Has anyone ever tried opening handcuffs with forced air? I heard this is possible only with select handcuffs. Does anyone know which handcuffs this works on?

Roger

An escape artist who can do that must be a real blow-hard (g)

Seriously though, I have never heard of that before, unless you are refering to using the quadrapelegic technology that alows a paralyzed person to move a wheel chair by blowing through a tube. I guess you could work that into an escape.

That is a new one for me as well...I've never heard of that...Besides, I would think the amount of air pressure that would be needed to pull of something like that would not be something I would want aimed at either of my hands...

Allan

Roger

If you are looking to apply this method to a stage routine, etc... I don't think it's going to work for you to be effective.

I know what you are asking, and this can be done via mechanical bench test, by applying 300psi+ into the key hole. The key hole must be sealed after air tube entry. This is hard to explain unless you are familiar with this method, and there is a bit more to it.

This is not something for an escape act. It's a break and entry method, that is used for other reasons, which I don't think we really need to get into on this forum.

There is much better methods/ways of opening handcuffs and locks than this one, and it does not work all the time at that, and as you mentioned, only on certain handcuffs and locks.

It's a waste of time really, but yes, it can be done and has been done!!

Red Von

Hummmmm...learn something new everyday.

Thanks Red, you da man!!!
It's far more complicated than I thought. Appreciate the information though, and you are right. It won't work for what I had in mind and thanks again for the book information on James Randi.

Roger - The Mind Freak

I agree with Ms Morgan. Learn something new every day.
I did not know this was possible.
Thanks for the info Red.

Regards
Wolflock

Hi Red Von, you tell in interesting tale and I see the merit in the method and as you say would be hard to do for an escape.

Here's one for you. I hope you are familar with the mechanism. Chubb AVA detainer as used in the Chubb escort handcuff. Method, pick all tumblers to one side with a L pick. while the cuff is on it's edge and picked tumblers upright, syringe a measured* quantity of water into the tumblers. This will settle at the bottom chamber. Put the cuff in the freezer. When frozen, use the pick to slide the tumblers down until they rest on the ice, which is at the shearline, the cuff will open.
It's works but no good when your hands are in them.

Regards

Ian
* measured ammount calculated from testing and sample lock.

Ian

That I have to try, very interesting.

Regards
Wolflock

Ian, that's one heck of an extream cuff escape.

They say you learn something new every day. Well I can certainly say this is news to me.

It may be useful if I'm ever cuffed in Chubb Escorts and left in the North Pole.

Thanks,

Holy Yeppers! Red and Ian, you two are crashing my brain cells. Way over my head fellas! Can we cover simple rope ties and cuff techniques? I'm just starting out and getting lost already. I think I need to just stick with the basics for now.

Roger

Ian....How do you think these things out? Are kangaroo steaks eating away at your brain? However, I love the idea of what you can do if you think about it. Who'd have thought that you could use a shoelace to open a darby, but Harry did!

I'd love to hear of any other obscure but totally impractical ways of bypassing cuffs. Any offers???

Mick H

Hey, I'm a tech writer; maybe I can compile a novelty book full of this stuff and call it "Hi-Tech Houdinism" or "Escape Engineering."

Steve

Hi-Tech Houdinism - That's a great idea Steve!

Roger

Hi Mick, I will have to see what other goodies I have. While I was a locksmithing teacher about ten years ago, I used to teach lock picking to police and government agencies. Prior to them seeking professional teaching, many would think up their own ways of how they could bypass locks, practical or not. As I taught them locksmith methods, they would pass on their methods.

Here another. Older style Abloy had spring washers between discs. Using a punch thru the keyhole, hammer until spring washers crush. The space created will be about 1 to discs in the front of the cylinder, Insert spring wire ( bronze lever spring is best)and locate first disc's gate, rotate until sidebar is located.
Using small L pick, pick each disc until the gate aligns and the wire moves deeper into the lock. When all discs are aligned, remove wire and turn to open.

My first Abloy lock took me 30 minutes to bypass with this method.

After I lectured to locksmiths on this technique, Abloy changed the spring washers for solid spacer discs.

Ian

You guys are making my brain hurt.

Hey, I don't know how to open a Darby with a shoelace. Anyone want to clue me in? PM..email...I'm not picky...please..

Thank you,
Ms.M

In "Handcuff Secrets," a book he published in 1910, Houdini wrote that "you can open the majority of the old-time cuffs with a shoestring. By simply making a loop in the string, you can lasso the end of the screw in the lock and yank the bolt back, and so open the cuff in as clean a manner as if opened with the original key.

Red Von

As strong as the springs on most Hiatt darbies are, though, it would have to be a very strong shoestring, and you would need to employ a LOT of leverage.

Steve

That's right Stephen. Those springs are heavy. If they are your own Darbies, and you want to demonstrate this technique, get the spring hot with a torch to weaken the spring. It's much easier then.

Mick

The idea of opening a darby handcuff with a shoe lace seems easy "to open" but how the heck do you get it back out?? Like much of Houdini's so called secrets, at a glance, they look plausible until you try them.

Ian