Borge Cederlof

Borge Cederlof invented a police nipper in 1926 which remarkably looked quite similar to the one invented in 1934 and 1937 by Yngve Smith-Stange. A coincidence? I think not. Borge Cederlof was issued his United States patent on January 19, 1926 (1,570,458) for Manacles, Handcuffs, And The Like.  At the time he was granted this patent he was a resident of Stavanger, Norway. Hired in 1918, Cederlof was a Stavanger police officer for 37 years. His nipper was manufactured and and authorized for use by the Stavanger Police Department. It has been reported that Cederlof's patent "was hijacked by a fellow countryman, who left for the United States to sell it".

Yngve Smith-Stange was issued two patents for his police nipper (The Iron Claw) on March 12, 1934 (1,950,757) and January 5, 1937 (2,066,654).  The Smith-Stange patent drawings and the Cederlof patent drawings are almost identical, which begs the question why would he be issued a U.S. patent for such a similar device only 8 years after Cederlof's patent?  Although Smith-Stange was a resident of Chicago, Illinois when he received his patents, he was born on August 5, 1888 in Stavanger, Norway.  He emigrated to the United States on October 27, 1919. 1942 Draft Registration records showed him to be the president of the Argus Manufacturing Company, the firm that manufactured his nippers. The Iron Claw became the best selling nipper in American law enforcement history with perhaps 160,000 or more having been made.

Matt

Thank you Matt!

I happen to own what I believe being a pre series model or even a patent model of this nipper.
The predecessor to the Iron Claw. I bought it from a person living in the Swedish city of Eskilstuna. He found it among lots of old tools when buying a lot in auction. Eskilstuna has a very long history of fine mechanics and metal industry dating back to the 19:th century. Also the Swedish made Johan Walén handcuffs were manufactured in Eskilstuna

At the time Borge Cederlof needed to have a patent model or pre series samples made, Eskilstuna would have been a natural choice as there was no such industry in Norway.

BTW; Joe Lauher also have a Cederlof nipper but his specimen has a slightly different shape and it's plated. My specimen is machined iron. Very interesting.

Lars

Nice find Lars, that Cederlof appears to be a very well constructed come along.

Spencer

Here is a picture of mine.