Need Help Identifying Very Old Handcuffs

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

More Photos for my previous post. The cuffs have been painted and perhaps varnished at some point. No markings an no key. The locked bow does wiggle, however, so if a key could be made it might work. Thanks again. Steve

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Hi,

Im quite sure these handcuffs are Japanese as photos of them can be found at Japanese museum sites.

These cuffs are very rare but as a part of the lock is missing, it's very hard to set a value.

Lars

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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I agree with Lars they are almost certainly Japanese, there was a photo recently posted showing 4 Japanese cuffs and certainly one was very similar to the ones you have shown. Where are they currently located and do you have any info on their history? I would say they are interesting but due to their poor condition would probably fetch about £150 on eBay.
Chris

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Thanks Chris and Lars.

Here is the story about these cuffs.

I was in a local locksmith's store and we were discussing handcuffs and he brought out this pair from his back room. He said they belong to his son and he thought someone gave them to him but wasn't sure. In talking about the handcuffs he felt I knew more about old cuffs than he did and he agreed for me to take them home and check my books and do a little web research. Since I couldn't find a match, I posted the photos and question here.

The missing lock section is quite interesting. The lock case was made up of sheet iron or steel and fit together with notches. I assumed they were pre WWII vintage, but had no idea they were possibly Japanese in origin.

I told the locksmith I would report back on what I found out about the cuffs. He might be willing to sell them but I don't know. He said his son knew about E-Bay so perhaps we would try to sell them there. If I find out, I will post the information here.

Hope this helps.

Steve

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Chris,

Can you post the picture of the 4 Japanese cuffs you are talking about?

I will try to post my pic of the same cuff later on.
There is a more robust model of this same style cuff.
It is located on the east cost in a fantastic collection.


mark
O--O

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Ok, I see a demand for photos. Here we go.

The first and second photo comes from a Japanese museum's web site. You can clearly identify your cuff on both photos.

The second cuff from left, on the first photo is the "Luna handcuff". Namned by our passed friend and fellow collector
Ray McKee. The name given reflect the shape of a half moon; "Luna" is the moon in latin.

BTW; Thanks Mark for the trade of the Luna!







Lars

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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As we are talking about rare and odd Japanese cuffs. I forgot "the crab", an odd chain cuff. I've never seen one in a private collection. Don't ask me how it works...

Lars

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Given the circular shape of the lock case, I would surmise that it contains a gear which the key turns directly.

This gear would tighten all of the chain loops at the same time. Two of these loops look smaller for wrists and the two with larger openings would be for the ankles.

The wearer would thus be shackled in a painful and very restrictive, "hands to ankles", type of posture.

Bending forward at the waist it would be bad enough, but shackled wrists to ankles in a , "hogtied", position lying on one's stomach and it would be absolute torture.

And torture is what I happen to believe this brutal restraint was made for.

Cheers, Steve Santini

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Thanks Steve for the explanation.

Now the function is more clear. What a painful device it must have been.
More like torture than restraining.

Lars

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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Please let me correct myself. The "Luna" name was given to them by Ian McColl and not by Ray as I stated in a previous posting.

It's a cool cuff with a cool name!


Lars


www.holstcollection.com

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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There is a hypothesis about the circular device. It is necessary to pull the opposite loop to tighten the loop of the bicycle chain

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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that would sound more reasonable as two loops would be large to fit a wrist thru.

I can't identify these old handcuffs. They belong to a friend and I said I would try to help identify what these are and an approximate value. Thanks for your help. Steve

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In the 1st museum pic, the Wisner style cuff seems to be missing much of the bow.
I am still on the fence about it being Japanese. The workmanship on mine is very high quality and unlike all my other Japanese cuffs.
I bought mine from a guy in France and considered it as a French cuff.
The workmanship is very European, in my opinion.
The way the lock is inserted into the cuff body is very atypical of Japanese manufacture.

It could be in a Japanese museum perhaps because it was taken from a French soldier in WWll?


Just for thought


mark
O--O

Hi all, trying to get information of old handcuffs I have acquired.
They have a ‘screw’ key and the wrist part have flexible links rather than a solid bar.
Thanks in advance.

Without seeing a photo you probably have a Hiatt flexible Darby, just my best guess.

Spencer

Do they look like these? 

On flexible cuffs, there are a lot of Indian/Paki knockoffs currently on the market. We would need to see what you have to tell you of its origins and if it a legitimate restraint or one made for the tourist market. Not saying the Indian/Paki cuffs arent "legitimate" restraints, but not they type that would hold any collectors value. They are very poorly made, compared to their counterparts from the United kingdom. This pic below is of a cheaply made Indian knockoff of a Flexible Darby Handcuff.
-Richard Knip-