Darby Handcuffs

In slight panic mode! I am giving an updated talk on Houdini and his Daily Mirror Challenge from the handcuffs in 1904. This talk is at the GEO convention in Sheffield in March.
I want to clarify two points:
In his book Handcuff Secrets he shows 3 common English screw key handcuffs. I think I have only ever seen one of the Darby cuffs with the internal spikes but can not remember where. Possibly The Horniman Museum in London? They are certainly not standard factory made. Does anyone have anything similar? Are the spikes fixed or are they adjustable?
2nd question Houdini’s Hungarian Handcuffs now referred to as The Seance Handcuffs when were they first shown? Vaguely remember a poster from 1902 showing a line drawing of Houdini in them?
Any help gratefully appreciated!

Hi Chris,

My info is based from what I remember from many discussions about this cuff.

If memory serves me, this cuff was originally named the Hungarian Cuff and it could be opened without a key as it was gaffed.
Radner used it at a few or all of his Houdini Halloween seances.  This gave rise to the name Seance Handcuff.  

It is shown in a common color poster on the right side.

The cuff does have screws that can be adjusted to each person who had the opportunity to test them out in a challenge situation.
This cuff is also believed by many to be the precursor to the Mirror cuffs which had a more advanced lock (Bramah).

I do not know where they were first introduced or where they are now.

There are a few copies of these floating around and if I recall, the Magic Castle uses one.
Maybe Joe Fox can verify.

Hi---No, the Magic Castle has never had an original, nor a reproduction -  of these "Spiked Darbies".

Joe Fox wrote: ↑

Jan 14, 2023

Hi---No, the Magic Castle has never had an original, nor a reproduction -  of these "Spiked Darbies".

Hi Joe,
Thank for clarifying that.
Am I correct that you showed me a cuff that is used during a seance in the Seance Room at the Castle?
I am sure you showed me such an object as well as opening the milk can when we were there last.
If so, is it just a plain Darby?

Mark: 
 The Castle's "Mediums" never had, nor showed any "Houdini-era" handcuffs - aside from those that were displayed behind glass, in the displays.

There was a mounted "Hamburg 8"  on display, above the door...that's the only thing that I can think of...that you might be thinking of.

...and while I have you---If you're interested in purchasing my Jail-Prison Lock Collection from the Police Museum, let me know.

Joe Fox wrote: ↑

Jan 14, 2023

Mark: 
 The Castle's "Mediums" never had, nor showed any "Houdini-era" handcuffs - aside from those that were displayed behind glass, in the displays.

There was a mounted "Hamburg 8"  on display, above the door...that's the only thing that I can think of...that you might be thinking of.

...and while I have you---If you're interested in purchasing my Jail-Prison Lock Collection from the Police Museum, let me know.

I know you had some jail locks but I was never aware what you had. Please send a pic or two if you can. I am interested.
I know that when we were in the seance room, there were some cuffs that we handled, and they were behind glass.
A waitress or castle staff questioned us as to what we were doing, but our reply satisfied her questioning, and she left us alone.

I know that my email service will not receive emails from you (No idea why), so we may need to PM here or find another way.

Mark:    Go to my police museum Link --  at www.handcuffs.org  ---to see photos.

Mark----ok, yes---they were 4 shelves of locks, cuffs, and escape props (1/2 of which I supplied)....but never a Houdini "spiked" Houdini Seance Cuff (real or fake).