Name/Title
Takeda model M-52 handcuffs c1980Entry/Object ID
276Description
A pair of chrome plated pressed metal handcuffs with double locking lever, marked one side of the swinging arm "Made in Japan" and on the other adjacent to the lever "Stop".Use
Civilian use handcuffsContext
These type of handcuffs were made by the company Takeda and are their M-52 model made in Japan, which are identical to their Taiwanese made 660 model (see item 274) (Nichols 2002 page 205). They were commonly sold in joke and souvenir shops worldwide. Though strong, they are cheaply made and not robust enough for professional use. They most likely ended up in Sussex Police stores after having been confiscated or surrendered, and were wrongly thought to have been items of police equipment. They probably date to the 1980s.