Off The Cuff video

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Great video! Love the clevis on the ball and chain you have. Really cool piece! From my understanding, when prisons stopped using these, many were sent to the metal drives for the war effort. To be melted down and used to make military items. Dont know if that is true, but it would help to make sense why there is a lack of these available to the collectors.
-Richard Knip-

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Aroich, in the video you end it by saying that "you'd hate to drag it around". Huh? I'd be surprised if it weighed more than 10 ~ 15 lbs max. Now at 35 ~ 50b, that's a different story ....

Oh, a prisoner was expected to carry the ball and chain, not drag it, lest the tower style cuff get jammed and have to be cut off! Otherwise, interesting find considering all the fakes out there.

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Arioch

That is a very interesting piece you have there with an unusual hookup at the ball, I have never come across one quite like that and to address Richard's question, metal "drives" for WW2 were all too real and common especially in the early stages of the war. Outdated things like a ball & chain or a clog shackle for instance were melted down for the war effort.

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Glad you liked the video! Those metal drives sure pushed a lot of stuff into the “rare” category! So did the paper drives. My dad was a WWII Navy vet, and in the 1980’s we were at a comic book convention that had a display of Action, Superman,Captain America and other rarities that he remembered giving to the collection depots before he shipped out. If he would have saved just one comic book I could afford a gazillion more cuffs! Oh well- the hunt goes on!

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Nice video Arioch.

When we were doing the research on Lilly, there was a lot of local, New York City, information about handcuffs and there was one letter from a local Asylum asking the Navy for cannon balls so they can make ball and chains for their patients. This was in the mid 1800 time frame.

I have several ball and chains that were made up for local police use, including a movie prop and they used a fairly heavy ball which was surprising. My factory set is a double Bean with a 50 pound ball. It still has some plating.

Ron

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Usually a swivel is intended to stop the chain from twisting when the ball rolls. This one swivels in the wrong direction ie. it bends, as does the chain, which makes it useless.
Similar weights, but a bit smaller, were used as weights in stage curtains.
I am yet to see an original Australian ball and chain.
To add to Ron's comments we also found reference to ball and chain being used on Navy ships around the beginning of 1800s.
Paul

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

The ball is attached to the chain with a chain connector (pinned) It is not a swivel.
http://www.pro-lift-montagetechnik.com/ ... connectors

Snow on April 2 = stay inside and shoot a video!
https://youtu.be/reIih9WSrJI

Hey Ron! I’d love to see the Bean Ball!