Just a quick look at this pair of HIATT darby handcuffs, which are likely from the very very early 1900s, given the font, shape of shackle and the clevis bulge. But they have been absolutely tortured and butchered by someone trying to make them work, because the bolts had been stripped of threading. It's a shame, because it is a nice pair of Darby handcuffs otherwise!
@CoxysPicks got them cheap and was able to restore them to function (Video here: • HIATT Darby - From Broken to functional ) and turned them into a gimmicked pair for me (they pull open without needing a key), since with that level of butchering done to them in a former life, they are not really a collectors item any longer. He did a great job at getting them working again. Though because of the damage previously done to the end plug on one side, it kept trying to come back out. So I have twice applied some JB Weld MarineWeld, to try and help keep the plug in. It has not totally come out, but it doesn't like to stay perfectly in either. Hopefully this last application will do a better job at keeping the plug on one side properly installed.
This pair does not have WARRANTED WROUGHT on and neither is it a HIATT BEST, so I am wondering if perhaps these were not used by primary police, but by some other person like perhaps security, or something? Still, if you ignore the damaged plugs, they are a rather nice looking old Darby handcuff!
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