Mark Lyons O--O Cuffs
#1As the most celebrated escape artist of his time, Houdini, despised his competing escape artists and handcuff kings.
There are many stories of how he would disguise himself and pay the price of a ticket to attend the shows being performed by his competitors or imitators.
When asked by the performer if anyone in the audience was a policeman who had any handcuffs with them, Houdini would stand up and show the artist his cuffs. The performer would see Houdini's cuffs and invite him to come up to the stage and challenge him in the escape.
The performer was familiar with the presented cuffs and would offer the challenge since he knew he had a key or pick which he practiced with many times before.
Houdini, trying to combat the many other escape artists had several handcuffs modified which would not use the typical key common to that particular brand of cuffs.
When showing the cuff to the performer, Houdini would show the back side of the cuff or conceal the alteration so that it looked like a factory model.
Once clamped onto the wrists, the performer would then realize he was in trouble since a different type of key was needed and defeat of the challenge was eminent.
It is said that Houdini would tell the audience that the performer failed because he wasn't Houdini and then announce himself as such. Is this another Houdini rumor or did this happen in reality? I do believe he did do this, and I did once talk to a collector in Michigan who claims that he has the leather shoe box that Houdini kept cuffs in when going to the competitors shows.
In researching this, I have never seen or heard of any cuff that was prepared in a similar way and owned by any other escape artist, but it is not likely that Houdini was the only one to go to this measure to ruin the careers of his imitators.
I only know of 3 cuffs that are attributed to Houdini that are modified and named "Handcuff King Breakers or just "King Breakers".
A Lilly Iron sold at the Radner auction a few years ago and 2 Bean Giants, which toured the country in the "Great Houdini Handcuff & Leg Iron" presentations with Dick Wresh in the 1960's.
Wresh bought up a major collection of Houdini's cuffs from a man named Nugent, who purchased that collection from Houdini's brother, Hardeen.
This Lilly iron shown in this fabulous collection from the Radner auction, does not use the 10mm square key which is typical to this style cuff.
It uses a similar key, but it has 2 protruding pins that engage into the 2 holes drilled into the screw bolt inside the body. (Like a Spanner wrench)
I hope to find some better pics and will post when found.
The other 2 cuffs that I know of are featured in the booklet that Wresch sold at his high school and college presentations.
These Bean Giant cuffs were modified to take a non-standard key and picking attempts would be difficult as there are internal lock levers and very strong springs installed.
(At least in the cuff on the left)I have read somewhere that the locksmith was from Leeds as opposed to Birmingham. The Wresch book is filled with many errors and I do wish I knew more about that locksmith.
Perhaps it was modified by someone at Froggatt or Hiatt if Birminham is correct.
In looking for any previous discussions on the forum about these cuffs, I was not able to pull anything up, but I am certain that these were discussed at some point!
At one of the Cannon conventions, guest speaker, Patrick Culliton stated that we would never be able to see these rare cuffs as they are in private collections,
I laughed when I heard this and announced that I would volunteer to drive home and bring back the cuff with the round key the next day. The other cuff with the flat key was owned by someone else in the audience but he could not go home to get it as he lives too far away.
In addition to very strong springs, this cuff has the ratchet protrude into the modified square holes in the bows to prevent shimming.
A VERY secure cuff it is!
One of Houdini's assistants was said to have numbered the cuffs from the Nugent/Wresch collection and this cuff shows the number listed for this cuff.
I blocked a number out because I may be the only person who has the list of these handcuffs along with their corresponding numbers.
(If too many people have access to this log, one could stamp the numbers in some of the common cuffs and sell them as if they were in the collection.
I may be the only one to prove or disprove this as I could access the log. This log was attached to an interview done with Hardeen in the 40's and I assume that I have the only surviving copy of a very limited publication)
When it comes time to sell these cuffs, I will include a copy of the log to the buyer so that he/she can verify its authenticity.
I had fun showing these at that Cannon convention as many collectors could never say with any certainty that they ever handled any cuffs which could be proven to be actually owned by Houdini.
Hardeen was known to sell many common cuffs and state that they once belonged to his brother. The cuffs with proper numbering (and in the case of the Bean Giants, are one of a kind and would be too hard to copy. Keeping the number confidential will also contribute to its authenticity)
I normally keep a historic item like this in a very secure place but a couple years or more ago, I put them in a place that I would never store them, but I did and could not find them since.
Yesterday like magic, they reappeared, and I know that I will never make the same mistake again!
I am happy that they resurfaced as I lost lots of sleep wondering where I put them.
I am very happy to share this with you all!
There are many stories of how he would disguise himself and pay the price of a ticket to attend the shows being performed by his competitors or imitators.
When asked by the performer if anyone in the audience was a policeman who had any handcuffs with them, Houdini would stand up and show the artist his cuffs. The performer would see Houdini's cuffs and invite him to come up to the stage and challenge him in the escape.
The performer was familiar with the presented cuffs and would offer the challenge since he knew he had a key or pick which he practiced with many times before.
Houdini, trying to combat the many other escape artists had several handcuffs modified which would not use the typical key common to that particular brand of cuffs.
When showing the cuff to the performer, Houdini would show the back side of the cuff or conceal the alteration so that it looked like a factory model.
Once clamped onto the wrists, the performer would then realize he was in trouble since a different type of key was needed and defeat of the challenge was eminent.
It is said that Houdini would tell the audience that the performer failed because he wasn't Houdini and then announce himself as such. Is this another Houdini rumor or did this happen in reality? I do believe he did do this, and I did once talk to a collector in Michigan who claims that he has the leather shoe box that Houdini kept cuffs in when going to the competitors shows.
In researching this, I have never seen or heard of any cuff that was prepared in a similar way and owned by any other escape artist, but it is not likely that Houdini was the only one to go to this measure to ruin the careers of his imitators.
I only know of 3 cuffs that are attributed to Houdini that are modified and named "Handcuff King Breakers or just "King Breakers".
A Lilly Iron sold at the Radner auction a few years ago and 2 Bean Giants, which toured the country in the "Great Houdini Handcuff & Leg Iron" presentations with Dick Wresh in the 1960's.
Wresh bought up a major collection of Houdini's cuffs from a man named Nugent, who purchased that collection from Houdini's brother, Hardeen.
This Lilly iron shown in this fabulous collection from the Radner auction, does not use the 10mm square key which is typical to this style cuff.
It uses a similar key, but it has 2 protruding pins that engage into the 2 holes drilled into the screw bolt inside the body. (Like a Spanner wrench)
I hope to find some better pics and will post when found.
The other 2 cuffs that I know of are featured in the booklet that Wresch sold at his high school and college presentations.
These Bean Giant cuffs were modified to take a non-standard key and picking attempts would be difficult as there are internal lock levers and very strong springs installed.
(At least in the cuff on the left)I have read somewhere that the locksmith was from Leeds as opposed to Birmingham. The Wresch book is filled with many errors and I do wish I knew more about that locksmith.
Perhaps it was modified by someone at Froggatt or Hiatt if Birminham is correct.
In looking for any previous discussions on the forum about these cuffs, I was not able to pull anything up, but I am certain that these were discussed at some point!
At one of the Cannon conventions, guest speaker, Patrick Culliton stated that we would never be able to see these rare cuffs as they are in private collections,
I laughed when I heard this and announced that I would volunteer to drive home and bring back the cuff with the round key the next day. The other cuff with the flat key was owned by someone else in the audience but he could not go home to get it as he lives too far away.
In addition to very strong springs, this cuff has the ratchet protrude into the modified square holes in the bows to prevent shimming.
A VERY secure cuff it is!
One of Houdini's assistants was said to have numbered the cuffs from the Nugent/Wresch collection and this cuff shows the number listed for this cuff.
I blocked a number out because I may be the only person who has the list of these handcuffs along with their corresponding numbers.
(If too many people have access to this log, one could stamp the numbers in some of the common cuffs and sell them as if they were in the collection.
I may be the only one to prove or disprove this as I could access the log. This log was attached to an interview done with Hardeen in the 40's and I assume that I have the only surviving copy of a very limited publication)
When it comes time to sell these cuffs, I will include a copy of the log to the buyer so that he/she can verify its authenticity.
I had fun showing these at that Cannon convention as many collectors could never say with any certainty that they ever handled any cuffs which could be proven to be actually owned by Houdini.
Hardeen was known to sell many common cuffs and state that they once belonged to his brother. The cuffs with proper numbering (and in the case of the Bean Giants, are one of a kind and would be too hard to copy. Keeping the number confidential will also contribute to its authenticity)
I normally keep a historic item like this in a very secure place but a couple years or more ago, I put them in a place that I would never store them, but I did and could not find them since.
Yesterday like magic, they reappeared, and I know that I will never make the same mistake again!
I am happy that they resurfaced as I lost lots of sleep wondering where I put them.
I am very happy to share this with you all!