S.A. French

Catalogs of police equipment, including restraints, were offered by various companies, Tower & Lyon being one of the best known. Another, a New York City based firm, was S.A. French. Samuel Alden French not only supplied police equipment, but invented a chain nipper and a mechanical nipper, both in 1892. One of his catalogs, an 1887 issue was reproduced in 1974 by a friend of mine, Jacques Noel Jacobsen, Jr. and  widely purchased by police goods and restraint collectors.  This catalog contained numerous ads for both Tower and Bean handcuffs, leg irons, chain and mechanical nippers, as well as those of other inventors. Before French had his own company he had been in partnership with Jasper Cairns in a firm called Cairns & French, which also issued catalogs of police equipment. Jasper Cairns started a company with one of his brothers making metal badges. Earlier in the 1840s a man named Henry Gratacap created a fire helmet which he called the "New Yorker". The Cairns brothers realized that a holder could mount a badge on the helmet that  could be used to distinguish between fire departments. In in 1850 Cairns & Brother started to make fire helmets. Cairns, the company, became the leader in the fire helmet industry and existed until the year 2000.
By 1862 Jasper cairns had separated from his brother and established a company making military ornaments. By 1867 he was selling police badges. In 1883 he joined with French to establish Cairns & French. This partnership ended in 1886 when French started his own company. The company existed until French died on June 5, 1926.

Thanks again, Matt. Always great stuff.

Brad


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Thank you Brad, that was nice of you.

Matt

Here are some of the products from the S.A. French Co.

The chain nipper was from a deal I made with John Bushey and interestingly, it was made in Germany.  Another similar one that I acquired later does not have the Germany imprint.
The nippers came in a thick and thin models