Cuff of the Day for April 5

Mark suggested a day of ugly cuffs.  Come on everyone.  You all have you favorite pair of ugly cuffs.
The uglier, the better.    If you have an ugly version of a rare cuff like Brad's ugly Adams leg iron from yesterday we would especially like to see it.

Here is mine.  I am sure Lars will like it.

A  Kakola handcuff from Finland.

Joe

Joe,

What a great set of Kakola! However, I've seen an even worse set that fellow collector Johan Ahlberg managed to bring back to order. Nothing is impossible with a Kakola!

I'm planning to post some Kakola later on. Unfortunately, I don't have any really bad cuffs no longer so my contribution of April 5 will be something
completely different.

I’ve never been really keen on nippers or come-alongs as they usually don’t take keys. However, this oddball is both a nipper AND takes a key.
 
In 2007 I was happy to trade them with the National Police Museum in Sweden, as they had a duplicate. These are the only two I know of.
 
For a long time, I had no clue about origin – until I searched the Swedish patent register and suddenly found the patent. In addition, this device turned out to be much older than I thought, they are patented in 1895.
They were probably never used in service as the function is at least say awkward and complicated.
 
Lars

                                         Adams cuff with the June 17 patent date, which has eight locking positions. This was
                                         probably a special order for Adams by Wells Fargo.

            I got that wrong, should be  special order for Wells Fargo by Adams
   Must get a proof reader
                                                       Gordon

I am sorry Joe,  I meant to suggest that today we post pictures of an ugly old cuss --- not cuffs!     Darn auto-correct

Wow Gordon! This is a piece of desire, made of brass! I remember the story how you bought them from Stan, long back in time.

A lovely cuff and one of its kind.

Lars

My runner-up: a French long chain cuff; it may be poorly made, but it sure is flimsy!

Hi Nils, Hope all is well.  I like that cuff very much  Never seen another.
Gordon, another sweet cuff in your amazing collection.

I don't have much in the way of rusty or crusty but my Tower with the lock case cover pulled off is about the ugliest in the collection.
One can see the levers and ratchet.
For contrast, I included my most colorful cuffs.

Could not resist buying (cheap) this Pratt Model 2.  It was found in an old well in Marin County, California.  Thought I would ask Bob Dix to restore it (just joking.

Ron

My mistake it's a Model 1

I dug around and wasn't able to come up with todays theme. So I came up with this idea todays is the 5th so how about all Five Palmers   

Ok, check this beauty. Being a Darby they already have a head start on being the ugliest (uh, sorry Joe).

Then you add a thick coat of rust on top of the weird shape, which appears to be the way they were originally made and ...voila...butt ugly!

No idea what they were for, but two theories:
1. For prisoner holding by attaching to a pole, or;
2. They were made for holding Captain Hook. He was real, right?

I may clean the rust off and see if I can better tell what the heck they are. Please don’t send me any offers.

Eat your hearts out, guys.

Brad




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Ron, I love your Pratts
Would you be interested in the original box that these came in?
Give me your best offer.

Mark O--O

Ugly and dirty! Ive never done much with this unknown set of leg irons that came to me in a small collection that I purchased. I dont know anything about them. According to the original owner, they were sold to him as Australian Chain Gang Leg Irons. There isnt much to them to use to discern a country of origin. They do have blacksmithed chain, so i do think they have some age to them. They have no doubt, seen better days.  Here is a suggestion for a future post. Why dont we do a cuff that we do not have a key to and see if anyone on here may have a key to sell to work in that cuff? May be a way to get a key that someone has had laying around, for a long time...for a cuff of yours that you have never opened?
-Richard Knip-

My example is not as "crusty" as some shown, but also not as shinny as my April 4 post.
This example also was found in the Smith & Wesson factory.
Again, it is a Peerless Model 2, and I believe, a Version 2. 
It is an incomplete manufactured Model 2 in that, no lock mechanisms were installed, no double lock pins installed, 
no serial numbers applied, and it was never prepared to receive a finish, hence it remained in the "white".
With the exception of serial numbers being applied, all other stampings are correct for a Peerless Model 2, V.2.
I'm not sure if it was intended as some manufacturing stage process example, or one that just fell through the cracks
and never finished going through the manufacturing process. Anyway, it was found in this condition and in this box.
Dave

By golly, Dave, you’re right, those are ugly.

I’m a long time S&W collector focusing on Model 3’s and what I call “factory junk”.

I take it there’s no S&W markings on them or the box?

The factory junk, which I’d classify these, was sometimes leftover stuff. Occasionally they’d throw something away, but being thrifty New Englanders they tried not to.

Other items were kept for assemblers and designers to study or fiddle with and they survived for we collectors to scratch our heads over.

I don’t collect the cuffs though, just have a bag full of them I accumulated during travels through NE antique stores. Don’t even know what they are.

Have you posted them on the S&W Forum to see if Roy had any guesses?

I enjoy your posts. I’m glad somebody is doing all the work.

Brad


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Brad,
I acquired them along with others I refer to as found in the S&W factory fro Roy.
These are cuffs he retrieved from the factory. 
These were manufactured by S&W for the Peerless Handcuff Co. 
S&W discontinued stamping the cuffs they manufactured for Peerless with, MFGD BY SMITH & WESSON 
after the Peerless Model 1 Version 2.
Dave

Thanks. Interesting.


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What an ugly bunch of cuffs!  Well there is always at least one ugly duckling, right?

Fred, it's amazing to see such a complete selection of Palmer cuffs. I've rarely seen any for sale, and I likely won't have one in my humble collection, but they are unique and fascinating for sure.

Brad, I can't believe you said darbies are ugly! They are my favorite type of cuff by far, and the shape, while asymmetrical, is graceful in a... clunky sort of way, and aesthetically pleasing for its simplicity and function.  Oh well, to each their own! Got any ugly darbies kickin around? I'm looking for Hiatt 104 handcuffs with 95%+ nickel plating and key, and also interested in 104L's in the smaller size.


Here is a pair of heavy Chinese shackles, from Anshen.  They have a longer than usual chain, (55 cm, or about 22 inches) and the black paint has not held up very well, particularly on the lock cases and the chain. The Chinese made shackles tend to utilize heavy and long chain, which makes the sheer weight of the chain more of an impediment to wearer than the restricted stride.
I also think its ugly that they didn't shorten the chain links that are welded in as swivels.  At nearly 5 cm, they stick out awkwardly and could have been half that size.
The dust cover that normally screws on is missing.
An interesting thing about these cuffs is that they use a cylinder lock with the same sort of key as a door lock, while there are also versions with a "3D" key with 4 different axis.
An even more interesting thing about them is that they can be locked into a completely different position to immobilize the wearer, as shown in the second photo.

Uggly often comes in pairs!
One pair has been "ovaled". It was known that prisoners would work in these during the day and slip them off at night -if they had been ovalled. (made oval from a round shape). The other pair have been broken through ovaling. If escape was the plan, they usually had nowhere to escape to except the Australian bushland and death. Brad I think your Darby was ovaled. It is not a natural shape, but would have been. Paul

Hmm, Paul, that’s an interesting thought. I’ll strip the rust off and repost. See if heat was ever applied or there’s a bunch of dings from pounding.

Ryan, I just couldn’t resist a cheap shot at Joe. He’s been putting up with that from me for years. He’s such a gentleman, never fires back. Don’t think I have what you need, but will rat through my junk pile.


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Brad
Your Darbies are pure beauty, although I agree with Paul. I think they are a normal pair, just bent out of shape.
Your challenge is to bend the other side to match.
Joe, the Designated Gentleman ?????

Joe you can’t be as obnoxious as I am and not have to suck up sometimes. If you don’t believe me just ask Mark.

You burst my bubble. I thought I had a $32 treasure.

I still think they were for Captain Hook. Me being a Darling I know the guy had to be watched.


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