Plug Eights Griffin

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

Hope this works
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I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

Martin
Your Griffin plug 8 are a nice find. They are two hundred years old made in the early 19th century. I would say they are worth at least 300 GBP. An original key will be a difficult find. The plug 8 keys are not interchangeable. The key from one cuff will not necessarily open another cuff, although sometimes they do.

Joe

Here is picture of a Griffin with key.

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

Joe thank you for that information will see if I can find a clever blacksmith and I can fiddle with a file..Looks like I got something good for a change..

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

many plug eight keys are interchangable.

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

I pulled out my griffin plug eight, and find the plug thread is a left-hand thread. i.e. rotate it clockwise to unscrew it. And so is the thread on the end of the key, since it has to screw in through the plug thread. Once the key is in, i.e. past the plug thread, the internal locking thread is right handed. I just have this one, so don't know if this is standard.

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

You will find that RH threads are more common than LH threads, but also the nut inside can be divided into thirds or quarters. The thirds being more rare. I have not come across the nut ever being LH, but once you have the key in there, it would not make much difference.
Nice find.
Paul

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

thanks, I hadn't known that. My Griffen key has four-fold symmetry for the internal screw.

I had previously considered plug locks to be little more than rivets or screw bolts, but I realize now they were a significant step forward. With the plug, the outside thread, and the hidden internal screw engagement, they are much cleverer than a simple bolt, so can claim to be a true lock. But they retain the advantage, lost in modern locks, that the proper key can apply much more force than any pick. Anyone who has done home repairs knows how impossible bolts can be without the proper tool (key). I guess prisoners in the early 1800s were figuring out methods of unscrewing simple screw-bolts, and the plug lock was the response.

I found these in a junk shop 2 days ago and the cost me 8 GBP British Pounds about $12. I have a pair of Irish 8s by Hiatt and thought these were similar. Unfortunately no key is it a pipe dream to find one ? I did some research and I could just make out a few letters which did not say Hiatt so I have done some very gentle cleaning to reveal GRIFFIN. These cuff are in very good working order with the plug and I used a wooden dowel to unlock them. I am hope they may be worth a little more than I paid for them but if I could only find a key which is quite distinctive with the two studs for the plug. have tried unsuccessfully to upload a photo from Photobucket but I guess you all know what these look like

I am currently restoring two plug 8's, both stamped Griffen Hiatt.
One is a very small size. Both have original plugs. They are quite
pitted and while I have one up and running, the other I may have to
rebuild the locking mechanism. Both are right hand threaded, and also
both keys should have a drilled center. Both locking bolts have the
tapered pin running up through the lock mechanism to prevent a solid
key from working. I'll post pictures later.
Best, John