Cuff of the Day for April 4

It is Saturday folks.  For those who have not been going to work, you don't have to go to work today.
Please join us a post a picture of one of your favorite cuffs.  The more participants the better.

My Cuff of the Day is one I have discussed here before, but it is one of my favorites and it is worth a another look

In 1818 Pigot's Commercial Directory listed three Birmingham Felons Iron Makers, Thomas Goldie, the firm of Griffin and Nichols, and T.G. Hiatt.



Cuffs made by Griffin and Nichols and by Hiatt are well known, but cuffs made by Thomas Goldie have been allusive. It is interesting to note that Goldie and Hiatt were both located on Moor Street. The directory also listed Goldie as a tool maker. Perhaps this was his main calling. Perhaps he helped T.G. Hiatt with the tooling for his relatively new business.

I had never seen or heard of a Goldie cuff until I received an email from an English gentleman who collected scientific instruments.  He had acquired a Goldie plug 8 in some transaction and since he knew little about handcuffs he wrote me for information.  I told him what I knew and asked him if he would like to sell the cuff.  He declined saying he thought he would keep it.  It had a key, which I do not think was the original, but no plug.  He wanted to make a replacement plug and asked me for advice.  I sent him close up pictures of a couple of plugs from my cuffs.   Over the next few years I wrote to him about once a year asking if he had yet made a plug.   He always replied that he had not yet got around to it.   After five or six years he wrote and asked me if I still wanted to buy the cuff.    I of course agreed and we settled on a fair (not cheap) price.

The handcuff is a plug 8 very similar to the ones made by Goldie's contemporaries.  I still have not seen another example and I believe that it is indeed a very rare handcuff.   One of a kind for now, but who knows what will turn up tomorrow.

Joe

Thanks Joe, what a great story behind this cuff!

My April 4 contribution will be American.

These cuffs were manufactured by the Dawson Machine Company, Worcester Massachusetts.

The Cummings (right) were patented in 1899 and the Carberry in 1912.
The key for the Cummings is a simple bit key but the Carberry takes a hollow bit key. The side grips are missing on the Carberry but they
have, on the other side, a very odd feature; spring loaded bows. You can keep the cuffs open but still closed. They don't lock until you press the lever on the side.

The Carberry is by far the rarest but both of them are hard to find in pristine condition.

Lars

Lars WOW what nice examples of both cuffs I always liked the Cummings

I think I'll go with one more German cuff... The Schwertfeger Bar Handcuff 

The Carberry and Cummings are in amazing condition. 

That center slotted disc in the Schwertfeger, is that to add a belly chain?

My cuff of the day is not a Tower Lyon thumb cuff.

 

Is a Tower Lyon Thumb Cuff. Sorry

Having trouble logging into my primary account.

In adding to the discussion about Gill cuffs from the 31st, I submit another rare one in that series, the Peace Officer Equipment Co. Folding Handcuff.
I can't find much about the company but they did make or private labels pistol magazines as well
Mark O--O

For comparison purposes to Fred's post, here is mine.  These all seem to be different, especially in the lock housing or keyhole position.

I worked a deal with Stan a few years back and he bought 2 of these cuffs.  
I went to his house to see his amazing collection and to pick this cuff up.
Of course TSA disallowed me to take it on the plane on my way home so they made me check it in with my luggage.
My bags were missing once I got home and I started to panic.  I had to come back to the airport later and there was my luggage with clothes hanging out of it in a dark corner of the room.  
I was certain that the cuffs were gone, but in the darkness I saw a keyhole among my shirts and there it was! 
Talk about being in suspense!

Mark O--O

Today I will show another Peerless example that was found in the Smith & Wesson Factory.
This example is stamped, SAMPLE MODEL.
It is a sample of the Peerless Model 2 Version 3 noted by the Peerless Logo being upright unlike the version 1 & 2 with the Peerless Logo rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
This example also does not have a serial number stamped on the front of the left cuff as the production examples have.

The Peerless Model 2 Version 3 was manufactured for the March 1924 contract between Smith & Wesson and Peerless. A S&W in-house communication memo to Mr. Pomeroy (S&W superintendent) from Frank H. Wesson (S&W Treasure) dated March 11, 1924, instructed Mr. Pomeroy to prepare for and proceed with the 
manufacture of fifteen thousand (15,000) pair of Peerless Handcuffs.

It was difficult for me to photograph these without having a lot of shadows, being that they are so highly polished. 

Dave

Wow, Mark! My heat would have fallen out of my chest upon seeing my bags lying open in a room  like that. Luckily, whomever went through it, didnt know how rare and valuable this cuff was! Cuff for day #4....hmmmm. How about, The Bull Hook, cuff securing device? This was meant to be bolted to the floor of a squad car and like a caribiner, the clip is spring loaded and would open at the top and you would slide the cuff's chain inside of the device, while they were around the prisoner's wrists. The clip then locks, in the closed position, securing the cuffs. Mine must have been an earlier model, maybe some type of a prototype? The later model was spring loaded in the stem of the device. Mine, the stem is still closed off from the factory, but lacks a spring. This device never went very far, due to the dangerous nature of the item. Imagine being secured to the floorboards of a squad car, when the car is in an accident and rolls over and you are now trapped, in a burning car. I am not sure how many of these were ever made or how many were produced? Does anyone else have one in their collection? This was a purchase on Ebay a few years ago.

-Richard Knip-

That should say "my heart"
-RK-

Thanks Fred!
Really nice sheets for the Cumming.
Lars

Well, I know this isn’t the only pair of Adams legirons (I’ve been told there are 3 others known), but I believe they may be the ugliest.

I may start working on them again and see if I can get them working.

Gets discouraging though, it’s like having a homely kid. No matter how much you comb their hair they’re still homely.

Brad


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Brad is onto something here. The next round of Handcuff.org Show and Tell for Cuffs
Show us the ugliest ones in your collections

I need to make a correction on my post, SAMPLE MODEL.
I stated: 
"It is a sample of the Peerless Model 2 Version 3 noted by the Peerless Logo being upright unlike the version 1 & 2 with the Peerless Logo rotated 90 degrees clockwise."
Having a "Brain Fart" while posting, I should have said, This is a Model 2, either Version 2 or 3. The Version 2 & 3 both had the Peerless Logo in the upright position.  I believe this is a sample for the version 3 and the lack of a serial number on the front of the left cuff was because it was a sample. The version 2 would have a serial number on the front of both cuffs. 
I'm sorry for the incorrect information I stated. I should have read it again before hitting "Submit".
Dave

A cuff similar to Joe's. I think I picked it up in France.

cuffs2000 wrote: ↑

Apr 04, 2020

For comparison purposes to Fred's post, here is mine.  These all seem to be different, especially in the lock housing or keyhole position.

I worked a deal with Stan a few years back and he bought 2 of these cuffs.  
I went to his house to see his amazing collection and to pick this cuff up.
Of course TSA disallowed me to take it on the plane on my way home so they made me check it in with my luggage.
My bags were missing once I got home and I started to panic.  I had to come back to the airport later and there was my luggage with clothes hanging out of it in a dark corner of the room.  
I was certain that the cuffs were gone, but in the darkness I saw a keyhole among my shirts and there it was! 
Talk about being in suspense!

Mark O--O

Click to expand...

This is interesting. You wrote that TSA didn’t allow you to bring the cuff on the plane. When I recently visited Portland, I had to bring cuffs with me back to Sweden. I contacted TSA through Messanger and they replied that it was no problem bringing handcuffs in my carry on luggage. When I came to the security check at the airport, they checked by suitcase and my backpack, both with cuffs. There was no problems bringing them in the cabin.

Local laws would override State and Federal laws I would think. So you would need to check the laws at both ends of your flight - as your advice clearly shows. For instance, I would not recommend flying into Sydney airport with handcuffs in your carry-on, but you'd be okay in any other State.

Paul, yes that’s an explanation but I never mentioned from which state I was traveling from before I got the answer. As I had a stopover in the Netherlands before landing in Sweden, there was no problem. The reason to why I wanted to bring them in the carry-on is that I know of collectors who have got there cuffs stolen in the checked in luggage.

I didn’t know Australia have regulations for different states. Bringing handcuffs in the carry-on in Europe should not be à problem.

This hobby is certainly getting harder with all the laws and rules unfortunately. Just had to fill out export paperwork for a shipment from Germany which then cost an additional $50 processing fee.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well.