Unusual Handcuffs

[Jimdini]

Harry Houdini’s challenge was to escape from a set of Bean Giants.
I have seen those for sale on eBay but they are a bit expensive for just messing around. I would not mind trying on a set just to be able to say that I did it.
I have gotten out of hinged handcuffs in back before but it left bruises and wasn’t easy. Those were Peerless. If they were Hiatts they would have left cuts as well as bruises. Hiatt handcuffs are well made but sharp.

Yes, I believe a lot of old handcuffs had locks that could be 'sprung' by a sharp blow on a hard surface.
I find that as the Irish-8s keep your wrists so close together, that I have virtually no wrist or lower arm movement, therefore I cannot manipulate anything to open the lock. (I think stage Escapologists would have to have 'tricked' locks) All the Irish-8s that I have are really close fitting and the metal is smoothly polished, they left marks from them, but I have not worn them long enough to get any bruising.

[Stahlketten]

Just wearing the Peerless cuffs didn’t cause bruising. It was trying manipulate the key in the keyhole to get out that was doing it.
The nickel finish sets with or without exposed rivets are pretty well rounded but we have a newer black set with much sharper edges like the Hiatts. I don’t see those much since I gave them to my Jailer so that She would always have a set to use when she needed arrest me. I should have given her a more comfortable set but she doesn’t really use them much.

[Jimdini]

The nickel finish sets with or without exposed rivets are pretty well rounded but we have a newer black set with much sharper edges like the Hiatts.

Yes, I know what you mean about Hiatts, I stopped using my Hiatt hinged cuffs as they were always digging in.

[Stahlketten]

I have probably worn Hiatt cuffs more often than any other brand of modern restraints. A lady friend who liked to keep me chained up frequently had all Hiatt cuffs. I was there when she placed the order. It was an interesting feeling because I knew who would be wearing them most of the time. I probably should have suggested something more comfortable at the time. She was always more concerned about security than comfort. Those were fun times.

[furontier]

I have 3 sets of cuffs like this, not really sure what it's called in the English speaking world, or even if it has an english name at all.
You can see how this kind of cuff works just by looking, it's just two U shaped cuffs with another steel peg going across.
Surprisingly enough, it can actually be used for selfbondage, just need to find the suitable diameter so that your wrist can't slip out, but still allows some movement, so that you can still insert and remove the peg. Or you can remove the peg using your mouth. It can be pretty tricky to put both hands in and keeping all the three parts aligned though.

[dsteve]

These look very sexy to me. Looks like they would be very restrictive, but with the rounding, quite comfortable. Ordinary handcuffs can keep your hands close to each other, but that is about it. You can move your hands all around. These would only allow movement around one axis (the pin). But, I have a hard time believing they would be safe for self bondage. If anyone has tried these, and put them on and got them off without help, I'd like to hear about it.

[dsteve]

btw I think the name of those is "french handcuffs"

[Stahlketten]

I have a couple sets of those. We have only used them a few times. I have put them on and taken them off without help. It is a lot more difficult to get them on than to take them off.

[Stahlketten]

Recently finished making two working keys for Mattatuck handcuffs. I now have a couple sets that work with no problems and a couple sets that have some issues. Hopefully the issues can be fixed.

[Stahlketten]

Just found another set of Mattatuck handcuffs I had laying around and they work perfectly with a new key.

[Stahlketten]

I am currently locked in a pair of the newer Chinese H&R handcuffs.
This isn't really self bondage though because it was at my Jailer's insistence and She took the key with her when she left the house.'
So I am quite securely stuck here until She returns with the key.
These handcuffs are fairly well made unlike the older version but they do have some unfinished sharp edges.
They are also quite a bit bigger than the older version.
My lovely Jailer picked these to use because they were the one pair of handcuffs that were conveniently located that had only one key that She could take with her to make sure I could not escape. They do make typing a bit difficult.

[Stahlketten]

These Chinese copies of H&R handcuffs are of typical Chinese manufacture.
There are many places with sharp edges and places where some of the "flash" from metal stampings still remains. The manufacturers don't bother cleaning up the stampings, They just chrome plate everything.
As with other toys of Chinese manufacture, you are left with a choice: Do you file off the sharp edges and break through the chrome plating or do you leave the chrome plating intact but the toy remains scratchy and uncomfortable to use?

[ruru67]

These Chinese copies of H&R handcuffs are of typical Chinese manufacture.
There are many places with sharp edges and places where some of the "flash" from metal stampings still remains. The manufacturers don't bother cleaning up the stampings, They just chrome plate everything.
As with other toys of Chinese manufacture, you are left with a choice: Do you file off the sharp edges and break through the chrome plating or do you leave the chrome plating intact but the toy remains scratchy and uncomfortable to use?

I have several Chinese cuffs, and while they don't have actual burrs or flash, the edges are very square and dig in if pulled in any direction other than along the plane of the cuff. I tend to use them with cheap elastic wrist support gloves, which makes them much more comfortable. But really, a wide cuff with rounded section bracelets are much better than any kind of swing-through handcuff - with the possible exception of the big Clejuso model 13 or 15 cuffs..

[Stahlketten]

Do you have the older version or the newer version of the Chinese H&R?
The newer version has raised strengthening ridges on each side like the Crockett & Kelly handcuffs.
They are noticeably larger than the first version. The original Chinese H&R copies without the raised ridge had some serious problems in either design or manufacturing but they seem to have solved those issues.
Both of the Chinese versions seem much more rattly than actual H&R handcuffs.

Modern swing through handcuffs by American Handcuff Company (the commercial, not the military contract stuff) are very nicely rounded and probably the most comfortable of modern police type handcuffs. Unfortunately they are no longer in production.

[ruru67]

Do you have the older version or the newer version of the Chinese H&R?

I don't have the H&R ones. I have three Chinese-made pairs: an old pair of Fury chain style cuffs - these are OK, but the swing through arms are quite thin compared to the others.

The other two are a Chinese knock-off of the Hiatt HSS9 cuff (hinged, with "high-security" cylinder double locks), and a simple pair of hinged handcuffs with a S&W-style slide double lock. On the latter I drilled out the double lock slot to admit a padlock shackle (up to 4mm thick), so these can be double-locked the conventional way, then have padlocks inserted to prevent the double-lock from being released.

None of these have bevelled edges on the cuff or swing arms.

Modern swing through handcuffs by American Handcuff Company (the commercial, not the military contract stuff) are very nicely rounded and probably the most comfortable of modern police type handcuffs. Unfortunately they are no longer in production.

The ASP ones aren't too bad - I don't have any, but I have handled them.

[Stahlketten]

I am not sure the "Chinese" handcuffs you have are a great indication of their designs.
Chinese make knockoffs of just about everything and often do a very mediocre job of it. The Chinese copy of the H&R on the other hand ARE an indication because they are not really a copy. They copy the general form factor, at least in the original version but the internals are entirely different. Those also happen to be the kind of handcuffs used by their penal system.
As for squared versus rounded edges, Hiatt, who was a quality manufacturer never bothered to round off the edges of their cuffs. Some people think this is intentional. Even Peerless, the premier American manufacturer did not always round off the edges of their handcuffs. I have a nice set of black Peerless hinged handcuffs that are not rounded like most of their nickel handcuffs. American Munitions / American Handcuff Company didn't round off the edges on the handcuffs that were made for military contracts and those are quite good quality.
As for thin, the Hiatt model 1970 and UZI brand are notably thinner than most. The Hiatt 1970 was apparently in use by the British police for a time. Some of the CleJuSo models are quite thin with square edges as well. I believe those were the Model 11 and Model 12.
ASP handcuffs are interesting. I believe they are great for the bedroom because the edges are nicely rounded but the cuff bodies are a little too flexible. There have been cases of them flexing sideways so much that the swinging arm did not quite engage. One of the early sets I have had developed cracks in the plastic even though I know it has not been mistreated in any way or left in chemicals or heat. I am not sure why the plastic is cracking. The cracks don't really affect functioning, but they also don't inspire confidence.

[ruru67]

I just got a pair of H&R style cuffs - they were cheap and on special at an NZ-based kink/sex toy retailer (well under half the price I'd need to pay at any overseas source I could find), so I grabbed them. I guess they're the "newer" type.

I'm not sure if these are "real" Chinese knock-offs of the H&R cuffs, or Chinese knock-offs of the Chinese knock-offs ...

I don't love the double-lock - it requires the key to lock (turn counter-clockwise to double-lock, clockwise to unlock), and I prefer my double locks to be lockable without the key to open them, (The Hiatt HSS9 knock-offs with the cylinder double locks suffer that too - you can lock them without the standard handcuff key, but you need the "high-security" key to both engage and disengage the double locks.) The double lock doesn't have a very positive feel to it either - it's probably fine, but I'd be happier if there was a substantial click as it engaged that made it feel like there was no chance of it accidentally disengaging.

The triangle keyed "lock" would be hard to pick - much harder than a standard (S&W-style) where you can do it with a bent paper clip or the right gauge sewing needle. For those not familiar, these Chinese cuffs have a round keyhole that passes through the swivels, and can only be accessed with the swivel at right angles (although that is easy to arrange), then through a fair length of steel tube before it reaches a triangle-shaped stud which it engages. There's nothing really to grab; it really needs the triangle-shaped hole in the end of the key to turn the stud. It wouldn't be hard to make a suitable tool/key, but it would be difficult to improvise without suitable tools & materials. Getting the key to engage the stud is a little fiddly.

The locks use a ratcheting cog, rather than a hinged pawl, to engage the bracelets - since this is on a fixed spindle, and the actual pawl is inside the body of the lock and out of reach, I was going to say that the things can't be shimmed, but they can - you just need to push your shim into the lock from the bracelet end, past the cog, and push the internal pawl open, releasing the bracelet. As one would expect, the double-lock defeats this attack.

These cuffs do have quite a bit of distance between the bracelets compared with other types. And the bracelets on mine go quite small (which is fine, I have quite small wrists).

[Stahlketten]

Do your Chinese H&R handcuffs have a raised ridge on each side of the double arms that the single jaw swings through? If they do, then they are the newer type. If they do not, then they are the older ones. Considering that you commented that they are on the small side, I suspect they are the older ones. The newer ones are actually quite large (larger than the typical US police type handcuffs such as S&W and Peerless) and about the same size as the S&W Model 1. The price is often quite high on eBay but is only about $30 through some mail order places.
The older style had a problem with the double lock easily disengaging. To do it, pull on the swivel and twist. I have not found that to be true about the newer style.
The authentic H&R handcuffs actually have a pawl that goes straight down into the lock case from what I can tell. The key is shaped differently but works by the same principle. They also have a noticeable detent when put into double lock unlike the Chinese version. The authentic H&R are also quite small like the initial version of Chinese H&R copies. They typically do not have a ring connecting the two swivels. The swivels themselves are usually connected. I believe sometimes they were made with two connecting links between the swivels.
As for picking the Chinese H&R, I believe a suitably sized drinking straw or rubber tube could be forced over the triangular piece and would have enough friction to open the lock. I have not tried this yet.

[ruru67]

Do your Chinese H&R handcuffs have a raised ridge on each side of the double arms that the single jaw swings through? If they do, then they are the newer type. If they do not, then they are the older ones. Considering that you commented that they are on the small side, I suspect they are the older ones. The newer ones are actually quite large (larger than the typical US police type handcuffs such as S&W and Peerless) and about the same size as the S&W Model 1. The price is often quite high on eBay but is only about $30 through some mail order places.

These have the ridges - they're clearly supplied new, although the Western-style packaging they came in was clearly done by the local reseller, not the manufacturer.

Actually comparing them with other cuffs, they're actually about the same size and opening range as other cuffs I have, to within a millimetre or so. What makes them seem smaller is that when you close them by pressing the "top" of the ratchet to the lock body, the different shape of the lock bodies means they've closed further. Also the bracelets on the H&R knock-offs are slightly thicker (in both dimensions) than my other cuffs, making the space in the middle look smaller.

Here's a comparison pic:

IMG_1123.jpg (74.94 KiB) Viewed 1433 times

(The round holes in the body of the hinged cuffs are where I drilled out the S&W-style double-lock slots to admit a padlock, allowing them to be "triple locked".)

The older style had a problem with the double lock easily disengaging. To do it, pull on the swivel and twist. I have not found that to be true about the newer style.

I can't see anything in this (new) mechanism that would allow that to work - looking down the barrel of these things, the swivels seem quite a way from the actual lock mechanism. I wonder why the old ones did that.

I'm not sure how they put the swivels on though. I think the barrel is just a piece of steel tube, and the swivel is machined to shape, inserted into the tube, and then the end of the tube pressed around the neck of the swivel to secure it. (Then the double arm of the bracelet is welded to the tube, the lock inserted and pinned into place with the pins you can see on the outside of the barrel, the swing arm riveted into place, and the two cuffs joined to complete the job. Electroplating probably happens prior to lock insertion.)

That's a lot of "hot" metalwork, compared to S&W-style cuffs, where the major parts are just stamped from steel sheet and riveted together.

As for picking the Chinese H&R, I believe a suitably sized drinking straw or rubber tube could be forced over the triangular piece and would have enough friction to open the lock. I have not tried this yet.

I was able to engage and disengage the double lock with a piece of cable sheath, but that requires very little torque, and compared to that required to unlock them, and there simply wasn't enough grip. The right size and stiffness of tube might do it, but we're talking improvising from what's around ...

Of course with the double-lock open I can then shim them ...

... and ... picked.

Well, that's ruined them.

It does require two different improvised tools, which makes an escape a little more difficult than just finding a single sewing needle like the "traditional" swing through cuffs.

[Stahlketten]

As for "Hot y work", most of the older Tower cuffs had chains that were forge welded as did the Hiatt Darby cuffs. The modern Indian copies of Darby cuffs are generally just brazed.
Smith & Wesson cuffs without the prominent exposed rivets in the lock body which I believe means all of them prior to about 2011 were actually soldered together. The dimples were there to ensure the alignment of the plates was correct before soldering.
If it bothers you that S&W handcuffs can be picked with just a bent sewing pin, I suggest you get a pair of the old S&W Model 94 with the barrel keys or the more modern S&W Model 104 that takes a non-standard key.

As for drilling out the double lock slot for a padlock, I did that a few years back and documented the results here with photographs. I think the thread was called "Modifying Cuffs" and I did it to a set of handcuffs, leg irons and belly chain. It all worked fine but I don't recall where those cuffs went. They are probably hiding in my house somewhere. The photographs in the thread have since been lost.
Lost photographs generally make a thread pretty meaningless.