Nils

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

Nils-Great collection. Thanks for the posting, it should help answer the question asked.

Ron

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

I think part of that answer may be similar to what you see Sheriff Joe's Chain Gangs "shackled" together using a simple piece of chain and a lock. Possibly in those days they used a chain and instead of a lock they used a hand pounded and peened pin closure system ? Just a thought that I wonder if there is any substance to that logic?

Welcome to the forum!

I'm quite convinced in the days before adjustable handcuffs, every reputable blacksmith (or dungeon keeper) would keep a couple of assorted sizes. I have 5-6 different sized cup shackles, some really small from 5,5cm, to about boot leg iron size (11cm). So they would probably try to find one that would fit. The smallest one even appears to have been further reduced in size by adding metal plates on the inside. The cup shackles are actually thinner (and lighter) than you would think. They were quite common in Germany.

The problem is not so much present with leg irons; 1-2 sizes will probably work for most costomers

Nils

Click to expand...

Thanks you, Nils, for great information!
I'm not pretty sure, 5.5 cm is quite enough for all women, it's probably somewhat big for most slender ladies. And for me it looks easier to slip out from wide cup shackle then from narrow modern bracelet, especially when prisoner has a plenty time without supervision.

What was the way they locked cup shackles on hands? The chaingang way to lock works good to chain a lot of people together, but what's about two hands only?

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

Oh, I've got what you mean ("peened pin" ). Actually, as far as I understand, they used it, but if close each bracelet this way, it makes a bit more complicated to choose the right bracelet separately from the right chain. Literally, you might need two holes - one for pin, another for chain. But it also makes a sense...

It's not a well described topic as it is quite unpleasant for most of people, but it still very interesting for us

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

Thanks Nils...great collection of cup shackles. Kajdanowski, you should also take a look at the gallery section of the Handcuffs.org main page. Note that the darby and plug cuffs (as well as several other styles: Palmer, Romer, Rankin, etc.) were non-adjustable, therefore, several sizes were required. With non-adjustable patterns such as these, manufacturers typically offered cuffs in two or three wrist sizes.

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

I have over a dozen European "cup" style shackles of various designs and sizes in my collection. Although they were at one time quite common in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France they are rather sought after today and can be quite expensive.

For interest's sake I have attached a few photos of cup irons in my collection. The first photo is of a male and female sized cup wrist iron formerly part of the Royal Castle of Nuremburg torture collection. The female one is so small it would fit a child or very young adult.

The second photo is of a rather rare cup shackle that was made to cause pain to the wearer. It is lined with iron spikes and would make either a very large sized leg iron or a neck collar for someone, likely a female, with a slender neck.

Cheers, Steve

Hello!

I'm a handcuffs collector from Ukraine. Actually, my collection is quite small (only 13 items) and contains handcuffs not older than 30-40 years, but it is an issue of my quesion.

I'm also looking for information about using of handcuffs and shackles before modern-era. And I can't figure out a way they could be actually used. From story to story we can read about criminals, witches and other prisoners something very brief like "they were shackled and manacled" and there was no single doubt it's pretty secured.

And this is a something I cannot understand. How could they securely cuff each prisoner, having no standart size? It's much easier with leg irons but human's wrists size could widely differ from person to person, from young noble girl to old male peasant. Did they have all possible size in every forge? We can guess they made personal manacles but there are a lot of particular cases of instant manacling...

Does anybody now something about that system? May be some secrets like putting something inside of a bigger bracelet?

Click to expand...

Hi Kajdanowski:

Your question about how restraints were used in ancient times is indeed a great question. There is no simple answer to that. As I see it, the terminology used with respect to prisoner restraints (handcuffs, shackles, manacles, fetters, irons) and the meanings of those words over the centuries creates a lot of confusion.

For my personal purposes, and other are welcome to disagree and probably will disagree, I use two terms: manacles and fetters. Manacles are used to bind the hands. Fetters are used to bind the feet.

That distinction may strike some around this Forum as idiotic; namely, that my use of the term manacles should rather be simply handcuffs. Okay. But what about the restraints used for feet? What do you call them? Footcuffs?

So, when you see a reference in an ancient text about someone being placed into "shackles" or into "irons" well, just what does that mean? Handcuffs? Footcuffs? Maybe something about their neck?

As you have observed, but using my terminology, and recognizing the simple elements of human anatomy, in ancient times, fetters would have been a simpler way of securing a prisoner; a better and easier way of making "one size fit all." And, on the whole, folks in ancient time were a little smaller than folks are today. Hence, when you see an ancient cap shackle that today would barely fit around the wrist of a 21st century average adult male, that same shackle probably would have slipped off the wrist of an average 15th century adult male, but would be perfectly suited to bind the feet of the average 15th century prisoner, be they man, woman or child.

So, and I know I will catch the dickens for this, my personal opinion is that in ancient times, prior to the late 18th century, fetters were the prevailing means of restraint. Thereafter, manacles began to supplant the same.

Franklin