I went to the Allentown Gun Show today and picked these up. There are no manufacturer's marks. Anyone hazard a guess as to their age?

I can remember cops carrying them back in the 1960s. They called
them saps. If they layed one up along side your head it would save
the wear and tear on their gun barrel.

Kinda reminds me of a camel driver asking another one how to get
his camel started. He said pick up a couple of flat rocks, one in
each hand, put your hands up between his back legs, and smack
those rocks together. Don't that hurt asks the camel driver.
No, not if you keep your thumbs out of the way.

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In Omnia Paratus

Those saps are nice.I like them both. Ihope they sold for a good price.
Did you buy them both from the same dealer?
Again, nice find.

They look like late 60s - early 70s to me. We all carried those back in the old days. Best door knockers ever invented.

Those are in good shape, I don't see many and the ones I do see are frequently rough and well used. Most makers cataloged different models, I've long looked for Heiser or Myres marked saps or slappers but haven't found any. Thanks for posting these.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

They were a essential part of our duty gear, I started in 73. There were two styles, the cylindrical type as pictured in the OP, and the flat "slapper". I've worked with guy's who were artists with both. I was in motors for several years, and our duty pants had a special pocket incorporated in them that was made specifically for a flat sap.
Also had a pair of sap gloves, supple leather gloves with powered lead sewn into the portion of the glove that covered your knuckles. All of them were "tools of the trade" back in that era. Have a good friend who has been a road trooper for 25 years and he carries a flat sap every shift.
As to the age of the one's in the photo, I would say 60's / 70's.

I see there are quite a few available on the auction site under
"blackjacks".

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In Omnia Paratus

Late '60's, early 70's. The one on the right looks like mine except it's in better shape than mine.

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Sheriff Russell Cottle. ret

You don't need to beat someone on the head with a sap. My uncle (a detective at the time) took down a bad guy with a single blow to his upper arm. He went to his knees and threw up.

I was loaned one the size of the one on the right, but with the sliding sleeve like the left my first day on the job in 1979. It came from a former night marshal who had carried it during Prohibition. When I left for a different department a couple years later he took it back.

I never did get the hang of flipping it out of my coat sleeve the way he did it.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

Of course this is Hollywood and make believe....but in the 1980's series Miami Vice......an episode with Willie Nelson as an old Texas Ranger out to revenge the death of his partners son (an undercover cop) used a Black Jack to very good effect. I though it was well done by Willie.

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A Snider squibbed n the Jungle

I was a reserve officer on a department in 1970. I rode with one of the mid night officers who always rode alone. He had started in 1947 and had a PREWAR attitude about how people should act and be handled if they chose to act in ways other than the officer thought was proper. He carried a TEXAN flat sap in the front of his Sam Brown belt and the department wore gray shirts so all his shirts had a black stain from the sap rubbing on the shirt. He was good with sap and not shy about using it.

I carried a flat sap in my sap pocket for several years before they took them away from us. I preferred sap gloves. They had a little powdered lead in the knuckles and were great in tight spaces where you had to use your fists rather than a sap or nightstick. When someone was punched with sap gloves, the effects were often amazing. You could deliver a stronger blow without damage to your knuckles. Great in barroom fights. They took those about the same time they decided saps were too barbaric.

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Dave Frost

If I remember correctly those are Blackjacks, not saps. Blackjacks have a coil spring, that gives a whipping action when used. They are a nasty piece of gear, a head shot from one of those can be lethal.

Saps generally have a flat spring or metal insert.

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Always Stay Strong!

In my career I found the best type was a "Convoy" which was a round piece of lead mounted on a spring handle and the entire "Tool" was wrapped in leather. Nine inches long and weighed 16oz.