History of Harvard Lock Company?...

So, I did a look up online for the Harvard Lock Company, and although items like restraints & Navy Bells popped up, nothing about the company's history did.
Can anybody here share with me any information about this company, like when it started up, if it went out of business, and anything that may pertain to it's history.
Much thanks in advance :)

Greetings, I know harvard lock went on to become master lock and the original company was formed by a traveling salesman. There restraints were sold primarily to the military during ww2.

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On the subject of harvard lock handcuffs I have a rare beautiful chrome set I am going to listing on the bay but wanted to offer them here first. I will post some pics of the chrome cuffs. 149.99 with free shipping. If interested please email me. My email is my user ID and I have sold to others on the forum. I take great pride in shipping out to you with careful packaging and tracking.

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jimmy.jimenez.65 wrote:So, I did a look up online for the Harvard Lock Company, and although items like restraints & Navy Bells popped up, nothing about the company's history did.
Can anybody here share with me any information about this company, like when it started up, if it went out of business, and anything that may pertain to it's history.
Much thanks in advance :)

All I know is that the box I have says that they were made in Reading Pennsylvania. It’s only about 11 miles away but I have not been able to find anything else out about them.


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Ariochmagician wrote: ↑

Jun 24, 2020

jimmy.jimenez.65 wrote:So, I did a look up online for the Harvard Lock Company, and although items like restraints & Navy Bells popped up, nothing about the company's history did.
Can anybody here share with me any information about this company, like when it started up, if it went out of business, and anything that may pertain to it's history.
Much thanks in advance :)

All I know is that the box I have says that they were made in Reading Pennsylvania. It’s only about 11 miles away but I have not been able to find anything else out about them.


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What seems a bit weird, is that pics I see online of the Harvard restraints, is that the boxes and included paperwork, the info says Pennsylvania, but the cuffs themselves seem to all have New York stamped under the company name stamping.

I now tried searching for the Master Lock ties to Harvard Lock, and still nothing comes up about it. Strange how this company has such a hidden past.

I was hoping that I'd find some history on them after some more online searching, but still nothing.
If something does turn up, I'll make sure to share it here so that others can run across it in possible future searches of their own.
But, for now, I'm still hitting a wall.

Ive looked through all of the books i have in my reference library. And i have looked through multiple online sources as well as Google searches. I havent found anything more than you have, unfortunately. Basically that they were a manufacturer that made a line of restraints for Military contracts in the World War II era. Descriptions of the restraints they made, which we already know about. But nothing beyond that.
-Richard Knip-

Thanks for the input, guys.
Well, I guess I will have to accept that I may never know any of this company' history.
I imagine the Reading PA info on the boxes and paperwork, was the location of their main office. And; maybe the New York stamp on the cuffs were where they had them made, but of course that too is only a guess.
Thanks again, folks.

Well, although I may never find any real History on the 'Harvard Lock Company', I do now have a set of their Leg Irons.
It may not be an exceptionally rare item, but, (in my opinion), they are exceptionally in great condition, a very nice specimen from head to toe.
On the key hole sides, both bows have the words 'Harvard Lock Company' and 'New York' stamped into them. On the other side, one cuff has the letters 'U S N' (for United States Navy), and the number '44' (I believe for the manufacturing year?), stamped into it.
All is as if it had just been taken out of a perfectly air quality controlled vault, and not having been touched since it was placed in there 76 years ago. Kind'a cool, and it will make a wonderful addition to my collection of "interesting objects" :)




upload

I have posted here in the past and explained that my collecting hobby is very eclectic. While I do have about 20 or so restraints within my collection, they are a tiny part of my hobby, (but included in my hobby they are). I often tried naming what I consider my collection hobby to be, and finally decided naming it my "Interesting Objects Collection".
Anyhow, I sometimes display my items in ways that keep a common thread, where all the items within a display are related, (like knives with knives, opera glasses with opera glasses, whistles with whistles, and so on). But, I also find myself mixing items in together, which I feel adds interest and a unique contrast.
That said, I took my latest 76 years old Harvard Lock Leg Irons acquisition, and placed it together in this display with a current manufactured Field Cleaver. It's made in Russia by the Kizlyar company. The blade depicts a free hand drawn and permanently etched Wild Boar scene, (on both sides).
Yes, these two items are not two of a kind, but rather each is different, and I did this on purpose :)
Just figured I'd share :)  

Here is another example of my eclectic style in collecting AND in displaying....

I do not know much about Harvard Handcuff Company either.
I do know that they cobranded or private labeled their final version handcuffs with the "Federal Laboratory Inc." name.
Maybe a search under "Federal" will produce some results.
I've never seen a Leg Iron in this version but it makes sense that they would have made them.

Mark, there is even THREE versions of the latter Harvard. Ditched bows on front, back and both sides.

Lars

Wow Lars, I have never seen a black Harvard new style before.
Interesting variations, Thanks!
Black Harvards Matter!

Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs wrote: ↑

Jul 03, 2020

Black Harvards Matter!

Interesting to be disparaging of that slogan. The privilege of cop loving white man, hey Mark.

Wow what a dufus!
Like Mark is the only person in a handcuff forum who is appreciative of what the police do for society.
It is a privilege to know any cop that put his or her life on the line for the betterment of mankind and dufuses

Harvard also made their Legirons in an all-NICKEL Finish...for the civilian market.

The Harvard Lock Company is certainly hard to find information out about. A few weeks ago I bought a cast iron bell they made for the US Navy, presumably during WWII. Tons of those are for sale, clearly all marked by the Harvard Lock Company so I decided to look into finding more information about the line of bells...finding none, I began searching for the company and although it's not much, here's what I've found so far (after reading this thread I sent a message to Master Lock to try and find out what they know, if anything, Federal Lock looks to be based in Taiwan so I'm not ruling them out but I'm so far not messaging them either).

The earliest references to the Harvard Lock Company are of course the locks themselves. 4 and 6 Lever Push Key or "Pancake" Padlocks which were popular from the late 1870's to about 1930 with various styles of shanks. I've seen conflicting data showing some models were actually made by the trademark holder Miller with the Harvard emblem across the face of the lock if that makes any difference to anyone.

Not certain of the start nor end date for the hand and leg irons but many examples exist with multiple variants co-marked by the department they were owned by. I assume the NY stamps mean they were made in that office rather than the PA one.

By 1941 I've seen the name in phonebooks and ads in 1944 and by 1947 in the US Patent Office's Publication "Official Gazette". Another ad in 1959 in the 'Police: The Journal Covering the Professional Interests of All Law Enforcement Personnel Vol 4-6' and finally a reference to them no longer existing in a 1998 book by Matthew G. Forte, ISBN 9780966593839, "From American Police Collectibles: Dark Lanterns and Other Curious Devices"

Still no information specifically related to the manufacturing of the bells, just lots of them for sale, all the same size, 9 1/2" made of cast iron. That being said, the only known box for the bell line shows the relationship of the Harvard Lock Company of Reading PA and the Harvard Lock Company of New York, Incorporated. Here are the respective former addresses of them and a small amount of data related to contract numbers they had with the military:

From the Index of Trademarks Issued from the US Patent Office in 1945:
"Harvard Lock Company, New York, N.Y., and Reading Pa, Door locks, door lock sets, panic locks, etc. 432,937; Sept 16, Class 25" then this screenshot of the Gazette in 1947 with the same data but their logo:


Harvard Lock Company
127 Madison Avenue
Reading, PA
(located with a listing to higher a Tool & Die Maker in The Mercury of Pottstown, PA in 1944)

Harvard Lock Company of New York, Incorporated
114 Worth, New York, N.Y.

Federal Supply Code for Manufacturers published in 1951
Harvard Lock Co, Reading PA- "84764"

From List of Contracts Entered into by the Depts of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force Through June 30, 1949 by the Military Renegotiation Policy & Review Board
Harvard Lock Co., Reading, PA
"DA-11-183-qm-907"

Hope it helps! So far as I know, this is the most concise gathering of information related to the Harvard Lock Company so far. If anyone has any information related to the company, its disposition and of course its history, please post it or send it to me directly! Thanks!

Kargin wrote: ↑

May 12, 2023

 (after reading this thread I sent a message to Master Lock to try and find out what they know, if anything,...)

In a record fast response, I got a reply from John N, a Tech Support Specialist with The Master Lock Company who stated "I know of no merger with Harvard Lock Company"

If anyone is interested, here is a copy of their logo from a trademark registry publication. Note dates for "non handcuff" wares pre-date the cuffs themselves.  I agree, not a whole lot of remaining info on the company left.  Hope this helps 

Kargin wrote: ↑

May 12, 2023

Kargin wrote: ↑

May 12, 2023

 (after reading this thread I sent a message to Master Lock to try and find out what they know, if anything,...)

In a record fast response, I got a reply from John N, a Tech Support Specialist with The Master Lock Company who stated "I know of no merger with Harvard Lock Company"

Kargin, though I have nothing more to add to the history, I just wanted to thank you for sharing with us, the information that you have found. Great job on compiling everything and presenting it! I wish you all of the best on your continued searching.
-Richard Knip-

You've gotta love how people who never post anything on this forum get offended by a little quip. May is suggest a song by "Leigh Guest" (2:21) for you? 
Have a good weekend, everybody!