Peerless Handcuffs with S&W

dltvette · #1 01-09-2019, 02:11 PM

For several years I have been interested in the relationship of Smith & Wesson and their manufacturing handcuffs for the Peerless Handcuff Company. This relationship started in 1914 and lasted until November 1940.
For anyone who would like to participate, I would like to see photos of Peerless handcuffs you have with serial numbers below 123309 and of course, those real early ones without serial numbers. For serial numbers between 31000 through 123308 I might have some interesting information for you.
I will begin with serial number 31861. This pair was part of the March 1924 contract between S&W and Peerless. According to a statement of dates and quantities of handcuffs delivered by S&W to Peerless, this pair with serial number 31861, was manufactured & delivered between June 30 and July 31, 1924.
Dave
P.S.
I should have added, that according to Chis Gill at Peerless, these handcuffs with serial number 31861, were sold and delivered to Wm. A. Gerber Co. on July 14, 1924.

Chubbo · #2 01-09-2019, 02:45 PM

I read this thread, and remembered a box that I have. I rooted around in my "stuff", and found it. it's a new unused Peerless handcuff box. It's labeled, on the end of the box, Nickel - ONE PAIR - PEERLESS HANDCUFFS - serial # 1008724. On the lid of the box, PEERLESS - the "trade mark" - ESTABLISHED 1914. Would this box be of interest to you? I am sure that it would be to the owner of serial # 1008724. I have no recollection of how, when, or where I obtained this box.
Chubbo

scha · #3 01-09-2019, 02:58 PM

I have several early Smith & Wesson Handcuffs. One is a single link prior to the use of serial numbers. Another is serial 2500 from approximately 1918-1920 and another is serial number 16780. Serial 2500 uses the original double lock being activated by rotating the key. Serial 16780 has been updated to the "push pin" in the side of the lock case to activate the double lock. Peerless has records of handcuffs made after serial 31000 in 1924. As you may know when Smith & Wesson was first contracted to make handcuffs they didn't have all the tooling needed to work with flat steel and Barney and Berry Skate Manufacturers made the first cuffs. Smith & wesson made Peerless handcuffs until 1940. Then, Bemis & Call Hardware and Tool Company of Springfield made Peerless cuffs until 1950. After 1950 Peerless had their own factory. Note - this information comes from the book, American Police Equipment by Matthew G Forte. Hope this helps. Steve

dltvette · #4 01-09-2019, 03:07 PM

Chubby,
Thanks for the offer of the box, but that serial number is higher than any Peerless handcuffs I collect. The highest number I have in my collection is in the 800,000 range, but I have curtailed my collecting to serial numbers 123308 and below.
Thank You,
Dave

dltvette · #5 01-09-2019, 04:58 PM

scha,
I have several pairs of the early ones prior to serial numbers,
Patent Model with curved lock case, MFG. BY SMITH & WESSON stamped on the front (keyway side) of the cheeks, single link & lacks a pawl ditch (groove in the jaw, moveable arm)
Model 1 Version 1 with the MFG. BY SMITH & WESSON now moved to the rear side of the cheeks, the lock case now has a flat side where the jaw engages the lock case, a single link, and now the jaw has a pawl ditch
(groove in the jaw, moveable arm).
Model 1 Version 2 like the Model 1 Version 1 has MFG. BY SMITH & WESSON stamped on the rear side of the cheeks. This version is the first to have a Peerless logo being the early one prior to being registered, with TRADE on top & MARK below the rotating arm symbol. This is also constructed with a single link.
I'm not convinced Barney & Berry Skate Manufactures, manufactured the early handcuffs. So far, I have not found any concrete evidence of this being the case. With Smith & Wesson so involved in protecting in courts, their Rollin White bored through cylinder patents and all their other patents, having someone else manufacture the early handcuffs clearly marked MFG. BY SMITH & WESSON seems unlikely to me, although a sub-contract is possible. Just my thoughts, not worth a debate.
The Model 1 Version 3 was the first to have the cuffs connected by a
2-link chain. Still double-locked by rotating the key. The stamping MFG. BY SMITH & WESSON has now been removed.
The Model 1 Version 6 was the first to have factory stamped serial numbers. The marking on the front side of the cheek, THE PEERLESS HANDCUFF CO. SPRINGFIELD MASS. (note no comma after SPRINGFIELD).
The Model 1 Version 7 is the same as version 6, except there is now a comma between SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Your serial number 2500 seems to fall under this version if I read the stampings correctly.
Dave
Pictured here:
A Patent Model found in the S&W factory
A Model 1 Version 1
A Model 1 Version 2 with early Peerless Logo, found in S&W factory.

scha · #6 01-09-2019, 05:38 PM

Dave, Thanks for the additional details about S&W cuffs. Yes, serial 2500 does have a comma in the address and my single link cuff has no Peerless logo. I recently bought a single link Patent Model on Ebay. It is very rusty but I wanted an example of the first type of cuff marked Smith & Wesson. I don't have it yet and am not sure how much of the rust might come off with careful cleaning. I have been interested in S&W cuffs for many years and have only seen one other Patent Model with the rounded lock case.

Regarding the Barney and Berry Skate involvement in early S&W cuffs, this seems to be a theory mentioned on the Handcuff Forum, and some have suggested they were a sub-contractor. It would be interesting to learn that the early cuffs marked "Mfg by Smith & Wesson" were actually made by a subcontractor and once S&W began their own production this marking was deleted. Again, thanks for the details about early S&W Handcuffs. Steve

dltvette · #7 01-09-2019, 06:03 PM

Steve,
Your cuffs with serial number 16780 are a Model 2 Version 1.
The Barney & Berry Skate theory was discussed on the Handcuff Forum, but the Gill brothers of Peerless Handcuff Company or Roy Jinks of Smith & Wesson did not have any documents/concrete evidence of their involvement.
Please post your Patent Model cuffs here on this thread when you get them. I have 3 Patent Model sets including the ones that I received from Roy Jinks that he found in the S&W factory.
Dave

JayCeeNC · #8 01-09-2019, 11:17 PM

Dave, I had a pair of Peerless I sold about 3 years ago. Unfortunately, I have no pics of them.

I contacted Peerless and they gave me history information:

"Serial Number 49649 Manufacture Date: 7/2/1926
Sold to: Emmons Hawkins Co.
No city recorded but an internet search shows that they were from Huntington, WV
Sincerely,
Chris Gill, Peerless Handcuff Company"

dltvette · #9 01-10-2019, 12:07 AM

John,
According to your stated serial number of 49649, these were part of the Model 2 Version 4 Peerless Handcuffs.
They were part of the August 1925 contract/order.
According to a S&W in-house memo dated Sept. 4, 1925 to D.B. Wesson from Mr. Pomeroy, Supt., telling D.B. Wesson that today he had ordered into works this Peerless Handcuff order.
The Schedule Of Delivery form would have put your handcuffs delivered to Peerless on March 1, 1926.
So according to your information from Chris Gill, being sold & shipped on July 2, 1926, they only sit on the shelf for 4 months.
Thanks for joining this exercise,
Dave

opoefc · #10 01-10-2019, 02:41 PM

S&W Handcuff trivia: Some years ago, I had a discussion with Roy Jinks regarding the numbers stamped on S&W Handcuffs, as to whether they were serial numbers, or not. Roy told me that in his opinion they're not serial numbers, as his criteria for numbers stamped on items was whether or not they were assembly/work numbers, as seen on firearms, or if not, then were the numbers recorded anywhere in the shipping records, or not. If not, then the numbers were not serial numbers. So, if the numbers on S&W handcuffs are not serial numbers, what are they? Perhaps inventory numbers? Not likely that they are assembly/work numbers, unless they were used to keep track of piece rate payments to workers for their production, but would have worked to keep track of quantity produced under contracts/agreements between S&W & Peerless. I see from the above postings that Peerless considered them to be serial numbers and kept track of their shipments to dealers, using the numbers. Apparently collectors consider the numbers to be serial numbers, however you can get a factory letter on S&W items, based on their serial number, but you can't do that with handcuffs. Ed.

dltvette · #11 01-10-2019, 04:41 PM

Ed,
Peerless did keep records of serial numbers. When they contracted with S&W to manufacture handcuffs, their contract or work order stated the number of handcuffs requested & usually stated what serial number they wanted that order to start with. They did keep records & Chris Gill sent me a couple of scans of the National Order Register book on a pair of handcuffs I had requested information on (2 photos attached). These were manufactured after S&W stopped manufacturing and sent to Sharp-Horsey Hardware on Feb. 10, 1941.
As you know & have seen, I have a large quantity of Smith & Wesson handcuffs. I'm not saying that duplicate numbers do not exist, but I do not have any duplicate numbers, serial, inventory, assembly or whatever they are called in my collection. Maybe someday I will run across a duplicate.
Just for clarification and I may be alone in this, but I do have two factory letters on S&W handcuffs that I acquired from Roy Jinks.
I want to thank you again for the contribution you have made to my collection over the years, both Peerless & Smith & Wesson.
Dave

scha · #12 01-11-2019, 12:50 PM

Here are the photos of the Patent Model Peerless Handcuff as made by Smith & Wesson. These came in today's mail and I need to soak them and see how much of the rust can be removed without damage.

For anyone interested in Peerless/S&W Handcuffs I strongly recommend the Kindle Book "Early Peerless Handcuff Company with Smith & Wesson" . Dave did an excellent job in research and documentation of this topic.

dltvette · #13 01-12-2019, 03:01 PM

An interesting letter I acquired several years ago on the Peerless Handcuff Co. letterhead, dated November 25th 1924, sent to S&W Attention: Mr. Frank H. Wesson, requesting one thousand, (1000) pair of handcuffs in blued finish and signed by James Milton Gill, President (founder of the Peerless Handcuff Co.). On the left side of the letter hand written in pencil, are the numbers, 41001 to 42001, serial number range for this request.
After I acquired this letter, I found serial number 41831, blue finish. Later, after viewing the documents Roy sent me, the delivery dates by serial numbers for the March 1924 contract, show that these handcuffs with serial number 41831 was one of 1,452 handcuffs manufactured and delivered to Peerless between Dec. 15, 1924 & Jan. 10, 1925.
This is what makes collecting fun, when you can connect all the dots.
Dave
P.S.
I forgot to add that when I sent an inquiry to Peerless about who these were sold to, Chris Gill responded, that they were sold to C. D. Reese (could be C. L. Reese), on June 15, 1925.
Appears these sat on the shelf for a year and a half.

JayCeeNC · #14 01-12-2019, 05:18 PM

Dave, thanks for posting the letter--now I know where the Peerless logo came from!

Muss Muggins · #15 01-12-2019, 05:32 PM

I’ve got these. Aluminum construction, no mention of Peerless. Serial Number 030030 . . .

Muss Muggins · #16 01-12-2019, 05:36 PM

And I’ve got these. Steel, again no mention of Peerless. Serial Number 796874

dltvette · #17 01-12-2019, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayCeeNC

Dave, thanks for posting the letter--now I know where the Peerless logo came from!

John,
The Peerless Model 1 Version 2 (last with a single chain link connecting the two cuffs) was the first to have a Peerless logo and was the early logo before it was registered. I have several letters from 1924 to 1928 that have this logo on the letterhead.
The Model 1 Version 3 was the first to have two chain links connecting the two cuffs, and this version did not have a Peerless logo stamped on them.
The model 1 Version 4 was the first to have the Peerless logo with the word REGISTERED. This logo was used on all subsequent handcuffs.
Shown here are the two style logos.
Dave

dltvette · #18 01-12-2019, 06:29 PM

Muss Muggins,
Both of your handcuffs are Smith & Wesson handcuffs that S&W started manufacturing in 1952 after severing their relationship with the Peerless Handcuff Co. in November of 1940.

Quote: "I’ve got these. Aluminum construction, no mention of Peerless. Serial Number 030030 . . ."
These are Smith & Wesson Model 925 Airweight Aluminum Nickel Finish. They were introduced in 1958.

Quote "And I’ve got these. Steel, again no mention of Peerless. Serial Number 796874"
These are S&W Model 90 introduced in 1952 and continued to 1979. Yours were manufactured after 1958.
Dave

torizus · #19 02-11-2019, 10:05 AM

I have over a dozen or so sets of cuffs,mostly S&W,Peerless and Colt.
After seeing this post,I checked a few and am interested in finding out about how old this one set is, marked M-100, ser#060156, made in Houlton ME.
Any help is appreciated.
The other pics are of NIB never issued sets.