Joe Lauher
#1It was a lot of work to get the box open, but it was worth the trouble. I now have a beautiful #61 Handcuff from Ian McColl.
In October 2004 the Sidney Rader Great Houdini Auction was held in Las Vegas. A report of the auction was contributed to this web site by Mark Lyons. (<a href="<a href="http://handcuffs.org/radner</a" target="_new">http://handcuffs.org/radner</a" target="_new">http://handcuffs.org/radner</a></a>;/) One of the highlights of the auction (lot #61) was a very unusual folding handcuff, said to be from Germany.
(Photograph of the original #61 cuff by John Bushey)
This handcuff remains a mystery. No one seems to know where it came from or who made it. It is the only example known and may be a prototype of a cuff never put into production. The auction sale price was $18,250 including the commission. So the original cuff is likely to remain out of the reach of almost all of us.
So where do we turn when we can't have an orginal? We turn to Australia's master craftsman, Ian McColl. Ian has recreated the #61 handcuff and it is a work of art that rivals the original.
(The Ian McColl version).
Congratulations to Ian for a job well done.
Joe
More pictures can be found at: <a href="<a href="http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a" target="_new">http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a" target="_new">http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a></a>;/
In October 2004 the Sidney Rader Great Houdini Auction was held in Las Vegas. A report of the auction was contributed to this web site by Mark Lyons. (<a href="<a href="http://handcuffs.org/radner</a" target="_new">http://handcuffs.org/radner</a" target="_new">http://handcuffs.org/radner</a></a>;/) One of the highlights of the auction (lot #61) was a very unusual folding handcuff, said to be from Germany.
(Photograph of the original #61 cuff by John Bushey)
This handcuff remains a mystery. No one seems to know where it came from or who made it. It is the only example known and may be a prototype of a cuff never put into production. The auction sale price was $18,250 including the commission. So the original cuff is likely to remain out of the reach of almost all of us.
So where do we turn when we can't have an orginal? We turn to Australia's master craftsman, Ian McColl. Ian has recreated the #61 handcuff and it is a work of art that rivals the original.
(The Ian McColl version).
Congratulations to Ian for a job well done.
Joe
More pictures can be found at: <a href="<a href="http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a" target="_new">http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a" target="_new">http://www.handcuffs.org/mccoll</a></a>;/