Can you imagine what it was like in the Wild West in the late 1800s? If you have watched the series Deadwood, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. Not quite Little House On The Prairie, or Doris Day’s version of Calamity Jane.

It was dirty and primitive and rough.

Yet, it was also an exciting time – filled with dreams of striking it rich with gold. Opportunities for new businesses with new towns opening up. And the US Patent Office run off its feet with people inventing new ways to make life easier in all aspects of their daily living.

It was a risky life. Braving the elements of the Frontier country, living in fear of natives protecting their land. It was rare to come across a man without a gun.

Every new town proudly boasted a new saloon, or two. After a hard day of digging for gold, men would gather in the saloon to talk of their day’s successes, to wash away their failures, or to play poker.

Poker was a thriving business and the stakes were high. Desperate men sought to hide an ace up their sleeve (using a nifty little gadget to hold it there), thinking it would be easier to get rich from poker than from the hard work needed to get rich from gold.

The gadget was metal with a different type of clip at each end. The clever poker boys somehow managed to clip one end onto their shirt sleeve, while the other end held the coveted Ace.

With a slight of hand, the Ace could be slipped into the player’s hand allowing him to (hopefully) win the pot.

But the Wild West was an unforgiving time, with frustration and anger fuelled by alcohol and an abundance of guns, and many a young man lost his life at the poker tables of now long-forgotten towns.

At the very least, it may have been the birth of the magician’s catch-cry “Look, nothing up my sleeve”.

Or so legend would have it…

So what was the ultimate poker cheat device?

The true story is far less glamorous, this antique from 1889 is a “wizard” cuff holder.

Back in the late 1800s, gentlemen’s shirts came with detachable cuffs and collars so they could be easily replaced. As I said before, it was a dirty and primitive time. Roads were not sealed, and time was spent digging for gold. Dust and dirt were everywhere.

Many styles of men’s shirts came without collars and cuffs. Instead, cuffs and collars were made of flexible celluloid material (a type of plastic). Replacing the cuffs, when needed, could give the appearance of a fresh, clean shirt.

While the celluloid cuffs were a little flexible, they were not good at staying in place.

Enter the Wizard Cuff Holder.

This wonderful little gadget was designed to hold the cuffs in place.

One clip held the two ends of the cuffs together, while the other end was attached to the shirt sleeve.

The Wizard Cuff Holder is ornately patterned and some have survived the test of time in very good condition.

Now, although its true intention was a not-so-glamorous form of cufflink, that is not to say that the poker boys didn’t try using it to cheat… and hide an Ace. Some may even have been successful!

This antique (pictured above) will shortly be available for sale in our Vintage store. I will put a link to it from here once the listing is ready. Bookmark this page!

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Cufflinks make a perfect gift from a bride to her groom, or for the groomsmen.

They are a lovely memento of the day, and are a practical and useful gift for years to come.

When you take the time to pick out the perfect pair of cufflinks, the gift is appreciated all the more.

Steer clear of novelty cufflinks. They are too cheesy for such a memorable occasion.

Instead, choose cufflinks that will serve to evoke memories of the day.

When To Give Your Cufflinks Gift

If the cufflinks are to be worn on the day, make sure they are given in advance – before the gentleman has sourced his own cufflinks for his outfit. Gold or silver? Coloured stones? Choose cufflinks that go with the outfits.

If the cufflinks are not for wearing on the wedding day, follow these tips:

• Cufflinks for the Groom – the ideal time is after the wedding reception, when you have your first quiet moments together.
• Cufflinks for the Groomsmen – the best time to give the boys their thank you gift is right after the official photographs, before the reception.
• Choose cufflinks that go with the user’s personal taste. They will appreciate the extra thought you have put into it.

What Style Of Cufflinks?

The easiest cufflinks, by far, are the ones that push through and then hold in place by adjusting the toggle on the cufflink arm.
 

A classy, formal style is the double faced cufflinks, usually joined by a chain. Chain-link cufflinks allow for flexibility in manouvering through the cufflink holes.
 

Also well-received are the snap cufflinks. Also usually double faced, the snap-on cufflinks are formed by two parts that come apart for easy positioning and then snap together.
 
 

Share Your Thoughts

As always, your comments are appreciated. Please share your thoughts below.
 
 

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Or you can view it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUna4WEm-II

I hope you enjoy it.

It’s something new I’m trying out. Let me know your thoughts.

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Technorati Tags: initials, monogram, vintage cufflinks

There are 16 images, playing on a loop, so if you watch for a while and start to think you’ve already seen them,you probably have. Enjoy!

A couple of these were available for sale in the Store, but I think those ones have been sold now.

I love the look and feel of vintage cufflinks. They have a character that you don’t find in modern pieces.

Don’t you agree? Share your thoughts below.

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There has long been a passion for wearing identity jewellery – the ID Bracelet was hugely popular in the 1980s.  But long before that, items of jewellery were being engraved with the owner’s intitals.

Vintage Swank Cufflinks

These days, we see an increasing trend towards wearing cufflinks or jewellery that had belonged to our ancestors. As an example, you could find yourself wearing jewellery that has been engraved with someone’s initials that clearly are not own. A pair of cufflinks could have the initials of your Grandfather, and his surmane may not even be the same as yours.

So we find ourselves in the situation where Initials & Monograms do not necessarily have to bear a resemblence to your own initials.

This has opened up an incredible market for vintage cufflinks and jewellery. No longer do you have to shy away from buying something you love because it has the wrong initials.

Among your circle of friends, you might be the only one who knows where you purchased a second-hand item.  With a little imagination, you can come up with any story to fit your newly purchased monogramed cufflinks.  Who’s going to know?

One of the great things about vintage cufflinks is that they’ve been around a bit. They have their own story, they have nicks and scratches (like the wrinkles in an old man’s face). They are not shiny, new, sterile pieces of jewellery.

There’s a lot of character to Vintage Cufflinks, and monograms add even more character. They are a great conversation starter.

Technorati Tags: initials, monograms, second-hand, vintage cufflinks

As fashion changes over the years, the old rules seem to apply less and less. A recent survey of readers on the “askandyaboutclothes.com” forum revealed that men are more confused than ever about when it is appropriate to wear cufflinks.

The question asked was “Are cufflinks only acceptable with suits?”

Here’s my summary of the different responses:

Photo by: Fluid Forms

• “Keep them pertinent to the event - I only wear cufflinks at black tie events.”
• “While most appropriate worn with a suit, I have at times worn cufflinks with no suit or tie but chinos and loafers and no socks.”
• “I wear them a few times a year just for the heck of it. I don’t own any suits.”
• “I wear cuff links several times a week in my business casual work environment (sports coat, sans tie).”
• “I’ve got some Polo daily casual shirts with French cuffs, and I’ll use a pair of links without thinking about it.”
• “I will wear double cuffs with sports coats, without ties. I don’t think suits and ties are necessary.”
• “Only with suit. Not for junior personnel. Almost never for interview. Silk knots always appropriate.”
• “It never occured to me that an individual in a junior position shoudn’t wear cuff links; perhaps that is more of USA sentiment.”
• “Any notion that “junior personnel” should not wear cufflinks is, in my opinion, pure hogwash.”
• “Screw it. Wear the cufflinks when you feel like it.”
• “I think it’s totally mad that anybody would mind that much about this.”
• “I love cufflinks! Aside from watches and a class ring, they are the only form of mainstream “man jewelry” I get to wear and display.”
• “I don’t think it’s a good idea to wear “gag” cufflinks–hot & cold taps, martini glasses, miniature cigars, etc–to work.”

The forum thread often went off on a tangent about whether ties were compulsory with suits, but I’ve only highlighted the responses about cufflinks here. If you want to read the full thread, visit Ask Andy About Clothes. It’s an interesting read.

As you can see, the responses were many and varied.

For the people who say “only with a suit”, do you wear the suit jacket ALL the time and never take it off?

Me? I think if you match your cufflinks to your attire, you should be okay. For example, formal cufflinks with formal attire, and less-formal cufflinks with less-formal attire.

What do you think?  When do you wear cufflinks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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The sixties really were a time where men were proud of their attire and ways to express their individuality. Don Draper looks good in a suit. As does Roger Sterling. Both of them, and many others, wore their cufflinks proudly. And Pete Campbell was wearing a collar bar in a number of scenes.

It’s a stark contrast to today’s office attire. More often than not, companies have opted for open collars and no neckties. Don’t get me wrong, I can see the appeal. Who want’s to be choked by a necktie and collar all day long? But you look at a show like Mad Men, and all the men look good – because of their attire. Men of the sixties made an effort to look good.

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Check out our new Vintage Cufflinks & More Facebook page.

Please click the LIKE button if you think it is like-worthy.

We will be updating it with blog posts and new product listings, plus other bits of relevant information.

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Vintage Cufflinks were an amazing modern invention in their time. Can you imagine life before cufflinks?

Back in the day, men’s shirts often had puffy sleeves made from soft material. The cuffs were fastened together with the use of tabs made from material that were tied together in a knot or bow.

What a cumbersome exercise this would have been – and very difficult to perform on your own.

Then along came the metal fastener – and the cufflink was born.

Chain-Link Cufflinks

The original cufflinks were quite small and consisted of two flat plates joined together with a small chain. This was the Chain-Link Cufflink. Shirts at the time were the style with French Cuffs, with a buttonhole on each side of the cuff. The metal plates of the cufflinks were passed through each buttonhole, with the chain between holding them securely in place.

Solid Arm Cufflinks

Many cufflink designs followed. Popular in the 1910s-1920s were the small oval shaped face-plate with a solid curved arm. This style was often engraved with an ornate pattern.

Both of these styles eventually gave way to the immensely popular toggle invention that we know today.

The Cufflink Toggle Invention

Designed by Mr Jacob M. Oldak in 1948 (US Patent No. 2472958), the toggle invention turned cufflinks into an accessory that was incredibly easy to use and opened the door for jewellery production houses to increase production of cufflinks.

Unfortnately, Mr Oldak never received the due credit for his invention. We thank you now, Mr Oldak.

Vintage jewellery has a character of its own and will compliment any outfit.

Nothing beats vintage cufflinks for style, fashion and flair.

Technorati Tags: vintage cufflinks