Cuff of the Day for May 11. Cuffs of Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic/Slovak Republic.

Here is the schedule for this week
Monday - Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic/Slovak Republic
Tuesday  - Rankin
Wednesday -  Nichols
Thursday - Scandinavian restraints
Friday - Palmer
Saturday - Bean
Sunday - Pre 1800's restraints from around the world

Please send me you suggestions for future days.

Today we are featuring cuffs from Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.
Ralkem handcuffs are the obvious example, but others exist.  Let us see what you have.

I will start with the cuff I posted a few weeks ago. It is an interesting swing through cuff with
a neat folding design with a novel swivel joining the two cuffs together.   I purchased it on eBay many years ago
from a dealer in Prague who said he had purchased it from a retired policeman.

Joe, you must stop posting that cuff in front of me
I simply can't take the abuse!

Nothing too advanced from Czechoslovakia or from the Republic when they split in 1993 in my collection.
I added a couple from Hungary since Czechoslovakia was once a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire 

Sorry Mark. - can't help it. It is one of my favorites.  

We are going to have a day for the other Eastern European cuffs later, but nothing wrong with posting things more than once.

Unusual Czech folding cuffs which double lock by sliding button on top of lock case.

Are these the cuffs that you did not want Joe to post again Mark? Think they are the same except for mine having 2 keys and original leather pouch. They are one of my favourites as well,

Let me Czech and see what I have for this category... Here we go!  How about the GKG Kuglar Ljubljana (do not ask me to pronounce that) Handcuff? I received these from a fellow board member, that I have not seen here for a very long time. He had put up an ad explaining them and that he had a few sets to trade. I contacted him and asked about them. I told him I didnt have much to trade, at the time. He graciously sent this pair to me, at no charge! When i tried to pay for them, he refused to take payment. He simply stated in the last email to me, that "I owed him a beer."  If we ever cross paths, i promise to make good on that! So, Borut Volk, I thank you very much for your generosity!  Your deed has not been forgotten, my friend. The cuffs still reside in my collection and will never leave it, until i leave.
-Richard Knip-

Here is an earlier version from Slovenia.
I got these from the same seller who would not charge money to me either.
These country borders and government capitols change like the tides so it is hard to know if they should be posted here or in other future topics.

I think that after seeing Chris's cuffs, I am not feeling very well so my judgement is off.
I really like those cuffs!

This is a Czech made cuff. Its one of Ralkem's, Alfa Project, designs. The Model 9923 is a single cuff with a loop of chain connected to it. You can use the looped end to put the cuff around a bench leg, a pole or other stationary object. Sort of like the more popular Clejuso #17 from Germany.
-Richard Knip-

Guy's again some great cuff..... Joe you have me really digging around I did find  a pair of Ralk with a different key way then Marks

Great minds think alike Fred, here is my RALK-snob-47
Think they are few and far between.

RALK-snb-53 plated model.

Unmarked Czechoslovakian cuffs, these have a ward in the lockcase so the key is split. The standard RALK key will not operate them.

Ralk SNB-49 to go with the #47 and #53 already posted.

-Richard Knip-

Chris Gower. By looking at the two side by side, I think your is an unmarked SNB-49 cuff. It looks indentical and uses the same key as my marked pair.
-RK-

Nope. never mind. I see a cut in your flag. Not the same.
-RK-

Neighbor to Czechoslovakia 
An earlier version cuff with no deadlock screw in comparison to Richards cuff

Please let me join you!
The last one is a Czech hinged prison cuff.

Another set from the Czech Republik and one from Slovakia.

So far, we have seen a lot of different styles of the more modern Swing Thru type handcuffs. Does anyone know or have examples of what they would have used before the invention of the swing thru handcuff?
-Richard Knip-

Is it possible that they had no crooks before 1912?

Or maybe they just shot people for breaking the law? Stabbed them to death? Stoned them? Pick your favorite form of exectution and insert it here...LOL!
-RK-

This is one I got from Stan Willis's collection. Its a Czech Unmarked "Puta" with the original box and papers. -Richard Knip-

I am still alive and kicking. You have mixed all of the central and eastern Europe in this thread, but historically you did not make a huge mistake, because most of the handcuffs come from the area of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy...

Mark Lyons: Our capitols have never changed like tides. Ljubljana has always been our capitol, we have always been a part of some sort of confederation, like the USA. We were never a part of the USSR. Moscow is almost 1500 miles away, and between Slovenia and Moscow  there are several eastern Europe  countries which were a part of the Warsaw pact (Hungary, Czezchoslovakia, Poland). Yugoslavia has never been a part of it. Since I have lived all of my life in Slovenia in the town of Kobarid, which is situated a 10 minute drive from Italy, and 45 minute drive from Austria, I cannot stomach mixing my country with the USSR, as described on one of your pictures. However I am not angry at you and you are still one of my favourite gang members on the forum :)

DJ Halfhead AKA Richard Knip: There have always ben some criminals and a need to restrain them. In most of the Austro Hungarian monarchy there was a police force present under the name of "Gendarmerie" and they were an avid users of chain handcuffs and padlocks very similar to italian Carabinieri style wire chain handcuffs.
And by the way:  You still owe me a beer!!!

Borut Volk

Many great photos of early worldwide Swing-Through, Hinged handcuffs.

It seems that the Eastern Bloc countries (i.e. Czech) may have been the first to produce these. 

In American, it wasn't until the 1981 patent - that produced the "Peerless Hinged" handcuff...which was partly based off of the first American "swing-through" & hinged patent - the Tompkins, in 1961. 

Borut! Great to hear from you again! I had wondered why the disappearance from the forums? And, yes, i do absolutely owe you a beer! I am a bit embarrassed looking at my geographical errors in this thread. Geography has never been my strong point. It has come up in previous conversations on the forums and even in an order i sent to Germany, instead of Belgium. But....thats a story for another time! (Sorry, Peter!) I really need to take some time, get an atlas and re-organize my catalog folders that hold all of the pics of my Russian, Czech, Slovakian, Hungarian, Polish and a few other country's cuffs. Have I mentioned that Geography was never my strong suit? LOL! Thank you for the corrections and the additional info! Its always appreciated!

I can look into maybe sending a beer by mail to you, but i feel it would just be giving a beer to a worker at the U.S. Customs Facility, for his lunch break? Not sure if shipping alcohol through the U.S. Postal system is legal? LOL!
-Richard Knip-

Likely Swing-Through, Hinged handcuffs in Europe starts from August Schwartz from Germany near 1932.

djhalfdead wrote: ↑

May 11, 2020

Let me Czech and see what I have for this category... Here we go!  How about the GKG Kuglar Ljubljana (do not ask me to pronounce that) Handcuff? I received these from a fellow board member, that I have not seen here for a very long time. He had put up an ad explaining them and that he had a few sets to trade. I contacted him and asked about them. I told him I didnt have much to trade, at the time. He graciously sent this pair to me, at no charge! When i tried to pay for them, he refused to take payment. He simply stated in the last email to me, that "I owed him a beer."  If we ever cross paths, i promise to make good on that! So, Borut Volk, I thank you very much for your generosity!  Your deed has not been forgotten, my friend. The cuffs still reside in my collection and will never leave it, until i leave. CZECH GKG KUGLAR LJUBLJANA HANDCUFFS #379 (0150) front.JPG
-Richard Knip-

Click to expand...

They are like the Revolier

I would say that they loosely mimic the shape and design of some of the Rivolier cuffs. Personally, I think their design is closer to that of the older Clejuso cuffs made in Germany. Overall, both of the brands, produce great cuffs!
-Richard Knip-

wrong key for Clejuso

Yes, it is the wrong key for Clejuso. Its just a key matched to the cuff that opens it. Not all of the cuffs I have in the collection, have the correct key. Many have replacement keys, vintage keys that are modified in some way to work or keys from other cuffs that work. My criteria for a collection piece is that it has a key that opens the cuffs and that the cuffs are fully functioning. Im always looking for and buying keys. I replace them with original keys, as I find them. This cuff was entered in the collection, many years ago. I cant say that i have seen it, or its key, since it was tagged, cataloged and placed on the shelf. I probably have a key in my key organizer that better fits this cuff. Just have to sit down and go through it and match it up. Thank you for pointing out the fact, that I need to do that.
-Richard knip-