The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

2 unusual Hiatt leg irons

17 visible archived posts · 17 preserved total · topic ID 5901

cuffman69 13 Apr 2015

I recently acquired some unusual Hiatt leg irons and hope some of you may be able to throw some light onto these.

The first is a pair of long chain key lockable irons They differ from any I've seen before and in some of the images I show them along side the more conventional Hiatt long chain leg irons as a comparison. Obviously what stands out most is the method of attaching the cuff to the chain. The size of the swivels and the long links also makes this pair different.

They are stamped Hiatt and 106.

The cuffs are attached to the curved metal “brace” via 4 flush rivets. Has anyone seen this before on either leg irons or handcuffs ?

I'm assuming these are early in date but as we have examples of Griffin cuffs which would predate these without this bracing why depart from the normal method of manufacture.

The second pair are riveted leg shackles again marked Hiatt. The images or the chain room I posted some time ago show examples of these. Again with these marked Hiatt it's made me wonder why manufacture these riveted irons when they had already perfected key unlocking leg irons. Cost may be a factor or the length of time it would be anticipated that the wearer would have them fitted.

Any advice would be welcomed.

Thanks,

Mark (RMP)

lauher 13 Apr 2015

Mark - What a great find.

I have never seen a pair like the first one. Neat.
And I have never seen a riveted pair marked for any company.
I agree that low cost would be the attraction.

Joe

Paul 14 Apr 2015

Very nice find!!
The darby irons are very unusual. If a standard Hiatt legiron key will not fit in the hole, I would say they are quite old. Everything else is a but odd, but interesting. Are both sides stamped Hiatt 106? As you have said the swivels and attachments are unlike any other Hiatts. From my photo following, Hiatt did make a heavy duty iron which did not need any extra reinforcement.

I was very excited to see a riveted pair of irons stamped HIATT I always wondered whether they existed with a stamp because they seem more roughly made. I have a pair stamped Moreton & Foster, a company which began before 1788 and ended in the early 20th century. I have another pair like your Hiatts which are only stamped 42 as far as I can see.
Below from left to right are
Moreton & Foster riveted, Unknown riveted (like your Hiatt), Hiatt long chain, Hiatt heavy weight.
[/IMG]

Here's some info on Moreton & Foster. 2 of the M&F sales notices have dates of 1884 and 1893. The bankruptcy notice is from 1908.
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
Paul

Chris Gower 15 Apr 2015

What a find, really unusual, I have never seen the way the chain is attached to the shackles. It does seem rather an odd way of attaching and I would have thought it much easier to attach it in the normal conventional way. The rivet Legirons are brilliant especially as they are marked Hiatt, never seen a set marked Hiatt.
Chris

cuffman69 15 Apr 2015

Thanks for the input guys.
Paul both of the leg irons are marked Hiatt on both cuffs however is really only readable on one side of the riveted pair the other side has a mark but without knowing what it says it would be difficult to read.

They key hole is smaller in diameter than any of the other leg irons I own.

I wish we could say why Hiatt deviated from the normal method of production because in truth it doesn't seem to add any benefits but does added additional steps in the manufacturing process.

Regards,

Mark (RMP)

Paul Davies 13 May 2015

Mark,
if we can get a better scan of the "Black Country Survey" image posted here you will also see the leg iron featured here in your first photo. With your center locking plug eight and the plug leg irons with extra spacer from your other Post, you appear have three very rare cuffs from the Hiatt Collection board.
[/IMG]
Paul

lauher 13 May 2015

I love this picture. We have had lots of discussion on the forum about small Darbies. Look at the pair in this picture.

Joe

Chris Gower 13 May 2015

Thanks Paul for posting the photo from the Black Country Survey, I agree that the Legirons could well have come from the above collection. However, the plug'8' centre locking cuffs were marked Hiatt. Mark have another look under good light to see if you can see the Hiatt stamp. It is interesting that I had both the Scolds Bridle and the Plug '8' Legirons (subsequently sold), I do have the very heavy plug cuffs with single linkage and believe the tiny derbies shown are the ones that Dan recently acquired.
Think we're are now almost in a position to recreate the display if someone has the ability to merge photos from the various custodians of the cuffs.
Chris

Paul Davies 13 May 2015

I didn't mean that Mark has the actual cuffs from this board, but examples. Anything is possible though.
I'd love to know what the labels say under each cuff. Marks leg irons with the spacers looks very much like the one near top right of photo. The lock tube looks longer and the cuffs are more oval. I would love to have a go at recreating this board from photos supplied if the owners of the cuffs are willing.
It would be a valuable reference for all British cuff collectors.
Paul

cuffman69 13 May 2015

#10

Thanks for the comments guys. Paul I've all of Joes annuals etc and I don't recall seeing this picture before. My books are in storage at my parents house at the moment so I'll need to dig them out.

I've tried to sharpen and enhance your image in photoshop but without satisfactory results.
I've made an advent picture of the Hiatt collection(If only Father Christmas would put a bid more effort into what he leaves me)
Maybe we can use it to identify items and put a name next to each number. Times against me today to start this.

The items in both my posts came from different sources. Another member of the forum can vouch that the leg irons were not sold with the three items shown in my second post. Years of scouring sources for handcuffs have resulted in two incredibly fortunate finds within the space of a month or so. Everything has come from retail environments and not from an ex employee of Hiatt.

Joe, I've posted in the past a picture of my small darby cuffs. They are marked Parker Field and Son. I have several small pairs which are for small men or women. It not until you actually see handle and compare the very small ones that you can appreciate these extra small cuffs must have been for children even if people were smaller and more malnourished in days gone by.

I'll continue this thread a little later when time permits but please lets try to assign names or model numbers to the corresponding numbers on the picture.

Regards,

Mark

cuffman69 13 May 2015

#11

Sorry made a cock up with the numbering. I had the image enlarged in photoshop and the bottom pair of cuffs No.26 were cropped off. Maybe we could use this image and pretend the other never happened. That also cocks up my advent gripe with Father Christmas.

Chris Gower 14 May 2015

#12

Well done Mark in numbering the 26 items, here are my thoughts:

1) Long chain Darby type Legirons with reinforced linkage from chain to shackles (Marks collection)
2) Small plug handcuffs short chain connected (Identical one in my collection)
3) Early wedge lock single handcuff with key (Identical one in my collection)
4). Early wedge lock single Legirons no key (Identical one in my collection)
5) Slave/Convict long chain Legirons (Marks collection)
6) Plug '8' centre locking handcuffs with key (Identical one in Marks collection)
7) Plug Legirons chain connected (anyone have similar?)
8). Hiatt 101 lightweight pattern (everyone's collection)
9) Hiatt 115 pattern (everyone's collection)
10) Hiatt Grip (everyone's collection)
11) Plug Legirons chain connected (anyone have similar?)
12) Hiatt very small darbies (Dan's collection)
13) Gang chain with three cap wrist locks (I have one with 6 wrist locks and end lock several others about)
14) Scolds Bridle (was in my collection traded with Steve Santini about 3 years ago photos available)
15) Plug '8' Legirons (now in Joe Lauher collection)
16) ? Double hinge single Legiron ? Locked with a cap ? Anyone got one?
17) Lead Chain (everyone's collection)
18) Long chain Darby Legirons (Marks collection)
19) Hiatt 104 pattern (anyone got one of these?)
20) Plug Legirons chain connected with ?extention piece (Marks collection)
21) Heavy Hiatt early plug '8' handcuffs (Identical one in my collection)
22) Histt heavy plug handcuffs with single link (My collection)
23) Plug'8' standard handcuffs (in many collections)
24) Hiatt Sheffield pattern standard key (Identical one in my collection)
25) Hiatt Grip (everyone's collection)
26) Hiatt 104 or Home Office Pattern or Sheffield Pattern (lots available) .

What do you think? Hiatt also had a small display cabinet in their foyer and it had Sheffield pattern cuffs, Nigerian pattern cuffs and Bean pattern cuffs together with a selection if truncheons and whistles.

Chris

Paul 14 May 2015

#13

Nice job with the naming Chris!
I have about half of what is displayed.

Sheffield pattern- is that what you call the Flexible cuff. I thought it referred to a key with external thread for a standard looking darby.

I have similar to No.s 7 and 11, the plug leg irons. 7 is not named and 11 is actually a Froggatt, not Hiatt. But for recreation of this display it might do.

Paul

Chris Gower 14 May 2015

#14

Sorry my fault I meant Hiatt Flexibles model 125 standard key. They did make the Flexibles with Sheffield pattern key model 126 and also I know of one Hiatt Scotland Yard adjustable which I think was their 116 pattern which takes the externally threaded key. Also had a thought about no 19 could it be a Palmers size 1 Legiron one part only?
Chris

Chris Gower 14 May 2015

#15

Sorry but an currently on an awful coach journey which is running nearly two hours late and the weather is heavy rain. Anyway I meant could number 16 be half a Palmers cuff?
Chris

Paul 14 May 2015

#16

16 looks more like a dog collar with screw down bolt like the chain ones. It may have hinges, certainly not consistent all the way around. The lock looks to be half the size of the other cap locks so that is unlikely. Too small to be a human collar, closer to leg cuff size.

holstcollection 15 May 2015

#17

I agree, number 16 is not a Palmer. A Palmer would have a more visible lock/chain attachment.

Lars