According to the inventor, the Universal Back-Up Handcuff key  was designed after a police officer found himself taken hostage and his back-up key removed from his person. Once the officer's gun belt was removed - so was the extra handcuff key hidden on his gun belt. After this situation a friend said to the inventor, "Hey, you invent things, why don't you invent something like a handcuff key to hide somewhere besides on the gun belt or one that is disguised as a ball-point pen."  Thus, this invention was born.

The product is a patented small round plastic disc that contains a universal handcuff key - the key breaks out of the plastic disc and fits ANY handcuff. The item is designed with special plastics developed by DuPont specifically for this key and it cannot be detected by a metal detector or x-ray machines. The disc is designed specifically so it can be hidden under a watch, hidden using the button of a shirt and on a button sewn inside the rear of a pair of trousers, etc. A very versatile key that is able to be concealed. The concept is that law enforcement personnel will wear one in all three places as described above and will have it readily available if they should be taken hostage, etc.

The Universal Back-Up Handcuff Key is used by DHS, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles and many more.

Click on this photo to see the inventor pictured with Detroit's SWAT team following a training session involving real life situations of officer survival and the Universal Back-Up Handcuff key.

We are the original distributor of the Universal Backup Handcuff key. The product was designed and intended for sale to government and law-enforcement / police agencies. We operated a website called handcuffkey.com until 9/11/2001 when the key was removed from the market temporarily. The key was not offered again publicly until two years later.  While we are the original distributor, the key is now sold by multiple vendors.  Keys are sold at the same retail price by all dealers.

BULK ORDERS (5,000+) ARE AVAILABLE ONLY WITH A LETTER OF AUTHORIZATION BY FAX AND ALL BULKORDERS ARE VERIFIED TWICE.  ALL BULK ORDERS MUST BE SUBMITTED ON DEPARTMENTAL STATIONARY AND YOU MUST PROVIDE A DEPARTMENT TELEPHONE NUMBER.

Click on either document above to read more about the key or to find out how to contact the inventor for a training class at your department or agency.

WARNING: This key is intended to be an officer survival tool - not an officer survival threat. Many departments are purchasing and using these keys in training to demonstrate the potential hazard that could be hidden on a criminal who has just been handcuffed and taken into custody. While we feel that this training is good policy and practice, we feel the key is much more of an officer survival tool, than just a tool for basic training, etc. The inventor takes reports of misuse seriously. When this key was introduced many years ago, the Attorney General of the United States endorsed its use. Now, as time has gone on, there has been everything from nationwide teletypes warning of the keys danger to officers in the field, to reports of the keys being found in the possession of criminals and prisoners. More often than not, these reports are investigated and found to be a key other than this patented product. The key is made of a special material that can not be inexpensively reproduced; developed by DuPont specifically for the inventor at a cost of nearly a quarter of a million dollars - the criminals of the world aren't out there making their own just like this one. If you find this exact key on a criminal we want to know about it!  Please call us or e-mail us if you have found this key on a criminal. We are devoted to your safety and survival.