About Handcuffs

Handcuffs and shackles are basic, but commonly used law enforcement devices that are intended to restrain criminals. The basic design consists of two wrist bracelets that are connected together by a sturdy steel chain. Each bracelet opens up on one side, and then closes together with a ratchet lock so that the detainee can not open the cuff by pushing in the opposite direction. The ratchet has several teeth so that it can be closed tightly in different sizes, depending on how large the criminal's wrists are.

Early Cuffs
When handcuffs were first invented they were found to be extremely useful, but a major drawback they did have was that they were only produced in one size. People with large wrists were often difficult to cuff properly, and those with excessively thin wrists might be able to slip out of their shackles. Eventually this problem was fixed when the standard ratchet system was devised.

There was another problem with the earlier models. They all shared the same basic type of locking device, and criminals knew this fact. Forgers were able to create their own keys that would work on any pair of handcuffs, and lock pickers figured out how to easily open them even without a key. That problem was fixed in 1879 when the double lock style of cuff was created. This was an advanced technique that made the handcuffs and shackles nearly impossible to open without the proper key, and came with the added benefit of preventing the wearer from accidentally tightening the cuffs even more once they were in place.

Original Usage
For many decades law enforcement agencies were the only ones with access to handcuffs. They were most often used to secure a criminal's hands together behind their back. This puts the person off balance, and makes them very easy to spot in a crowd if they are able to run off. The cuffs were also utilized to hold two prisoners together, or to attach one person to a solid structure that they could not get away from.

Police officers still carry and use handcuffs regularly, but they also utilize a plastic based product that holds a criminals wrists together and works like a standard zip tie. This is another ratchet based item that can be tightened by pushing in one direction, but can not be pulled in the opposite way to open it back up. These restraints are generally used when there are multiple suspects who need to be contained and accounted for. The restraining ties are small, thin and can be carried in large numbers so they are useful when law enforcement officials are dealing with large crowds of unruly people.

Public Availability
Today anyone may purchase a pair of handcuffs of shackles. Proper usage of these devices is still only to constrain a criminal, but they are very useful to retail personnel who need to hold a shoplifter in place until the police arrive or a citizen who has managed to capture a predator who has assaulted them.