Rare Restraints
By Mikeintightpants
On occasions I’ve been very fortunate to handle and to wear some of the rarest restraints around and thought I’d share a few pics with you. Replicas of these restraints exist but the ones shown here are all the real things and I consider myself very fortunate to have been allowed to wear them – and of course some might say I’m even more fortunate to have been released from them!
McKenzie Mitts – a device that covers the hands and wrists, leaving only the fingers exposed, it also chains the hands together and is attached to a bellychain that locks round the waist. Were used for prisoner transportation.
Oregon Boot (also known as the Gardner Shackle) – a very heavy metal shackle that locks round one ankle and is supported by a metal brace that fits under the heel of the prisoner’s boot. Was used for prisoner transportation and also for punishment in some prisons.
Guiteau handcuffs – reckoned to be the rarest handcuffs, only 4 pairs known to exist. This model of cuffs was rumoured to have been used on Charles Guiteau the convicted assassin of President James Garfield (hence their name) but this has not been proved.
Incidentally none of these items are in my own collection, but they are all on my wish-list … dream on, Mike!!
Metal would like to thank Mikeintightpants for the information and pictures above
Ah yes, I’ve been in a pair of McKenzie Mitts… they are quite confining.
Still waiting to try on an Oregon Boot though.
There’s some terrific gear there as well as that iconic bulge,it leaves no doubt where your nick-name came from mate!
Thanks for the comments guys.
Chuck, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll never get to wear a pair of original Guiteau cuffs, mainly because there are only the 4 known pairs that survive, but not only that, the locking mechanism is very intricate and needs to be operated with great care.
The pair that I’m wearing in the pic is owned by a fellow cuff collector here in England and even he hasn’t tried them on – I’m the only person to have done so since they came into his collection. There are of course some repros that have been made, but there’s nothing like the real thing and I consider myself very fortunate to have worn them.
Incidentally, the mitts and the boot are also owned by my same buddy.