Buying Handcuffs? Tips for Choosing Top Quality
You might think that handcuffs are all the same. However, there are handcuffs that are better purchases than others. For your money, security and safety, there are quality concerns you should keep in mind when choosing handcuffs. Not all handcuffs are the same, which means you need to choose carefully if you want to get your money’s worth. Here are some tips you might want to consider:
Determine the use of the ‘cuffs
Handcuffs used by security guards, police officers and other law enforcement individuals are designed to restrain. The last thing you want to have is a pair of handcuffs that can be easily picked open using a simple paperclip or hair pin. When choosing quality handcuffs, check the locking mechanism. If you want to control a person, make sure that the cuffs can only be unlocked by its keys. Buy a pair that comes with two keys, so you have a spare.
For recreational use, make sure handcuffs are easy to get out of.
Look for good quality material
Police-issue handcuffs are made from materials such as stainless steel, aluminum or carbon steel. If you want to go for brand name, look for handcuffs made by Smith & Wesson, Chicago Handcuff Co, Peerless and Hiatt Thompson, among others.
There are also good quality handcuffs from generic brands. These are usually nickel coated/plated, which should afford you a few years of good use before the plating starts to chip. Lower quality handcuffs are also cheaper than good quality ones.
Check tightness
Handcuffs are designed to tighten around the wrists. What makes them unique from other common forms of restraint is that once the cuffs have tightened, it will be difficult to loosen them, ensuring that the person will not be able to free himself without the use of a key.
The problem with certain handcuff designs, particularly those that were in use some years ago, is that there is no control to prevent them from tightening around the wrist too much. These models can often cause problems if an individual moves too much when restrained or if the cuffs were put on too tightly.
When choosing quality handcuffs, look for a model that has a safety catch. The safety catch is a built-in mechanism that prevents the cuffs from becoming too tight around the wrist. This is important, particularly if you’re trying to prevent or avoid injuries.
Plastic, anyone?
Lately, law enforcement officers have been using plastic handcuffs. These are quite effective as restraints because they can be tightened and held securely. Plastics are convenient for certain situations because they are easy to carry, conceal and use, particularly if there are several individuals that have to be arrested or restrained.
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