Feb. 20 is National Handcuff Day.
Beginning in 2010, February 2oth of each year, is known as, National Handcuff Day.
It is on this date, February 20, 1912, that the US Patent Office issued patent number 1,017,955 to George A. Carney of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts for his invention of a “swinging bow, ratchet-type” adjustable handcuff that has been the pattern for most modern handcuffs since this patent had been filed.
James Milton Gill, the Police Commissioner of Springfield, Massachusetts, purchased this patent from George A. Carney, and on June 22, 1914, he formed and incorporated the Peerless Handcuff Company of Springfield, Massachusetts.
James M. Gill, not having manufacturing experience, enlisted the help of his friend Joseph H. Wesson, one of the partners in the Smith & Wesson firearms company, to help him with the task of manufacturing his newly acquired patent. The lock mechanism of the Carney patent was not sufficient for restraining purposes, so Joseph Wesson designed an “Improved Lock” mechanism to be used in the Carney swing through patent handcuff. This patent was filed on October 6, 1914, and on November 23, 1915, patent number 1,161,562 was granted to Joseph H. Wesson and assigned to James M. Gill.
The first handcuffs offered by The Peerless Handcuff Company, manufactured by Smith & Wesson with the patent date Feb. 20, 1912 using Carney’s patent and Wesson’s improved lock patent was manufactured in 1914-15.
These are known to collectors as the Patent Model.
The example shown here, I acquired from the Roy Jinks collection, that he rescued from the Smith & Wesson Factory. These evidently were never shipped to the Peerless Handcuff Company and could very well be the prototype example. They were manufactured having two right hand cuffs connected by one large chain link. The front, keyway side was stamped, MFGD BY SMITH & WESSON PAT. FEB. 20.1912 and the rear side was stamped, THE PEERLESS HANDCUFF CO. SPRINGFIELD MASS.
Also shown is George Carney’s patent no. 1,017,955 drawing and Joseph Wesson’s patent no. 1,161,562 drawing of the improved lock mechanism used to manufacture this new handcuff design.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and celebrating the National Handcuff Day, on February 20, 2018.
Dave

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Great information and photos. In uniform I always carried either Peerless or S&W handcuffs, and still have some of both. I also have a set of Hiatts lightweight cuffs, made in England. These are the ones I carry as they are significantly lighter than most US cuffs.

Very Informative, thanks for posting, and thanks to George, James, and Joe for this utilitarian device.

Very interesting.

Congress does the ‘national day’ naming then counts it as a bill passed during that session.

Makes you think that maybe that Congress had too much time on its hands.

Fer gosh's sake don't tell my wife!!

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

My preference when I worked the road was always Peerless. I carried two pair on my duty belt and a third pair hanging on the spotlight handle. The trick after a big bust was to get your own cuffs back.

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Well in my 31 year career in law Enforcement I did come across a set of Colt handcuffs. Rampant colt stamp on one and Colt’s PT. FA. MFG. CO. HARTFORD CONN on the other. I’ve only seen two pair in that time span on a large police department and over twenty years federal service.

I have one of those pairs

Peerless here also. Had to memorize the serial number while in the academy, for the very reason you mentioned. Still have my 1979 issue set. I recently got a ship date from Peerless when a forum member posted that Peerless can provide the info with a website submission.

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Tony

Mid size gun show in Texas last weekend.
Table next to me had Randall and Deleon Blades.
In a glass case he had a boxed set of Colt Handcuffs....
tagged at $495.00

If new in box, that's probably about what they're going for: Colt Firearms Handcuffs w/ Box, 2 Keys & Paperwork | eBay

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SWHF #448

My first pair of cuffs




.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Nice photo arrangement there, Keith! Those hand cuffs look more like leg irons to me, not that I would know. A couple of curiosities: a 44/70 in the belt loop to go with the .44's?, what is that instrument of torture between the holster and the manacles?, and ... a mason to boot! My grand, great and great-great grandfathers were also. Me, a lowly stonemason

Not to mention horse-hair ? lariat, great holster rig, and beautiful 44 (presumably) target of some persuasion with stags.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

The key...inserted in other side of the pair.

Should come in handy on the 22nd. National margarita day.

My dads 44 and his cuffs.

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No gold. Only lead. Bobby

And my kids think I'm old.Shouldnt you have a old thumbbuster in that picture.LOL

I purchased a set of Pearless cuffs in ‘68 b/c handcuffs were not issued and used them for 30 years. A drop of oil now and then and I still have them.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I do my best to celebrate this holiday on a daily basis.

I was arresting this deadbeat doper on a felony warrant.....

He asked if I couldn't cuff him in front...

I told him, sorry I don't know you that well ! Gees


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I haven’t carried hand cuffs since the end of my days as a Military Policeman in 1976 but I’ve always carried my issued key. I guess more of a reminder of my military service than thinking I might need it someday....

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In NYPD they actually had our S&W handcuff serial numbers locked away somewhere. When we used to watch prisoners in the hospital or transport them a lot of times we would just exchange handcuffs with the next cop, leaving the original cuffs on the guy. Years later I was notified that my cuffs were caught running down the street in Brooklyn connected to some criminal. I worked in Harlem up in Manhattan. They were ready to give me the 3rd degree when I told them that what we do during prisoner exchanges. They tried to tell me cuffs were like guns and mace, serialized. I said, OK then I want my cuffs back. Never got the cuffs back.

Even though I retried in ‘97 I still carry my handcuff key too.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I had a pair of Colt cuffs that I bought new in a gun shop in Phenix City, Alabama in the '70s. I gave 'em to a friend.

Does anybody remember the Detective Romo cuffs? They were an inexpensive copy of the S&W/Peerless style. A fellow officer at my PD had a pair. I once saw a BOLO that came across the NCIC from a police department wanting to know that agency had a detective named Romo, as they had recovered a pair of cuffs that obviously belonged to Detective Romo, as they had his name engraved on them.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!