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Tiny pair of Hiatt Darby cuffs

22 visible archived posts · 22 preserved total · topic ID 8037

AshG58 10 Sep 2025

Howdy guys newbie here although been collecting colonial handcuffs for a few years, my interest has sparked up and have been on the hunt for more Darby style cuffs. I recently purchased a pair of Hiatt cuffs and they are so small they would have to be a special purpose set. Any info would be awesome and appreciated. They came from the United Kingdom if that helps

Unknown / guest 10 Sep 2025

Compared to Indian Darby cuffs

Ian McColl 10 Sep 2025

Hi, welcome, the smal size wouldn't suggest a special purpose. As Darby (104's) are a fixed size, they made didfferent sizes to suit different size wrists. No idea what a bobby did when his cuff were too big or too small for the person arrested.

AshG58 10 Sep 2025

Hi Ian nice to meet you and thank you for your help. I guess the Bobby that carried these was hoping not to arrest anyone older than 6. My they are tiny I’ve got really small wrist and they just fit me. I thought my other ones were small

Unknown / guest 10 Sep 2025

I’m trying to bring them up with polishing wheel my other pair came up a treat

thenarsian 26 Sep 2025

Are there any size number markings on them? Or any markings at all?

AshG58 26 Sep 2025

Hi thanks for your message
Yes they are marked Hiatt warranted wrought no 3. I’m guessing they are from 19 century London when the petty thieves recruited young children to do pick pocketing and breaking into buildings as they were young fast and nimble. Kind of back in the bleak house dickens era. Just a guess
Regards Ash

Unknown / guest 26 Sep 2025

Here’s a picture

Unknown / guest 26 Sep 2025

They are tiny I’ve got thin wrists and I can only get one side to fit

Ian McColl 26 Sep 2025

#10

The small size may not be directly related to a child of that era. People were smaller in general as a rule...(Google) people were generally smaller in 18th-century England than today, though there were fluctuations, with average heights in some periods of the 1700s and early 1800s being particularly low due to poor nutrition and the effects of the Industrial Revolution. While average height has increased substantially since the early 19th century, the 1700s represent a period of relative stunting compared to modern populations.

thenarsian 27 Sep 2025

#11

Hiatt made some extremely small cuffs. The really small ones are quite rare. The smallest pair that I've ever seen a photo of was posted by Chriscuffs6 here on the forum.

Hiatt strap hinge

I thought that I had the smallest set, at 37mm by 49mm, marked size 0, but his are quite a bit smaller, measuring 33mm by 43mm.

viewtopic.php?p=47568#p47568

I assumed that they were made for child pickpockets, like Oliver Twist, but like Ian pointed out, people were built much smaller when these were made. So I guess that they could have been on the smaller size for a woman back then, also.

Dr. Abe Normel 27 Sep 2025

#12

Not only does small stature appear more often in the early to mid 1700's, but some people's brains also were smaller, and the mental capacities did not increase along with the growing populace, especially in some geographic areas.
In a few instances, the maturity and growth spurts were retarded, and the dominant genes allowed this brain anomaly to exist for quite a few generations.
Fast forward to current times, the cerebral cortex in a few individuals continue to be sub-standard and have measurable diminished intelligence from their older generation direct relatives.
This brain disfunction is particularly noticed in the Australian continent and centered about the Nar Nar Goon area.
Brain transplants are still being studied and will be possible within 10 years as predicted.

AshG58 27 Sep 2025

#13

Thank for your input
I guess collecting handcuffs seems to some folks different. I’ve got a very keen interest in colonial history and being involved in law enforcement many years back I’ve always admired the craftsmanship with some of the hardware that went with the job. Old school cuffs are works of art. I do have some more modern ones ie Chubb 1k70 and 1960 met police Hiatts but the old 19th century ones are really nice

yep 28 Sep 2025

#14

true

AshG58 28 Sep 2025

#15

thenarsian wrote: ↑
Sep 27, 2025
Hiatt made some extremely small cuffs. The really small ones are quite rare. The smallest pair that I've ever seen a photo of was posted by Chriscuffs6 here on the forum.

Hiatt strap hinge

I thought that I had the smallest set, at 37mm by 49mm, marked size 0, but his are quite a bit smaller, measuring 33mm by 43mm.

viewtopic.php?p=47568#p47568

I assumed that they were made for child pickpockets, like Oliver Twist, but like Ian pointed out, people were built much smaller when these were made. So I guess that they could have been on the smaller size for a woman back then, also.
Click to expand...

Abe 28 Sep 2025

#16

AshG58 wrote: ↑
Sep 28, 2025
Thank for your input
I guess collecting handcuffs seems to some folks different. I’ve got a very keen interest in colonial history and being involved in law enforcement many years back I’ve always admired the craftsmanship with some of the hardware that went with the job. Old school cuffs are works of art. I do have some more modern ones ie Chubb 1k70 and 1960 met police Hiatts but the old 19th century ones are really nice

You're welcome!

I am sorry about the Ian McColl problem.
He sometimes contributes useful information, but when he does not take his medication, he goes on a rant with politics and religion.
Why he does this on a handcuff forum of all places is strange and is a visible sign that there is a screw or two loose in his hear.
I am sure that there are forums out there which welcome debate about these topics, but he chooses to clutter this once friendly place where we were good friends, and some people even attended conventions in the states and nice cities in Europe.

His BS has made great contributors stay away from this site as they can't stand his mental problems and it is at the breaking point for the site to either shut down or have nobody posing anymore except him and his out of place and unappreciated ants.

AshG58 04 Oct 2025

#17

All good
New to my collection from the UK Hiatt 101 superintendent light weight Darby and an immaculate as new pair of 1 st edition Hiatt 1960 met police cuffs with all markings and serial numbers with original pouch

Unknown / guest 04 Oct 2025

#18

Hopefully this forum keeps going. There are a few folks that are interested in cuffs and locks and other things vintage in law enforcement and prisons memorabilia

Unknown / guest 04 Oct 2025

#19

This is my collection to date I’m adding now and then when something interesting comes along. I’m a member of an antique arms collector society and am looking forward to displaying and answering any questions the people have

Unknown / guest 04 Oct 2025

#20

Amazing the Hiatts all look refined like they are made in an engineering shop where the Indian Darbys look like the are made in a blacksmith shop very heavy and agricultural

Ash 24 Oct 2025

#21

These handcuffs are non operational we are not allowed to have operation handcuffs in Australia without permission. The keys are missing and most mechanisms are secured with resin

Hardly Here 20 Jan 2026

#22

Two important things to say: First Do Not Polish your cuffs. They spent a hundred years trying to look that way. Apart from dirt the patina is not meant to be disturbed if they are to retain their value as an antique. Second: Being that Ian has given some practical advice for the first time I have noticed in a long time (!) I must ameliorate my earlier comments about his contributors here. I do so now and thank him for his input here.