Handcuffs and Restraints

[Brian Wolfe]

This is the original box for the cuffs.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

This is the leather pouch that was used with the handcuffs featured in this post.

I must admit that I have mixed feelings about leather verses the black nylon used today. Leather is a traditional material but unless taken care of properly it shows wear and lack of maintenance quickly. The nylon seems to stay looking "fresh" a lot longer and is cheaper to replace. I am sorry that I can't find the nylon pouch that I have to compaire the two and I suppose it is a moot point anyway since the leather kit is no longer in use.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Nice pair of cuffs, Brian. The problem with the locking bar at the top is getting them to hold still

while you press it in. Mervyn

[Brian Wolfe]

Nice pair of cuffs, Brian. The problem with the locking bar at the top is getting them to hold still

while you press it in. Mervyn

Thanks Mervyn and I agree about the locking device. It's probably a good idea to keep the detainee face down and horizontal until the cuffs are put on and "locked out". Then have them sit up crossed legged which makes getting them standing again a lot eaiser on your back. A knee to the small of the back applying pressure on the suspect while putting on the cuffs is, I understand, optional.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Hiatt, Figure Of Eight Handcuffs

Royal Irish Constabulary

This is a set of Hiatt, Figure Of Eight handcuffs from the Royal Irish Constabulary. The person I purchased this from told me he had purchased these “locally” meaning, where he lived, in Northern Ireland.

The cuffs came in their original leather case marked John Ireland & Son which is a manufacturer based in Dublin. I believe the key is a replacement and I think the photos support this belief.

The cuffs are marked “3” which is the size, and they are further marked “65” which I am guessing is the issue, or accountability, number.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Here are a couple of views of the leather pouch.

REgards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

Sorry, it seems that the second photo was just too large to upload so here it is.

Regards

Brian

[Brian Wolfe]

The Figure Of Eight Handcuffs Pouch in wear.

The wearing of police gear today.

Hello everyone,

I would like to discuss a couple of topics with this post. One is the leather pouch for the Figure Of Eight Handcuffs featured in a previous entry and the wearing of police gear on the duty belt today, especially handcuffs.

First the photo below is of an unidentified police officer wearing a leather handcuff pouch similar to the one in my previous post. The main difference is in the closure device. This one look like a dome and button while the RIC pouch has a tab that once inserted through the pouch flap is turned to lock the flap in place. The helmet in the photo shows a King’s crown and the only wording on the plate that can be made out is “County Constabulary”. I used magnification of different strengths and even my biology microscope and have found that the helmet was on such an angle as to leave the lettering of the municipality badly out of focus. However, we do know the officer in the photo is serving in the post Victorian era and that he wore the pouch in the front.

Today the police office can be seen, at least here in Canada, to be wearing the handcuffs case on the side or even at the back of the duty belt. With all of the gear that the modern police officer wears it is no wonder that, locally at least, it is referred to as the “Batman Utility Belt”. Officers in the past decade have taken to wearing a leather harness-style suspender system to take the weight of the belt off the officer’s hips. At first this seemed to be ridiculous and was just a fad that would never be accepted into the regulations. This has changed and now several police services have allowed the harness. Anyone who recalls the weight of the belt complete with side arm, asp (extendable baton), pepper spray, rubber glove pouch (or CPR pouch), handcuffs and the good old three cell Mag-Lite knows what hip joint pain feels like. Before I get too carried away with the gear in general I’ll get back to the handcuff pouch and where it is worn today.

When the officer is on foot patrol, or on a bicycle, wearing the pouch in the middle of the duty belt just below the small of the back works fairly well. It is out of the way of the rest of the gear and still easy to access, especially with the newer nylon pouch and Velcro closure. Now take that same officer and put him or her into the cruiser, or patrol car, and the location of the cuff pouch becomes a whole different matter. For those who have never experienced this less than pleasurable sensation take a carpenter’s tape measure, a twenty-five foot size is best for this experiment; clip it on your belt at the middle point of the waist at your back. It feels not too bad and I have worn one in that location on many a construction project in my distant past. Now jump in your car, truck or mini-van and drive to the corner store and back. Now you know how a handcuff pouch in that location feels to the police officer.

If you are stopped by an officer in a cruiser and you notice that the cuffs are at the side then you may have some room to plead your case for exceeding the speed limit. However if the case is worn in the small of the officer’s back simply apologize and tell him or her that you were wrong and were not paying attention to the speed limit posted. With luck maybe you get off with a warning, however, argue and...well...lets just say...DON”T ARGUE!

I’d like to hear for other officers, either current of former officers, on wearing your gear and your experiences.

Regards

Brian

[Mervyn Mitton]

Brian - you have a good example with the figure of 8 cuffs. The case would be specific to the RIC - at least in the 19th C.

However, this pattern is of a much earlier date and is almost identical to the first issue for the Metropolitan Police in 1829.

They carried theirs in one of the tail pockets in the original swallow tailed coatees.

I was interested to see that we have a new member with over 600 sets of handcuffs. I used to know someone in Bournemouth

who had well over 500 pairs - I used to dread him calling to the house - bits of oily metal everywhere ! The Americans have

great numbers of cuffs with just slight differences - they also like thumb cuffs. For a collector the interest is in these small

variations because, unfortunately , they all do virtually the same job - securing wrists together. Mervyn

[Monty]

Interesting thread.

Can I ask, does anyone know when the issuing of cuffs to individual UK constables came in? 1980s? Or am I way out?

I know they were used in sub divisions, and kept in operational vehicles.

Cheers

Monty

[Dave Wilkinson]

The Figure Of Eight Handcuffs Pouch in wear.

The wearing of police gear today.

Hello everyone,

I would like to discuss a couple of topics with this post. One is the leather pouch for the Figure Of Eight Handcuffs featured in a previous entry and the wearing of police gear on the duty belt today, especially handcuffs.

First the photo below is of an unidentified police officer wearing a leather handcuff pouch similar to the one in my previous post. The main difference is in the closure device. This one look like a dome and button while the RIC pouch has a tab that once inserted through the pouch flap is turned to lock the flap in place. The helmet in the photo shows a King’s crown and the only wording on the plate that can be made out is “County Constabulary”. I used magnification of different strengths and even my biology microscope and have found that the helmet was on such an angle as to leave the lettering of the municipality badly out of focus. However, we do know the officer in the photo is serving in the post Victorian era and that he wore the pouch in the front.

Today the police office can be seen, at least here in Canada, to be wearing the handcuffs case on the side or even at the back of the duty belt. With all of the gear that the modern police officer wears it is no wonder that, locally at least, it is referred to as the “Batman Utility Belt”. Officers in the past decade have taken to wearing a leather harness-style suspender system to take the weight of the belt off the officer’s hips. At first this seemed to be ridiculous and was just a fad that would never be accepted into the regulations. This has changed and now several police services have allowed the harness. Anyone who recalls the weight of the belt complete with side arm, asp (extendable baton), pepper spray, rubber glove pouch (or CPR pouch), handcuffs and the good old three cell Mag-Lite knows what hip joint pain feels like. Before I get too carried away with the gear in general I’ll get back to the handcuff pouch and where it is worn today.

When the officer is on foot patrol, or on a bicycle, wearing the pouch in the middle of the duty belt just below the small of the back works fairly well. It is out of the way of the rest of the gear and still easy to access, especially with the newer nylon pouch and Velcro closure. Now take that same officer and put him or her into the cruiser, or patrol car, and the location of the cuff pouch becomes a whole different matter. For those who have never experienced this less than pleasurable sensation take a carpenter’s tape measure, a twenty-five foot size is best for this experiment; clip it on your belt at the middle point of the waist at your back. It feels not too bad and I have worn one in that location on many a construction project in my distant past. Now jump in your car, truck or mini-van and drive to the corner store and back. Now you know how a handcuff pouch in that location feels to the police officer.

If you are stopped by an officer in a cruiser and you notice that the cuffs are at the side then you may have some room to plead your case for exceeding the speed limit. However if the case is worn in the small of the officer’s back simply apologize and tell him or her that you were wrong and were not paying attention to the speed limit posted. With luck maybe you get off with a warning, however, argue and...well...lets just say...DON”T ARGUE!

I’d like to hear for other officers, either current of former officers, on wearing your gear and your experiences.

Regards

Brian

Brian,

A old thread which has just been re-activated, hence my seeing it for the first time. I know nothing of handcuffs but I can tell you that the Constable in your photo is a member of the Dorset Constabulary. Indeed, that is the wording on his helmet plate.

Dave.

[Brian Wolfe]

Hi Dave,

Good eyes, I can see it now but even so only because you could read it, so I'm using some imagination along with my old eyes.

Thanks very much for the additional information, I will be sure to record it for other near-sighted collectors of the future.

Regards

Brian

[Dave Wilkinson]

Hi Dave,

Good eyes, I can see it now but even so only because you could read it, so I'm using some imagination along with my old eyes.

Thanks very much for the additional information, I will be sure to record it for other near-sighted collectors of the future.

Regards

Brian

Brian,

Not quite. I have the helmet plate , but the telling factor is the helmet itself. It's rather unusual top was unique to the Dorset Constabulary. So, my eyes are probably no better than your's. I'm glad to be able to ID it for you.

Regards, Dave.

[Asil76]

Hi There, I came across this post and was hoping you would be able to help me with further information.  My father has been having a bit of a sort through and came across these Hiatt Handcuffs and I was wondering how old they are? The diameter of the handcuffs seems very small (7cm) so wondered if they were for women or children? As you can tell I really don't know much about them and my father doesn't know much other than they were given to him in his teens by a family friend.

[Brian Wolfe]

Not sure of the age perhaps another member can assist you. Cenrtainly there were cuff made to fit women and children, a very nice specimen. If I can find out more this weekend at a show I am attend.ing I will post what I find out.

Regards

Brian

[Stuka f]

Here is my contribution.

 

[Asil76]

That's great Brian Thank you I really look forward to hearing from you, there are really interesting and really small (Well I think they are small).  So any information would be most gratefully received.

[cuffs]

On ‎2017‎-‎02‎-‎01 at 10:29, Asil76 said:

Hi There, I came across this post and was hoping you would be able to help me with further information.  My father has been having a bit of a sort through and came across these Hiatt Handcuffs and I was wondering how old they are? The diameter of the handcuffs seems very small (7cm) so wondered if they were for women or children? As you can tell I really don't know much about them and my father doesn't know much other than they were given to him in his teens by a family friend.

A Bit late on the response but you have a mid to late 1860-1900 Hiatt Backstrap Darby Handcuff Darby Handcuffs come in a couple sizes and you might think they are small for kids but most people back then had small wrists.. . This is a great cuff and one of my Favorite

[Asil76]

Thank you for your post, I’m so sorry it’s been an age coming on here. This information is fantastic thank you so much for posting :)