Has anybody had handcuff keys just stop working?

[degradingbog23]

Really want to have some fun with handcuffs, but whenever I lock myself in, I get the fear that the locking mechanism will just suddenly stop working and I will be stuck. Has this ever happened to anybody? I have a pair of high quality Smith & Wessons.

[Shannon SteelSlave]

You are right to fear hand cuffs. But following some procedures prior and after use can prevent getting unintentionally trapped. Please see our expert thread for advice viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13974

[JIMDINI]

I have had them feel like they had failed/jammed many years ago. BUT this was with a pair I had bought from a sex shop that did not have a double lock, they over tightened and put the lock mechanism under tension so that the key could not turn. Fortunately, it was only one wrist, and once I had freed the other wrist, I was able to squeeze the cuff enough to release the tension and the key turned unlocking it. They went straight in the bin afterwards!
This is why we always recommend using double locking Law Enforcement standard cuffs and following our 'Hand Cuff Safety' link.

[Lotharjulz]

Yes, unfortunately. The key actually broke. At least have two keys handy.

https://forum.boundanna.net/board/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13541

[Rick72]

Yes, I was wearing a prisonsuit, with legcuffs connected to a chain, trough a ring on the floor, to a waistbelt, to a pair of handcuffs.
Keys where kept on a rafter high above my head on a big icecube. That part was fullproof, they would fall once the ice had melted enough.
Meanwhile I was wearing a locked muzzle harness.
Really enjoyed the time I had untill the keys dropped.
I unlocked my hands without any problems, and one legcuff too. But the other just wouldn't open, I tried for almost an hour.
Although my hands where free, I couldn't get away. The other cuff was too big to pass through the padlock which connected the chain to the ring in the floor. The key of all padlocks used where on a workbench out of reach.
(Note to self: keep keys within reach...)

The only way to get free was to use the loose legcuff as a diggingtool and scrape the concrete around the ring away.
It took me 5 hours to do so, all the time wearing that muzzlegag.
It was hot, it was an agonising activity, and progress was slow. The ring was attached to a piece of rebar, fortunately not too long and not attached to other rebar. I poored the floor myself, so I knew what to do.
But I made progress, although slow, and I managed to get the ring off, enabling me to get that damn harness off, and get some tools to get the other legcuff of.
But before I had a go with that, I tried another handcuff key.
The cuff opened instantly.
Freedom at last.
After a short comparing of both keys I noticed the key I used on the icelock had a slightly shorter leg, which was fine for the handcuffs they belonged to originally, but not for the legcuffs. The other legcuff opened up, but that was mere luck.
I was never in danger, I did have a cellphone within reach just in case, but all I could do with that was calking the emergencynumber.
Quite an adventure, which at the time was frustrating, but later wasn't that bad after all.

[kinbaku]

I had almost the same thing going on: since I could open both the handcuffs and the ankle cuffs with the key of the handcuffs, I thought both keys were the same.
However, in testing before the bondage, I noticed that the key of the ankle cuffs do not work for the hand cuffs.
Fortunately I have the habit of opening and closing the always closed cuffs a few times to test whether nothing is wrong.

[ruru67]

I've not had a key fail, but I've heard of enough cases of handcuff key bits breaking off that I'd be inclined not to be totally reliant on a single key. Always have a plan B!

[TNTBound]

the closest i have been, is using a thumb cuff key on my handcuffs. the lug on the key to the thumbcuffs it much shorter than a standard handcuff key. i tried it a couple times and it seemed to work fine, but once while i was actually bound, i had that key as the release key and it didnt want to work. the reason, was because of the design of the handcuffs i have, it has two arms that both have to be pressed to release the cuffs in the key hole. with the shorter lug on the thumbcuff key, if it was positioned just right, it would activate them both, but while bound, it is much more difficult to find that sweet spot.

[ZipMeUp]

That's why I always use actual police handcuffs. NIJ certified cuffs are built to high enough quality standards that they have a very low chance of suddenly failing. The chance of both locks failing shut is low enough to be effectively zero as long as you have two keys.
It's also not a bad idea to keep a dremel around as well in case one side won't open.