Manacles, chain shackles, and handcuffs

Shackles are tools that are used to fasten together a prisoner’s feet or hands, or to punish someone. They used to be called shackbolts, swivels, gyves, and manacles. Until recently, the only two handcuffs that were around were the ones that look like figure-eights, which allow for the hands to be bound closely in front or in back of the prisoner, or the handcuffs that consist of rings connected by a chain, like the kind of handcuffs that police offers have. But recent advances have been made to the handcuff. New handcuffs are not as heavy, and because they can adjust, a police officer can use one pair to fit any prisoner.

There are also ones made for legs, called leg-irons, which will allow a prisoner to walk using short steps. A form that no longer exists was an anklet that connected to a heavy, usually round weight at the end of the chain. Bilboes were anklets used by the Spanish on prisoners, with an long iron rod between them. The bilboes type of leg-iron were also popularly used by the English in the 17th and 18th centuries. There is still one set that is kept safe at the Tower of London. A type leg-iron that resembles the bilbo is still utilized by the French marines.