Hi All:

I have a question about the type of finish that were on British darby style handcuffs when they left the factory in the mid-1800's;namely, just what finish if any did they have?

I'm uhhhhh "reviewing" a collection of items from the American Civil War period, and one of the items is a set of Froggatt handcuffs. They have a very deep blue, approaching black finish. The stampings are pristine, very sharp and clear. Even the file and hammer marks are clean. Oddest of all, you can actually hear the springs squeek when you open and close the mechanisms with the key.

Virtually all the items in this collection, mostly firearms, are in what could be deemed "mint"condition. While not as finely finished as the firearms, these cuffs exhibit the same type of blued finish as do the firearms.

I recall a while back a posting about some sort of convict fellow in some prison in England around 1900 or so who was in charge of the restraints. One of his duties was to gather together the various items and swing them about and around in a bag of sand, supposedly to keep them all bright and shiny.

My question is, before those sorts got their mitts on the cuffs, just what did the look like when they left the factory? Were they given a heat-treated oil-based blued finish as were firearms, or a polished steel finish as were sabers?

Thanks,

Franklin

Franklin

It is my impression that they used a wide variety of finishes. Some were rough, some were polished, some were plated and a few even seem to have been painted. I certainly have representations of all of these in my collection.

Of course after more than a 100 years it is very hard to figure out what was original and what came later

Joe

Thanks Joe. I kinda figured that was the case. I've just never seen a set of darbys in such great condition. What really blew me away was hearing the springs sqweeking in the lock tube.

Franklin