Handcuffs
Handcuffs are restraints designed to secure an individual's wrists close together.
Sizes
They typically feature a ratchet-action to facilitate quick application and to adjust for various wrist sizes. Oversized handcuffs are available from a number of manufacturers, as are juvenile-sized restraints, though none of the latter in current production are approved for use by the U.S. National Institute of Justice.
Styles
There are metal handcuffs, in carbon steel, stainless steel, and aluminum, polymer handcuffs, and lightweight plastic disposable cuffs called PlastiCuffs.
There are two distinct subtypes of contemporary metal handcuffs - one in which the cuffs are held together by a short chain (most commonly consisting of two or three links), while the other, of more recent origin, uses a hinge for this purpose. Since the hinged handcuffs are somewhat smaller when fully extended they are seen as being more easily utilized by an officer who has relatively small hands, and are also regarded by some observers as more secure because the wrists end up being held closer together than with the chain subtype, and are also bound more rigidly. A third type, the rigid handcuff, has a metal block or bar between the cuffs. Whilst bulkier to carry it permits several variations in cuffing and, with one hand cuffed, can be used in control and restraint techniques. Various accessories are available to improve the security or increase the rigidity of handcuffs, including boxes that fit over the chain or hinge and can themselves be locked with a padlock.
Sometimes two pairs of handcuffs are needed to restrain a person with an exceptionally large waistline because the hands cannot be brought in sufficient proximity to each other; in this scenario, one cuff on one pair of handcuffs is handcuffed to one of the cuffs on the other pair, and then the remaining open handcuff on each pair is applied to the person's wrists.
- Handcuff styles
"Darbies"
Smith & Wesson
Note: as with all bondage activities, care must be taken. All the dangers associated with physical restraint apply to the use of handcuffs or other restraints. No-one should ever be left alone when restrained. Handcuffs are not suitable for suspension bondage. You are responsible for your own and your partner's health. See also safe, sane, and consensual.
Furry handcuffs
Cheap handcuffs can be bought with the cuffs covered in fur. This may make them more comfortable and enhance their visual appeal. However, they are not intended for serious bondage.
Advantages
- Easy to apply.
- If correctly adjusted, handcuffs are almost impossible to escape from.
- Handcuffs can be easily adjusted to the individual captive's wrist size and desired tightness (much more so than leather bondage cuffs).
- Handcuffs can be double locked to prevent them from overtightening on the captive's wrist (unintended over-tightening of bondage is a common problem with many types of bondage).
- Handcuffs have a particular aura about them, the look and feel of them, the sound as they are locked in place which for many has huge erotic significance.
- For people that have difficulty bringing their wrists together behind their back, handcuffs provide an alternative solution to the problem of securing the hands behind the back.
Disadvantages
- Handcuffs are expensive compared to rope or other bondage devices.
- While cheap novelty handcuffs can be bought almost anywhere, proper police handcuffs (the only type that should be used) are much more difficult to buy except on-line. This makes try before buying almost impossible.
- Handcuffs have the potential to cause nerve damage if the victim lies on them or (even more dangerous) hangs from them.
- If you lose the key while playing with them, a very embarrassing call to the fire brigade or police is the only way you are likely to get them off.
Police use
British police forces currently use rigid Hiatt Speedcuffs as standard issue.
Since the hinge-type handcuffs are somewhat smaller than chain-linked cuffs when fully extended, they are seen as being more easily utilised by an officer who has relatively small hands, and are also regarded by some observers as more secure because the wrists end up being held closer together than with the chain subtype, and are also bound more rigidly.
In former times, police officers typically handcuffed arrested persons with their hands in front of them, but since approximately the mid-1960s behind-the-back handcuffing has been the standard. In addition, suspects are handcuffed with the keyholes facing up (away from the hands) to make it difficult to open them even with a key or improvised lockpicking.
On occasions when a suspect exhibits extremely aggressive behaviour, leg irons may be used as well; sometimes the chain connecting the leg irons to one another is looped around the chain of the handcuffs, and then the leg irons are applied, resulting in the person being Hogcuffed. In a few rare cases, hogtied persons lying on their stomachs have died from postural asphyxia, making the practice highly controversial, and leading to its being severely restricted, or even completely banned, in many localities.
History
In former times, police officers typically handcuffed arrested persons with their hands in front of them, but since approximately the mid-1960s behind-the-back handcuffing has been the standard. The vast majority of police academies in the United States today also teach their recruits to apply handcuffs so that the palms of the suspect's hands face outward after the handcuffs are applied; the Jacksonville, FL Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office are notable exceptions, as they favor palms-together handcuffing. In addition, suspects are handcuffed with the keyholes facing up (away from the hands) to make it difficult to open them even with a key or improvised lockpick.
Leg irons
On occasions when a suspect exhibits extremely aggressive behavior, leg irons may be used as well; sometimes the chain connecting the leg irons to one another is looped around the chain of the handcuffs, and then the leg irons are applied, resulting in the person being "hog-tied." In a few rare cases, hog-tied persons lying on their stomachs have died from positional asphyxia making the practice highly controversial, and leading to its being severely restricted, or even completely banned, in many localities.
Keys
Most modern handcuffs in Canada, the US and the UK can be opened with the same standard universal handcuff key. This allows for easier transport of prisoners and keeps you out of trouble if you lose your keys. However, there are handcuff makers who use keys based on different standards. Maximum security handcuffs require special keys. Handcuff keys do not generally work with thumbcuffs. Recently, a number of padlocks have been marketed which use this same standard key.
Escaping
There are ways of escaping from handcuffs:
- squeezing your hands out
- lock picking
- releasing the pawl with a shim
The above methods are often used in escapology.
It is also technically possible to break free from handcuffs by applying massive amounts of force from one's arms to cause the device to split open or loosen enough to squeeze one's hands through, however this takes exceptional strength (especially with handcuffs made of steel). This also puts an immense amount of pressure on the biceps and triceps muscles, and when tried by suspects (even unsuccessfully) can lead to injury, including bruising around the wrists, or tearing the muscles used (including dislocating them off of the bone itself). The reality of this method of escape is fairly slim, usually only reserved for comic books and Hollywood films, but it is not unheard of. For example, someone possessing an incredible amount of strength such as a professional bodybuilder might be able to, or someone who was highly upset or angry and thus naturally pumped full of large amount of epinephrine (adrenaline), or somone who might be on a stimulating drug such as methamphetamine (which would also negate or lessen the amount of pain felt from the action, and provide nearly unlimited energy), could potentially break through handcuffs. Exceptions exist, of course. Sometimes the handcuffs are made shoddily on the production line due to manufacture defect, or another abnormal circumstance arises that allows the person being detained to eventually work their way out of handcuffs.
Another common method of escaping (or attempting to escape) from handcuffs is that one would, from a sitting or lying position, bring one's legs up as high upon one's torso as possible, then push one's arms down to bring the handcuffs below one's feet, finally pulling the handcuffs up using one's arms to the front of one's body. This can lead to awkward or painful positions depending on how the handcuffs were applied, and typically requires a good amount of flexibility. From this position, one has a better chance of attempting to use a tool (such as a shim or lockpick) to work one's way out of the handcuffs.
Double locks
Handcuffs with double locks have a lockspring which, when engaged, usually using the top of the key, stops the cuff from ratcheting tighter to prevent the subject from tightening them, possibly causing injury. Double locks also make picking the locks more difficult.
Miscellaneous
In Japan, if someone is photographed or filmed while handcuffed their hands have to be pixelated if it's used on Television or in the newspapers. This is because someone who had been arrested brought a successful case to court arguing that being pictured in handcuffs implied guilt, and had prejudiced the trial.
Police handcuffs are sometimes used in sexual bondage and BDSM activities. This is potentially unsafe, because they were not designed for this purpose, and their use can result in nerve or other tissue damage; bondage cuffs are better designed specifically for this application.
Escaping from handcuffs is a common stunt performed by magicians, perhaps most famously Harry Houdini.
Plastic handcuffs, often known as FlexiCuffs and in the form of lightweight disposable plastic strips, are common in some countries.
Plasticuffs
Plastic restraints, known as PlastiCuffs, or FlexiCuffs, flex-cuffs, tri-fold cuffs, or zip-strips, are lightweight, disposable plastic strips resembling electrical cable ties. They can be carried in large quantities by soldiers and police and are therefore well-suited for situations where many may be needed, such as during large-scale protests. In recent years, airlines began to carry plastic handcuffs as a way to restrain disruptive passengers. Disposable restraints are considered by many to be highly cost-inefficient; they cannot be loosened, and must be cut off to permit a restrained subject to be fingerprinted, or to attend to bodily functions. It is not unheard of for a single subject to receive five or more sets of disposable restraints in their first few hours in custody. Recent products have been introduced that serve to address this concern, including disposable plastic restraints that can be opened or loosened with a key; more expensive than conventional plastic restraints, they can only be used a very limited number of times, and are not as strong as conventional disposable restraints, let alone modern metal handcuffs. In addition, plastic restraints are believed by many to be more likely to inflict nerve or soft-tissue damage to the wearer than metal handcuffs.
Trivia
- In Spanish, the word for handcuff, "esposa," is also the word for wife. On a similar note, "ball and chain" is British English slang for a wife.
External links
- Atame's Collection of historical and modern Police-Restraints
- Cuffman's collection
- Handcuff Warehouse - a source of handcuffs
- Handcuffs.org - A Collector's Guide to Vintage Handcuffs
- The Lars Holst Restraint Collection
- National Defenders collection of Handcuffs, Thumbcuffs, and Legcuffs
- Ron's Handcuffs Collection
- Stan Willis' Guinness World Record Handcuff Collection
See also [ Handcuff safety ]
A Personal Note from Robin
I graduated from Gold Gate Locksmithing Academy in Oakland, California. With my standing in the BDSM community, I was the to go to guy when someone lost a key, broke a lock or, well you get the idea. It is funny that most of my locksmithing calls were after midnight.
When I was asked how much I charge for making a house call, I would jokingly say, "It's easy, if my key opens the lock, I own the contents."
It is at this point, that they would turn from 'embarrassed pink' to 'ashen white'.
Chat rooms • What links here • Copyright info • Contact information • Category:Root