Name/Title
Hiatt "Superintendent" model Darby Handcuffs c1950Entry/Object ID
272Description
A pair of Darby style chrome plated handcuffs, stamped "Hiatt Best" on both cuffs and "British Made 833" on one. No keyUse
To restrain prisoners. This type was in use across Sussex from at least the mid 19th century until the 1960s.Context
These type of fixed handcuffs are known as "Darbies" or "D" cuffs. "Darbies" is a 17th century word used to refer to all types of hand/wrist restraints and "D" refers to the shape of this style. This type, which were made by various makers, do not have a lock in the strictest sense as they have a simple bolt which is released by screwing in the "key". This simple robust design probably explains why these type of handcuffs were in use for over 100 years.
This particular pair are the Hiatt "Superintendent" model, which was a more lightweight version than there company's standard Darbies. They were probably made after 1945, as after World War Two, Hiatt introduced a much less cumbersome swivel design, which they have. Also earlier handcuffs tend to be either nickel plated or polished steel, and these are chrome plated. The number "833" could be either an officer's number or an asset number. At this time handcuffs were not always personal issue. The provenance suggests they were used by one of the Sussex police forces.
Hiatt were a Birmingham based company that made restraints from at least 1780, and whilst best known for handcuffs, they manufactured other police equipment throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The company ceased UK production in 2008 following increased scrutiny over some of its products and their use abroad.