Cuff of the Day for May 14. Scandinavian Restraints

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 your suggestions for future days.

Today we explore Scandinavian Restraints.   Let us see what you have in your collection.
I will start with my Kakola.   It is a really well made cuff, one of my favorites.

Scandinavian restraints is one of my focused topics beside German restraints so I really don’t know where to start. However, the Kakola is a very good choice Joe! I have seven Kakola in my collection and not one of them is like the other.
The Kakola cuffs were made in to two basic variations; the early triangular key and the one with a protruding tip.
There is unfortunately no information know about the manufacture of these. The best theory is that they were made in the prison shop at the Kakola prison in Åbo, Finland.
All these are most likely handmade from a destined pattern. That would explain why all of them differ in small or big details, shapes, sizes and weights. These are my dearest cuffs in the entire collection.
The Kakola handcuffs are rarely stamped but two these are.

Let's start with the first version with triangular key.

Another variation of the first version. This one has slightly tapered  tops and different design to the lock house..

This the largest and heaviest and also my first Kakola. Stamped "Kakola". Take a key with protruding top.

A middle size version with very odd shape. This set came from the previous collection of the Finnish escape artist Timo Toumivaara.

Another middle size version stamped "Kakola".

Finally a very small size version which I believe is an imitation of the German Schwertfeger chain cuff, presented in an earlier post.

One of the most spectacular Finnish cuffs is the "Stalin handcuffs", named by Timo Toumivarra.
These cuffs takes a key with four curved bits. They are non swing-around and the double lock by turning the key.

holstcollection wrote: ↑

May 14, 2020

One of the most spectacular Finnish cuffs is the "Stalin handcuffs", named by Timo Toumivarra.
These cuffs takes a key with four curved bits. They are non swing-around and the double lock by turning the key.

WOW really nice Great great pieces in such excellent condition

Lars
Thanks so much. I now appreciate my Kakola more than I did before.  It does not seem to match any of yours which is consistent with you saying that none of your own are the same.  Mine is marked Kakola on each cuff.  I also did not know that was unusual.

Do you know when they were made?
Joe

My conribution for today  

WOW! You all have amazing pieces to show for this category! Thank you for sharing the pictures and the history of these! I have yet to get a Scandinavian Cuff in my collection. But I hope to change that in the near future. Exquisite designs. Just a beautifully made cuff!
-Richard Knip-

 I have 3 cuffs that I am not sure of their origin. Lars has the best guess, he thinks they are Finnish. This cuff the seller said was Finnish.
The other cuffs something else. Today they all are Finnish.

lauher wrote: ↑

May 14, 2020

Lars
Thanks so much. I now appreciate my Kakola more than I did before.  It does not seem to match any of yours which is consistent with you saying that none of your own are the same.  Mine is marked Kakola on each cuff.  I also did not know that was unusual.

Do you know when they were made?
Joe

Thanks you Joe!
The Kakola is very special as they are all "individuals". Your cuff is interesting as  the location to the "castle" is not centered on the lock house.
My guess is that these are manufactured about 1920-30 but maybe earlier.

Lars

   A heavy cuff with forged bow of 1/2 thick. It has four locking positions, and a bottom keyhole.

gordonHC wrote: ↑

May 14, 2020

  Probably a little Tower inspired. It is made with a combination of brass and steel ,beautifully put together. The bulges on the sides

supports a set screw which is a form of double lock. There is nothing on the key that could turn the setscrew.IMG_1174.JPG

Gordon,

Very nice cuffs indeed. I'm pretty sure they are all Finnish.  The Finns made many strange and nice Tower imitaions.
Here are my three.

Lars

gordonHC wrote: ↑

May 14, 2020

   A heavy cuff with forged bow of 1/2 thick. It has four locking positions, and a bottom keyhole.IMG_1181.JPG

Gordon,

That's a super nice cuff! Compare the clevis and links on this one to the Kakola, do you see the similarity?

Here is a photo of another Tower Bottom Key imitation, from the Swedish Police museum. Also Finnish.

Lars

When talking about Scandinavian cuffs, Finland is by far the most important producer.

Here are two Swedish made Darby; one Johan Walén and another unknown. Manufactured in late 1800.

Lars

Here are two more Finnish cuffs; the famous Hugo Stanley and a Peerless imitation.
The Hugo Stanley takes the same key as Konepaja and H&R Super cuffs.

The Peerless imitation has obviously been used at the Kakola prison.

Fred, do you know when Japan was annexed to one of the Scandinavian countries?  I would love to see a blonde Geisha girl.

I have some Kakolas which I can post later tonight but I don’t think they will differ much from what has been already posted.
I have the Hugo Stanley as well. In fact, I have too many. Anyone want to do a trade?

Here are some Scandinavian padlocks that are among my favorites

Lars your cuffs are out of the world. You did not do the Stalin Handcuffs justice. They have a unique design and mechanism are very heavy weighing 850g. Photo shows them in the open ‘Arrest’ position,

A really heavy set of Swedish Legirons. They weigh 4.7kg and are beautifully covered in leather. Think I need one of your padlocks Mark to complete them! Think you still have my address!

I believe these are probably made by Walen but they do not have any markings. I love the beautifully crafted hinge.

Chris, I will hand deliver some to your house, when do you go on holiday?

Do you think the leather wrapped is Swedish?  I thought of them as Finish.  I have one that I will post tonight.
Also, do you think your Stalin key is original?  I have a beautiful key from Lars Industrial Key Co.

Interesting point Mark about the Stalin Key. I think it belonged to Lars originally for his Stalin Cuffs. Then he traded it with Stan to fit his Stalin cuffs and I got this set from Stan.
Think the leather on the Legirons is original but not sure how old they are, I do have a set of leather covered cuffs somewhere but can not find them.
We hope to go away after Lockdown whenever that is, will let you know - just be careful if you visit 5 of the handcuffs on display have ATM coloured smoke/dye that is activated when moved!!

Chris,

Sorry for the misrepresenation of the Stalin, I indeed forgot to demonstrate the unique mechanism.
You are correct about the key. I once got it with my cuffs and Stan got it from me. I first made a key myself but one of the bits come loose.
Then Ian made a suitable key blank that I fitted. This is a low tolerance mechanism and the key need to be very precise to work.

Leather covered hand- and leg irons is a typical Swedish thing and your leg irons are for sure Swedish. In an earlier post I showed a lether covered set of Hiatt Darby.
Your Darby cuffs are for sure Johan Walén! These are rarely stamped.



Mark,

The Scandinavian padlocks are actually not manufactured in Scandinavia but I know they are referred to this name.
I have a great number of leather covered Swedish handcuffs and leg irons and these are usually fit up with Swedish "round locks". The design is typical Swedish and they all were manufactured in the city of Eskilstuna. Johan Walén was one of the manufacturers of these.

I have attached a small selection of these Swedish  "round locks" to show.. I soon wil post some photos of really old Swedish restraints

Here we have a set of leg irons that are locked with a gusset. The gusset is made of a softer iron and hammered in.
These are from about the 17:th century., maybe even earlier.

Here we have a single leg iron with a bolt lock. This one is from about mid 18:th century

Here is a set of Swedish heavy leather covered leg irons with a suitable and period padlock.

It's extremely important to care for the leather on these and not letting it dry out, get hard and finally crack. Therefore, I’m using a special antique oil to keep the leather smooth. Every second year I give them all a little treatment. The name of the oil is “EKOL oil”, not sure if it’s available abroad.

Now I guess you all had enough of my stuff and I thought I should round up my part of the topic with the only Danish produced handcuff I know of. These are very similar to the German August Schwarz but htey are stamped S V. These are said to have been manufactured during WWII.

Norway is already coverd by an earlier posting of the Cederlof patented nipper.

Lars

Lars
I have had one of those for years, but I never knew it was from Denmark
So thanks for your post.
Joe

Joe,

You probably got them from me as I found two of them at the same time, let's say 15 years ago.
They both came from a Danish exhibitor I met at a market here in town.

Lars

Oh. In that case Lars. Thanks for the rare cuff.
Joe

You're welcome Joe ;-)

I have an SV too but Stan bought at least 2.... 1 for him and 1 for me.

Here are my entries.
A tri key Kakola and an offset blade Kakola from the Timo T collection.
My leather wrapped leg iron from Finland that as of now, literally has official Swedish DNA.

More from Larsville

Very good Mark but now you need to change from Sweden to Denmark on the S V cuffs ;-)