Russian handcuffs

Hello fellow collectors,

I am having a nice e-mail discussion with Dmitriy, a Russian handcuffs-fan and collector, at the moment. And Dmitriy is wondering about some (I believe to be) Russian restraints in my collection. First of all the heavy prison handcuffs





especially in combination with leg irons


<a href="http://www.atame.info/Cuffs/so/so_russkombo.jpg " target="new"></a>


He said he is 90% sure that these restraints are not Russian. His arguments were that in Russia similar combinations were used only till 1917. He told me that it is a known historic fact that after the Russian revolution the new government has enact a law to ban leg irons for prisoners. And Dmitriy does not believe that they were made before 1917, because Russian shackles before 1917 were locked by rivets.

I know only one other collector who owns such a combination and only another one (vincula/Michael) who has the "heavy Russian prison handcuffs". So I would not exclude the possibility that we got a wrong information and these restraints where made in another country. But where and when?


Another handcuff, which Dmitriy is not sure that it is really of Russian origin are the Laskar folding handcuffs





He has never seen this model before and asked me why I think, that they are Russian. I just think so, because other collectors, who are longer in business than me, claim them to be of Russian origin. Does anybody know who exactly made this Laskar handcuffs?


Best regards,
Guenter aka Atame
www.atame.info

Guenter

I alway heard that the Lasker cuffs were Ukrainian.

Is it possible your heavy cuffs are similar, not Russian, but from one of the other parts of the former USSR?

Joe

Hello fellow collectors,

I am having a nice e-mail discussion with Dmitriy, a Russian handcuffs-fan and collector, at the moment. And Dmitriy is wondering about some (I believe to be) Russian restraints in my collection. First of all the heavy prison handcuffs





especially in combination with leg irons


<a href="http://www.atame.info/Cuffs/so/so_russkombo.jpg " target="new"></a>


He said he is 90% sure that these restraints are not Russian. His arguments were that in Russia similar combinations were used only till 1917. He told me that it is a known historic fact that after the Russian revolution the new government has enact a law to ban leg irons for prisoners. And Dmitriy does not believe that they were made before 1917, because Russian shackles before 1917 were locked by rivets.

I know only one other collector who owns such a combination and only another one (vincula/Michael) who has the "heavy Russian prison handcuffs". So I would not exclude the possibility that we got a wrong information and these restraints where made in another country. But where and when?


Another handcuff, which Dmitriy is not sure that it is really of Russian origin are the Laskar folding handcuffs





He has never seen this model before and asked me why I think, that they are Russian. I just think so, because other collectors, who are longer in business than me, claim them to be of Russian origin. Does anybody know who exactly made this Laskar handcuffs?


Best regards,
Guenter aka Atame
www.atame.info

Click to expand...

Hi Atame,

I have owned several Russian ancient leg shackles over the years and all of them have had a spring wedge lock or a screw key mechanism.

I do know they did rivet some, but many had keyed mechanisms.

Steve Santini

Hello fellow collectors,

I am having a nice e-mail discussion with Dmitriy, a Russian handcuffs-fan and collector, at the moment. And Dmitriy is wondering about some (I believe to be) Russian restraints in my collection. First of all the heavy prison handcuffs





especially in combination with leg irons


<a href="http://www.atame.info/Cuffs/so/so_russkombo.jpg " target="new"></a>


He said he is 90% sure that these restraints are not Russian. His arguments were that in Russia similar combinations were used only till 1917. He told me that it is a known historic fact that after the Russian revolution the new government has enact a law to ban leg irons for prisoners. And Dmitriy does not believe that they were made before 1917, because Russian shackles before 1917 were locked by rivets.

I know only one other collector who owns such a combination and only another one (vincula/Michael) who has the "heavy Russian prison handcuffs". So I would not exclude the possibility that we got a wrong information and these restraints where made in another country. But where and when?


Another handcuff, which Dmitriy is not sure that it is really of Russian origin are the Laskar folding handcuffs





He has never seen this model before and asked me why I think, that they are Russian. I just think so, because other collectors, who are longer in business than me, claim them to be of Russian origin. Does anybody know who exactly made this Laskar handcuffs?


Best regards,
Guenter aka Atame
www.atame.info

Click to expand...

Hi Guenter,

in terms of legirons - as far as I know, also Czech STB (something like KGB) also used legirons for political prisoners during the 50s.
These legirons were similar to medieval ones - also rings made of two plates, locked by rivets. And because Czechoslovakia and CCCP cooperated very tightly at that time, it is possible that your friend from Russia is right.
Don´t believe that this law "ban of legirons" was really observed. Conditions in Russian and Czechoslovak prisons were terrible during the 50s, under the rule of Communist party - like in medieval...
In can try to ask this topic in the police museum, it is probable they will know something about russian equipment.

Kind regards

Josef

PS: I have found several shops in Russia offering old cuffs, but no LASKA. It is possible they really come from different country.

Hello fellow collectors,

I am having a nice e-mail discussion with Dmitriy, a Russian handcuffs-fan and collector, at the moment. And Dmitriy is wondering about some (I believe to be) Russian restraints in my collection. First of all the heavy prison handcuffs





especially in combination with leg irons


<a href="http://www.atame.info/Cuffs/so/so_russkombo.jpg " target="new"></a>


He said he is 90% sure that these restraints are not Russian. His arguments were that in Russia similar combinations were used only till 1917. He told me that it is a known historic fact that after the Russian revolution the new government has enact a law to ban leg irons for prisoners. And Dmitriy does not believe that they were made before 1917, because Russian shackles before 1917 were locked by rivets.

I know only one other collector who owns such a combination and only another one (vincula/Michael) who has the "heavy Russian prison handcuffs". So I would not exclude the possibility that we got a wrong information and these restraints where made in another country. But where and when?


Another handcuff, which Dmitriy is not sure that it is really of Russian origin are the Laskar folding handcuffs





He has never seen this model before and asked me why I think, that they are Russian. I just think so, because other collectors, who are longer in business than me, claim them to be of Russian origin. Does anybody know who exactly made this Laskar handcuffs?


Best regards,
Guenter aka Atame
www.atame.info

Click to expand...

Hello, dear colleagues!

Yes, it is possible Joe the rights. But only not part USSR, and from any other country of the Warsaw contract.
It about what speaks Josef.

Dear Steve, certainly I can be mistaken.
I shall be grateful, if you will give me the link to these handcuffs. It is interesting to me to look.
Why I speak about rivets? I was in a historical museum in Moscow for a long time. There there is a prison exposition. All the shackles presented there, had only rivets.
Unfortunately, in Russia I do not know a special museum of police where it was possible to learn more information.

Dear Josef, you write " I have found several shops in Russia offering old cuffs, but no LASKA "
Tell please, what it for shops? I know in Russia all shops trade only in modern handcuffs.

Dmitriy

Hello fellow collectors,

I am having a nice e-mail discussion with Dmitriy, a Russian handcuffs-fan and collector, at the moment. And Dmitriy is wondering about some (I believe to be) Russian restraints in my collection. First of all the heavy prison handcuffs





especially in combination with leg irons


<a href="http://www.atame.info/Cuffs/so/so_russkombo.jpg " target="new"></a>


He said he is 90% sure that these restraints are not Russian. His arguments were that in Russia similar combinations were used only till 1917. He told me that it is a known historic fact that after the Russian revolution the new government has enact a law to ban leg irons for prisoners. And Dmitriy does not believe that they were made before 1917, because Russian shackles before 1917 were locked by rivets.

I know only one other collector who owns such a combination and only another one (vincula/Michael) who has the "heavy Russian prison handcuffs". So I would not exclude the possibility that we got a wrong information and these restraints where made in another country. But where and when?


Another handcuff, which Dmitriy is not sure that it is really of Russian origin are the Laskar folding handcuffs





He has never seen this model before and asked me why I think, that they are Russian. I just think so, because other collectors, who are longer in business than me, claim them to be of Russian origin. Does anybody know who exactly made this Laskar handcuffs?


Best regards,
Guenter aka Atame
www.atame.info

Click to expand...

Hi,

I was not punctual, these cuffs are probably not old.

Josef