Providence Tool Company Darby Shackles

 

Yet again, I have found an item that I absolutely need for my collection, but it doesn't have a key! 

Frustrating.

This is a pair of Providence Tool Company Darby shackles with an extra long chain. I bought this on eBay for $69.99 plus $22.45 shipping.

I hope that "Providence" will somehow lead to my being in these Darby shackles soon. (And, hopefully, eventually, being able to get out again without having to get destructive.) 

It gets here tomorrow! 

So every time I buy one of these keyless Darby cuffs, or any antique, neglected item, I tell myself it's money already wasted, I probably won't be able to make or find a key, or if there is one, maybe it's stripped out or something. 

Yet this is the second set of keyless Darby leg irons that I have bought and been able to wear them the same day they arrived. (And no, I am not still stuck in them).

This set of Darby shackles has an inordinately long chain. It seems two normal leg iron chains were linked together to make this. It goes: cuff, O-ring, 8 twist links, swivel, 8 twist links, O ring, O ring, 8 twist links, swivel, 8 twist links, cuff. So THIRTY TWO chain links, FOUR O-rings, and TWO swivels.  The large O-ring is removable but it appears period and the patina matches. 

Look at that HINGE! THAT'S how you make a hinge, folks. 

First I cleaned these up with some cleaning polish, non abrasive. The plating is almost gone on one cuff and about halfway gone on the other. The chain is the same; half of it has some plating left while the other half has almost none. The plating on the Providence Tool Company Darby Shackles I've seen appears to have flaked off rather than worn off in many places. It's much thicker than a typical nickel plating, almost like a sort of metal paint. 

Difficult to read but it definitely says PROV TOOL. Look at that hinge pin! 

These were made in 1860-1870, at which point the company moved to firearms production. They closed down in 1883 due in part to a default on payment from the Turkish government. 

These are antiques, and most have seen HEAVY use in the Civil War era and beyond. Many are missing keys or come with a replacement pull type key. The newest example, if Providence Tool Co HAD made a pair on the LAST day of business, would be 143 years old. There are examples of these cuffs in museums. 

I lubricated the lock tube with oil and was able to open these cuffs by using a hard plastic tube with the correct Inner Diameter. Although these cuffs are secure when locked, and can't be rapped open, the springs aren't as stiff as most Hiatts, either. I can get the tube to screw onto the threaded post almost as readily as if it were a key, and it grips plenty well to pull the locking bolt back and open the cuff. Initially I used a wire puller cable grip, which worked too well and didn't want to let go of the threaded post. 

You can see the "key" or "pick" in the left cuff.

I felt a certain thrill, being locked in shackles well over a hundred years old. Especially as I knew these probably hadn't been worn or even opened in several decades, until now. Until me. Especially as I have no idea where on earth the key is. There might as well not even be a key, for all the good the key does me. 

The "key" 🗝️. How many times will it open the cuffs before it doesn't? Luckily it's double ended. While this works really well, in all fairness I don't think this type of plastic tubing existed when these restraints were made. 

The chain is 36 and 1/2" long. Maybe this was meant to be a transport restraint. Darby Handcuffs fit through the 3" O ring. It does stoop the prisoner over quite a lot, but people were shorter back then too. 

It could also have been a chain gang set up, with a long central chain running through these O rings and one shackle for each prisoner. This is actually my theory here. 

It also works well as a sort of very relaxed hogcuff when used with handcuffs behind the back. 

I'm very happy with these. I don't even mind that they don't have a key because I am able to open and lock them.