This design is know as "quick cuffs" because they are easy to construct and fast to apply. The design uses only two pieces of leather (one, which is somewhat optional,) and one item of hardware (not counting fasteners). Materials: (For 1 Cuff) (1) 2" wide 10" Long Leather Piece (8-10 oz.) (1) Small Leather Piece to Cover Plate Staple (4-6 oz.) (1) Plate Staple (4) 1/4" Screw Fasteners Oil Dye Neats Foot Oil, Lotion Waxed Nylon Saddle Stitching Thread Tools: Utility Knife or Leather Scissors Stitch Groove Tool Edge Bevel Tool Saddle Stitching Chisel Punch Saddle Stitching Needles 3/16" Round Hole Punch 1" Oblong Hole Punch Edge Slicker Dye Applicator Bees Wax Screwdriver (or rivet setter) The main pieces are made from medium heavy 8-10 ounce leather. It is 2 inches wide and can be almost any length. I suggest the following lengths for typical applications of average sized people. Length Usage 10" Wrist 16" Ankle or Arm 22" Thigh or Collar Adjust measurement accordingly. Longer length can be useful. I suggest making a few with longer lengths (pun alert] for good measure. The smaller pieces are used to cover the plate part of the plate staple. I use a thinner 4 - 6 ounce leather. These pieces also provides some extra thickness so the screw fasteners are not loose. The cover pieces are optional as long as you do not need the extra thickness for the fasteners. I find that the shiny metal fasteners stand out better against the black leather when this piece is included. It also helps reduce the risk of a sharp corner of the plate scratching skin or ruining stockings. Construction (for each cuff) The one item of hardware is worthy some special comments. It can be hard to find. Try a well-stocked hardware store and ask for a "plate staple" as one of its official hardware names. Its the "other" part of a hasp set used to lock shed doors and gates. (If you can not find them separately then you may need to buy the move expensive hasp sets). They can come in a couple different styles and sizes. I prefer the older rounded or curved style. (Newer ones might be made from a single piece of punched and folded sheet metal.) I use the size where the "staple" part just fits through a 1 inch oblong punch hole. Cut and prepare the leather pieces. Use the plate as a template for the smaller leather cover piece. Trim a quarter inch off each corner of the larger main piece. This is partly for aesthetics. Do not punch holes at this stage since the leather can shrink or distort slightly from dying and sewing. At this point I groove a line along each edge of the larger main piece for saddle stitching. I make the lines about 3/16 or 1/4 inch in from the edge. Sometimes I use the thickness of the leather strip as a guide. Now bevel the edges of both pieces on the front side to make a more rounded edge. Careful as this tool can easily slip and draw blood. (Which has happened to me on a few occasions.) I use a four prong "chisel" punch to make my stitching holes. Carefully place the punch prong in the groove made for this purpose. Use a plastic or raw hide mallet and a thick piece of rubber or wood underneath to prevent damage to the metal punch. After punching the first four holes use the last hole to line up the end of the punch. This means you only punch three new holes at a time. This increases the work need but improves the appearance of the product by keeping the stitching very evenly spaced. Unlike other projects these cuffs tend to be pleasantly short. I oil the leather with neats foot oil prior to applying die. I use a good quality oil based dye to prevent having to apply it more than once. I also recommend the use of latex gloves to minimise stained hands. Most dyes can usually be removed from skin with isopropyl alcohol. (Careful of flames or other ignition sources.) Let dry for one or more days. After dried the leather will often be stiff and hard. This is when I start the saddle stitching on the main piece. The stiffness of the leather actual seems to help. The process of hand saddle stitching forces you to handle the leather a lot and it should soften. Begin the saddle stitching using heavy waxed nylon thread. Use the large blunt point hand stitching needles. See saddle-stitching sources for threading the needle and the actual process of stitching. Besides being an enjoyable activity when watching television it is also great hand exercise. Also keep a pair if needle nose pliers around in case the needle gets stuck in a particularly tight stitch hole. You may even want to invest in some special jeweller's pliers that have smooth bite that will minimise scratching the needle. Use the plate staple, which you should have ready, as a template to locate the (four) 3/8 inch holes for the fasteners. I poke an awl point through the centre of the holes of the plate staple. Keep in mind different manufacture and different lots of plate staple may vary so measure with the actual plate staple each piece will use. Using the mallet and punches to punch the holes. Be sure to have a rubber and wood or other suitable material underneath. It is worth the extra cost to buy good quality solid steel punches. Punch the holes in the small cover leather piece at the same time. Starting 3/4 of an inch from the edge measure the locations for each of the oblong holes where the staple part of the plate staple will pass through. Remember these will be 1 inch wide so measure half an inch from each end. Place these marks on the back of the work so as not to damage front. Measure out four (wrist cuff) or more holes each 3/4 inch apart. Then punch with mallet and padding underneath. Remember that the cover piece needs an oblong punch hole too. This one however takes a certain amount of guesswork. (Be sure to empty out your oblong punch before it gets filled.) Use a cotton swab to dye the insides of the punch holes. Especially the oblong holes since these will be visible. Here is where I moisten the edges with neats foot lotion and slick them with a slicker wheel tool. Then I give all the pieces a good slathering of lotion and let dry. This usually takes about a day. Between the handling and lotion the strap should be a little softer now. As one last step I give the front side a final treatment with a good leather conditioning wax. This absorbs pretty fast so you should be able to complete the construction after a short wait. Now for the final part. Position the plate staple over the four holes on the main piece. Work the cover piece down onto the plate staple with the staple part passing through the oblong hole. As I said the cover piece both adds thickness and an aesthetic quality. Fasten the cover piece, plate and main piece together with the screw fasteners (or rivets). And it's done! Get your lover and give them a try. Use a double-ended spring snap to make a pair of wrist (or ankle) cuffs. Be creative and attach wrists to ankles for some interesting, and vulnerable, positions. A twin size bed mattress with carrying handles along the sides makes for a very convenient "spread eagle" bind. A good juicy ball gag makes for a nice travel set that will easily tuck away into a medium size handbag. I store them by placing each cuff topside to top side so the staple of one passes through the oblong hole of the other. Then just snap a link though to keep them together. One of the beauties of these cuffs is that they can be remove in seconds. Which is great when your roommate returns early. Those who opt' for padlocks instead of spring snaps should take care and buy locks in sets that have a common key. Then make extra duplicates of the key. I also recommend using the smaller, easier to cut luggage padlocks. However, in an emergency always sacrifice the gear instead of the safety of your partner. Padlocks do have the advantage that they restrict motion to about the same as handcuffs while keeping the comfort of leather.