Italian Handcuffs

Guess what this is a posting about Handcuffs! Many years ago I did a trade with Jean-Michel Robin and got a set of Italian handcuffs with an unusual double pronged key. I thought these were the set he illustrated in his book Volume 3. However looking at the photos the set illustrated has makings on it. So there are at least 2 sets known! Does anyone here have a set?

Hi  Chris, good to see a post about cuffs and I hope this is not hijacked by trolls. Although I cannot say I have a pair of these, I am curious about the bi-bitt key. Is it actually necessary or would a single bitt key work? If it does require the two bitts, can you describe the mechanism and function?

Hi Ian, an interesting question. A single bitted key will not work, basically there are two independent pawls that engage in the swinging bow. Having said that a single bitted key that is thinned down could be used by applying pressure to the bow and pulling back each pawl one at a time to release the bow one notch at a time. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks Chris, I built a few keys with two bitts to suit Lars' cuff. It was for a European cuff that I am sure you would be familiar with. I assumed that your Italian cuff required a key with two full width flags. Your reply prompted me to take a closer looks at the photo of your key. I see now that the bitts are located on the shaft in two different postions. Each under the pawl they will operate. 

I cannot concieve of a mechanism that would actually need a key like this and think that a single full width bit key would in fact lift both pawls to open the cuff. I wonder if the idea of the unique  keyhole was to give tha appearance of it being a higher security handcuff.  Maybe to put people off who  were familar with handcuffs and suggest that this was something very different and discourage attempts to open it.

Trolls keep the subject off talking cuffs.

Repeating above

The Troll pushed this off the top again.

Ian McColl wrote: ↑

Jun 07, 2025

The Troll pushed this off the top again.

McColl, did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?

Hi Chris
I havent been here in a while. You probably already translated that image with your cuff but, just in case you havent here is chat gpt translation:
Chain Handcuffs – Country: Italy (Trieste) – Period: 1948 to 1954 – Manufacturer: unknown.
Without double lock – Marking: BREVETTO No. 7990 on each casing.
Also exists without marking, see detail above.
Particularities:
Based on the shape of the casing, they somewhat resemble Polish handcuffs. The keyhole design is very distinctive and intended for a double-bit key (see detail), with two rows of internal teeth. The notched sector has 18 positions for closing.
After the Second War, the Free Territory of Trieste was created following the signing of the peace treaty in 1947. This region was then divided into two parts: a so-called “A” zone, Italian, encompassing the city of Trieste; and a “B” zone, Yugoslav, including the city of Capodistria. During this period, from 1945 to 1947, the area was administered by the AMG.VG (Allied Military Government – Venezia Giulia). From 1948 to 1954, the AMG.FTT (Allied Military Government – Free Territory of Trieste) took over. It was during this time that a complete overhaul of the police force took place. New sections were created, including the Division of Criminal Investigations which was the only one to be equipped with these handcuffs marked “BREVETTO No. 7990.”
They were exclusively used by agents of this unit, which consisted of about fifty people at most. They are therefore considered quite rare, as only a few specimens are currently recorded and belong to private collections.