I snapped my Brifield handcuffs

So I had my Brifield laying on my desk for awhile.. and today just couldn't resist.. 

I picked up those cuffs and got a good chain bind to see how the soft links would resist.. and it was honestly almost child's play to snap the cuffs.. 

Not much resistance from them at all until they gave in.. I love the design of these Chinese cuffs but that's what happens when you use cheap soft chain links..

After reading the forum here now I wonder if Nextorch chain models would succumb just the same.. I think Nextorch has metal links vs aluminum soft metal links but not positive

Be super forewarned that you should not use these for any work purpose.. or any of their generic counterparts sold on Chinese websites.. 

Congrats?!
-Richard Knip-

Just sharing how weak/brittle they are.. good info as some people have actually purchased this design for use in field service.. which could be pretty dangerous if you ask me but hey whatever.. and I am convinced Nextorch chain cuffs aren't much better now that I look at them more closely.. 

Ohknowzimghosted wrote: ↑

Jan 22, 2023

Just sharing how weak/brittle they are.. good info as some people have actually purchased this design for use in field service.. which could be pretty dangerous if you ask me but hey whatever.. and I am convinced Nextorch chain cuffs aren't much better now that I look at them more closely.. 

hc10-handcuffs-nextorch-091190_or.jpg

These cuffs can not be used in "field service" here in the United States. No where on the package for any of these cuffs do they state that they are N.I.J. approved. To use cuffs, legally, in the United States, the cuffs have to have passed the N.I.J. testing standards. Its not surprising that a product that was mass produced in China does not pass the rigorous testing here in the United States. In essence, you just snapped the swivel off of a pair of "toy" or "fantasy" type cuffs. Thats why I was "Congratulating" you for doing so. You may want to move to a foreign country and become a super villain that no handcuff on Earth can possibly contain! On a side not, I do not know any police forces of the world, who regularly use the brands to have pictured as their everyday  carry restraining devices. You may have just discovered the entire chain binding topic, but it is not unknown. Search this forum. Posts go back many years where it has been discussed on here. I think we have covered about all possible angles of the subject and at this point its is the equivalent of pummeling a horse that is no longer breathing.

It doesnt matter what handcuff you use, the cuffs are not meant to be held in your hands and twisted around until the links "lock up" and allow for added pressure to cause the swivel to snap off. Cuffs are meant to be placed on an individual, behind the back with hands turned out. The prisoner should be monitored at all times, even when wearing handcuffs. If a prisoner is cuffed and the officer cannot keep an eye on him, that why they have cages in the back of squad cars. The officer places you in the back of the car and secures you with a seatbelt. Some squad cars have seats that are molded to fit your arms while secured behind your back. Once secured, in this manner, you are not going to be twisting or turning anything. You may have heard when they cuff someone, "these are for your safety as well as mine?" Break a pair of officer's cuffs and you are now a major threat to that officer. Deadly force can be used if this situation arises. I highly recommend not surprising an officer by snapping the chain on his cuffs. But again, once the prisoner is properly secured with hands behind the back and wrists turned out, with the cuffs properly tightened and double locked, physically it is not possible to twist and contort your way into "locking up" the chain links. Please, take a basic pair of S&W M-100-1. Place them on, properly and make a video with your back turned to the camera, showing how you can snap the cuffs. Im talking secured to the standards that are taught to an officer when handcuffing a prisoner. Not placed on loosely, but placed on where the tip of one finger can slip between the cuffs and the wrist of the prisoner. If you really want to prove your point, take the pair of cuffs to a police officer in your area to have him place you in them the way he normally does and then impress him and terrify him with what you can do. Perhaps have the Police Chief in your area bring the squad together , so you can make a presentation to the group and show them how its done?

I still do not understand your pre-occupation with preaching to a group of handcuff collectors why handcuffs are not safe? Most of us, are not security nor police officers. We do not use these in the line of duty. We buy them, maybe learn to pick the lock, admire them and stick them in a display or on a shelf somewhere and add another cuff to our collection catalog. Thats it! Kind of like trading cards, many of us want one of everything ever made. Which of course, is not possible. Your observations would better be suited for a forum or group page of working professionals, as I have suggested to you in past comment threads. What do you expect a group of collectors to do? Are we supposed to start a letter writing campaign to the various handcuff makers of the world and correct this egregious error in design?

-Richard Knip-

Ok.
I wasn't aware this is a collectors only forum. 

I thought this forum was welcoming of all handcuff topics and conversations. I do not collect them but I do use them and do research them in service. So if I had known that I would not have made any posts here.

You should know though that amazon reviews of this design suggest they have been used in field service by private security. Bounty hunters, private security, loss prevention, and private law enforcement agencies in the United States are generally not required by law to use any specific restraints unless perhaps they are working a government contract or their insurance or company policy mandates it. And so yes models based on this design can be dangerous if used in field service as previously stated.

And I will point this out about NIJ.

I get tired of seeing claims of NIJ approved handcuffs. Almost every handcuff advertises NIJ approval. Even Chinese models that couldn't have ever possibly been submitted for certification and would have never met the standards are advertised as approved. The claim has been too long abused and no longer means anything. 

More importantly the certification program was discontinued in 2016.

2016 NIJ

NIJ now only publishes compliance standards which rarely if ever actually change. They no longer certify anything. Any announced certifications after the program's discontinuation are self-certified or third party certified which guarantee nothing. And quite honestly the NIJ certification standards were pretty basic and not very demanding if you actually read the certifying criteria. NIJ does set a standard but it's a very low standard at best. 

And for models predating the program's discontinuation, any claims of model approval, acceptance, or certification might be true, but any changes to the manufacturing of the handcuff samples submitted then in material, manufacturing process, etc, could compromise that certification for that model. And we all know at some point in manufacturing, something in the process will change whether it be metal ingredients, machinery, etc., and how often do you think manufacturers submitted new samples of the same model before 2016 to get the model recertified and retested every time something in the formula changed?

The hell with NIJ certification.

And as far as fantasy handcuffs go well.. why even collect them then.. might as well get yourself a pair of metal handcuffs from a retailers toy aisle because obviously the fantasy handcuffs you refer to have limited to no value and are effectively worthless as shown by effortless separation of the swivel and chain. 

You know when I post here generally I am looking for positive feedback or contributions about handcuff security and design. Like some, I am always in search of a better, more secure, more modern handcuff. And there's nothing wrong with that. There could be models out there few if any know about. I believe we call this discovery. From a  service perspective, I am tired of the cheap three teeth pawl system most handcuffs depend on. Just because it works doesn't mean we should keep it around. It's an outdated design as some have mentioned here in the past and it needs to be replaced as the industry standard. And so my dedication to finding more appealing products lives on deterred by none.

Yes, I am familiar with the N.I.J. Standards and what they stand for and how they are applied, etc. I have the link to the documentation as well. By snapping cuffs, you are proving nothing! The Youtube videos that show guys holding cuffs in their hands and twisting and spinning them until they "lock up" then snapping off the swivels doesnt show a thing. Put the cuffs on properly behind your back and have at it. Snap swivels until your heart is content.

Why Collect Fantasy Cuffs? Because they are different. Some are unique, some have an interesting shape or a feature others do not have. Some have a new type of key or locking mechanism. As far as them being "garbage", not all collections are investments. Most of us collect cuffs for the the fascination with mechanisms, function, history, design, etc. As a collector, its up to the collector what they want to add to their collections. Some guys on here do not collect modern cuffs. Some may only collect cuffs with a non standard key.  Others, like me, collect everything. I have cuffs that are toys (metal only), movie props, samples, prototypes, design flaws, errors, modern, antique, magician's props. I also collect Hospital Restraints, Military Restraints and about any type of restraints used on a person. I do not collect "fetish" pieces, as that is not my interest. Its all up to the collector what they choose to collect. Many people out there collect things I see no value in having. To them, their collections mean something. To me, they do not. As they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
-Richard Knip-

If only there were some way to have know this was a handcuff collector's forum....
-RK-

Oh yeah you got me.. because it's just so obvious when you link in from Tapatalk.. and I mean the home page is crystal clear that this is a collector's only forum.. how dumb could I possibly be..

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/handcuffsforum/

I'm pretty sure if you're handcuff behind your back with brifield they would bind and bust. They were just too easy to break. Other brands probably not so much. Your M100 challenge is probably chain undefeatable applied with your instructions given the quality of SW metals. But then I'll just use the window exploit SW overlooked during decades of production that coxy's and deadlocks have uncovered thanks to the brand's engineering incompetence. Either way I'm bustin' out and your precious M100s take another loss.

Love the super villain comment. Endlessly entertaining. I always wanted to be immortal. Probably not a reality though unless someone detains me with M100s or Brifields/Yoghourds of course and then I'm unstoppable.

Brifields base Chinese design though can be chain compromised by a teenager in my opinion. The metal is just too soft and too cheap. Aircraft aluminum my ass. More like Pepsi can aluminum. You would have more security guarantees holding the subjects hands together. These things couldn't detain a garbage can. You'd be better off holstering heavy duty scotch tape. Might as well get some plastic finger cuffs. If that fails try a few rubber bands. Anything is better than this handcuff junk. China strikes again.

Use a hank of rope. Problem solved. No defeatble double lock mech and no chain binding. Low price point.

-Richard Knip-

lol

Collecting discussion is OK, ...Sharing new patents and press releases are OK, ...but somehow discussing weaknesses or design flaws are somehow not allowed here? Did I miss something? Don't bash someone else's interests. Everyone in the world knows Australian made cuffs are the BEST in terms of strength and holding of values. Welding scraps of scrapmetal together & duping novice collectors with "Factory Prototypes" does not help the HANDCUFF community at all.
   
        -God Bless You!
 

This forum isn't dedicated to just collecting. It's open to all conversations of handcuff subjects. I do agree though that claims of NIJ approvals and certifications have long been abused by every manufacturer known to man. Especially since the certification program has been discontinued for awhile now. NIJ defines standards but the test application of those standards are self appointed. Any manufacturer that claims their handcuffs are NIJ approved probably has no evidence to support that claim and is probably completely full of shit.

I personally find it interesting to see stuff like this. But honestly, what professional/occupational cuff user would use such a cuff anyway? From the moment I got my Brifield I knew they wouldn't be sturdy enough for someone to use occupationally, but I do like the locking mechanism as it adds something to my collection. Snapping handcuffs is a thing, even on big name brands. But someone doing it behind their back would be quite a trick. So thanks for sharing, but it isn't exactly news to me. I kind of expected it due to the quality of how they feel.