Handcuff Warehouse Blog

The Hiatt Handcuffs brand has been discontinued. Hiatt Handcuffs in England was aquired by American company Armor Holdings in 2006. Armor Holdings was then aquired by British company BAE Systems. The Hiatt factory in Birmingham, England was closed in late June, 2008. BAE has moved the Hiatt factory to New Hampshire and will be making the Hiatt handcuff line under the Safariland brand. They will also consolidate all other restraints made by BAE companies under the Safariland brand. This includes Monadnock disposable restraints and NIK Flex-Cufs. Availablity of Hiatt products is limited to stock on hand. The new Safariland handcuffs will be available sometime in early 2009. Hiatt-Thompson Corporation was the sole distributor for Hiatt in North America. They are no longer affiliated with Hiatt or BAE Systems. They will continue to make their own line of popular colored handcuffs and leg irons and a new line of cuffs that are very similiar to the Hiatt line. They also make the Blue Box and magnetic training keys. None of the Hiatt-Thompson products are discontinued.

We got a mention in a story about our pink handcuffs in the New York Times. They also mentioned our gold handcuffs:

Think Kink
With over two million citizens behind bars, the United States now needs color-coded handcuffs to sort them out. Unlike most things correctional, however, these restraints are festive-looking. You can get them in colors like Nexium purple and Barbie pink, and at a little over half a pound a pair, wearing them will help you tone your arms. Handcuff Warehouse sells Hiatt-Thompson’s professional-grade model 1010C ($26), made with “true swing technology” to make slapping them on a snap. Included are instructions and two keys, for quick escapes. Warning: Be prepared for bondage jokes. Also, Hiatt-Thompson’s “three-piece suit” (ankles, waist, wrists) was used by interrogators at Guantánamo Bay, even though Amnesty International deems it inhumane. Oh, and for evening, you’ll want a pair of 24-karat gold-plated ones ($90), in case you catch Lindsay Lohan boosting your heirloom fur. LYNN PHILLIPS

Available at Handcuff Warehouse: Pink Hiatt-Thompson Handcuffs , Pink ASP Handcuffs , Pink Peerless Handcuffs , Pink Smith & Wesson Handcuffs , Gold Handcuffs.

Peerless Model 750 colored handcuffs in orange are now in stock. The only color still to be introduced is yellow. We also have orange hinged handcuffs and leg irons.

Available at Handcuff Warehouse: Peerless Model 750 Colored Handcuffs

Rumor has it that Hiatt handcuffs may drop the Hiatt name and begin making handcuffs under the Safariland brand. Hiatt was purchased by Armor Holding June 2006. Armor was then bought by BAE Systems. BAE decided to move Hiatt from Birmingham, England to Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire a few months ago.

I have heard conflicting reports. Some say that Hiatt will begin making handcuffs in NH on a limited basis. Others have said that they are going to abandon Hiatt completely and introduce Safariland handcuffs some time in the future. They have definitely been delayed. I have been told that delays are due to sabotage by disgruntled Hiatt employees in England, incompatiblilty of English equipment with US standards, and lack of know-how. No one from the English factory moved to the US to tell them how to make handcuffs.

On another note, Geoffrey Cross, the former owner of Hiatt, has begun making a new line of handcuffs in the old Hiatt factory in Birmingham. The new handcuffs are a speedcuff copy and are called TCH (total control handcuffs). Speedcuff handcuffs are standard issue across the UK and they have been in very short supply since Hiatt closed.