My preferred choice of handcuff keys is the ZT9P Swivel key from Zak Tools.
Ok. At the risk of sounding like a salesman, I honestly love the Zak Tool handcuff key.
The reason I chose the Zak Tool ZT9P handcuff key could be because it happened to be in front of me in the store.
If I had seen another key, I would easily have chosen it.
So, this is not an unbiased product review.
But enough about that.
I have some hands-on experience on the Zak Tool Key and this is my opinion:
The ZT9P Swivel Handcuff key in use:
The handcuff key is easy to use.
The size is great and makes the handcuff key easy to handle.
With the knurled grip you won’t lose it as easily as a standard handcuff key.
It fits in your pocket.
It comes with a big key ring so you can also hang the handcuff key in a belt clip.
The length makes it easy to control the key when you are unlocking handcuffs at suspects.
Until now, I haven’t experienced any problems using it. It serves me well.
That being said, how much can go wrong with a simple product such as a handcuff key?
I’ve used (or at least tried) the handcuff keys on several handcuff brands:
- Smith & Wesson Model 100 (Tried about 10 times?)
- Peerless Handcuff Model 700 (Daily)
- Peerless Handcuff Model 801 (Often)
- ASP Ultra Cuffs (Tried once)
- Vipertek Double Lock Police edition (Tried once)
And it worked without problem on those handcuffs.
Highlights of the Zak Tool ZT9P Handcuff key:
- The keys are made of heat-treated stainless steel which is a high-grade material.
- Unlimited lifetime guarantee ( I don’t know how useful this is. Would you remember this in 8 years if the key breaks?)
- Fits most standard series handcuffs.
- Low profile.
Technical details about the ZT9P Zak Tool handcuff key
Size: 6 x 4 x 0,25 inches (15mm x 10,1 mm x 6,35 mm)
Weight: 0,96 ounces (27 grams)
Color: Black
Looking for another handcuff key? Read my mini-guide about handcuff keys here.
Problems with the ZT9P Zak Tool
I haven’t experienced any problems myself but I’m sure someone has.
To make your read of this article worthwhile I headed to Amazon.com pages with Zak Tool products.
I found the ZT9P handcuff key and read the bad user experiences.
This is what I found:
- Someone experienced that the “tooth” sheared off. The broken tooth jammed the handcuffs and they had to be replaced. This happened after just one day of training.
- It didn’t fit the buyer’s handcuffs. It was tested on 3 different cuffs, working on only 1. (I don’t know what brand of handcuffs he used)
- Broke in a cuff after just a few days of use.
To summarize the bad experiences:
Most of the bad reviews were about the key breaking after being used a couple of times. Some even had their handcuffs broken.
Make your own choice
Ok, so there might be some bad user experiences out there. Wouldn’t it be weird if not? This handcuff key has 4677 ratings at Amazon (When writing this post).
And just for fun, I made a diagram in Excel presenting the review stars given. Check it out:
As you can see, there is a vast majority that gave it 5 stars.
I have not had any bad experiences with my key. Some people have had bad experiences.
If you want to buy Zak Tool Handcuff key, you can find it at:
- local police supply store
- Check the cuff key at Amazon.com
- Lapolicegear.com
