Gaffed "Houdini" cuffs at auction

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

If you need more info, find out what stampings are on these cuffs. They look a lot like a pair I have stamped "British Made" but the swivel looks more modern than 1920s and is not your usual hand made Hiatt swivel for that period. The hinge also looks a bit sloppy for a Hiatt. I could guess as to who made them, but won't set myself up for a fall. Hiatt quality does vary quite a lot.
Paul D

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

I've exchanged emails with Bloomsbury's specialist Mike Heseltine who tells me he will prepare a salesroom notice clarifying that these cuffs were not used in the Water Torture Cell.

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

Sold for £2300

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

Well someone paid a lot for the story without any real provenance, but that's not my concern. I'm more interested on the cuffs but there has been no detail forthcoming.

This is just an opinion but...
These do not appear to be made by a big name maker and there is no mention of makers marks.
It is difficult to see from this one photo whether the bow and clevis are cast as one piece. The angle where attached to bow seems sharp, but it may have been filed down. Usually the bow widens if it has been pierced to accept the clevis. On the right bow it appears to thicken slightly but not widen, the other appears fairly uniform.

The way the hinged fits is very sloppy and the swivel is cast, not hand made.
If they have been gaffed, the end cap has probably been removed, replaced and ground down, removing any evidence of previous makers marks (like RCS used on the end caps) or sealing pattern or letter stamps.

Can anyone who followed this auction shed any light on its construction or maker?

Paul

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

Hi Paul, I believe these cuff to be dated about 1950's. The gap in the hinge is the give away. In hand finished cuffs, you cannot even get paper thin shim in the gap.

There are about ten different ways to gaff a darby, so taking out the end cap may not have required. It would have been good to get more details of the cuff.

People and their money are easily parted when the story is better than the truth.
(That is a quote from either a Pope or L Ron Hubbard or maybe Joseph Smith, Jr... or maybe none of them)

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

It's too bad we can't audit these auctioneers with the Hubbard Electrometer.

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

It just goes to show,that it is no worth trying to educate people as to what is real and what is not.

Too often people come here to tell the world that something is 'not'real' not authentic, the back story is lacking or made up.

People who want something will buy it.

Jason, I had the chance to try the meter in Hollywood while on vacation (2003)
There was a team of Scientologist working the street corner where I was shopping. I let one invite me over and I inquired what they were doing. A young women who was very chatty and friendly asked me over to her cardtable with the machine on it. She said to hold the two handles/tubes. I pretended not to understand what they were and held one to my ear and one to my mouth. I spoke loudly into it and "hello'hello, can you hear me" I did this a few times until a car drove by with hoods hanging out, who yelled abuse at the scientologist. When I enquired if they were, the young women changed her mood and became abusive, as if I was part of the trouble.

Moral of the story, "don't try to tell someone who has dedicated some much time and effort to a silly belief that they are wrong"

If someone thinks a cuff is honestly what the buyer says, let them go for it.

The wiser win in the long run.

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

Ian your estimate of date ties in with who I think MAY have made them. They are very similar in a lot of ways to some unmarked cuffs used in the British dominion of the Union of South Africa, which later became a Republic in 1961. You will find many Hiatt and RCS cuffs there. The lock tube with the smooth end cap, the clevis and the hinge are virtually the same as 2 pair of adjustable cuffs I have from Sth Africa but I do not have an RCS Darby to compare to the gaffed pair. I'm not talking about the false back strap type. I believe RCS made a standard Darby and this may be one of those. But there may well be a manufacturer we don't know about.

As with the Boer War cuffs made by RCS, it is my opinion, and just my opinion, that they produced cuffs to very different standards. Some cast products being quickly cleaned up and not stamped - lets say these did not meet the standards of a government contract. Other RCS products were highly finished, stamped, dated and even plated.
Paul

Have you guys seen this UK auction that includes a pair of gaffed "Houdini" handcuffs that once belonged to Billy McComb?

Seems to me the auction house is making a few leaps here. These came from the Hardeen collection, so they could have been Hardeen jump cuffs, not Houdini. Also, the auction house is claiming that the cuffs may have been used in Houdini's Chinese Water Torture Cell escape (the Daily Mail says they were a "vital part" of the escape). Considering Houdini didn't even wear shackles in the USD, that a pretty bold claim.

But it is cool that these belonged to Billy.

I've tried to sort out the whatnot below. Links to the auctions here as well. There are also some leg irons and a padlock.

http://www.wildabouthoudini.com/2013/12 ... n-not.html

Click to expand...

Here's a pair of 1952 RCS cuffs to compare with the above.