Cufflinks

[lindylady]

Good afternoon, all,

I have a question concerning cufflinks. My father loves them, and I'm trying to get him a pair for Christmas. However, I don't know the first thing about picking out quality cufflinks, what to look for, etc. Can you give me some tips? Also, does anyone know a good store or website that sells them for fairly reasonable prices?

 

[skillbilly]

I've always found my cufflinks on ebay, but I'm partial to "Swank" which is I believe no longer made. I recently bought typewriter key cufflinks for my grooomsmen with their initals.
http://www.whatsyourtype.com/cufflinks.html

I have friends that buy cufflinks based on their interests golf, etc

Google is probably a good bet if your looking for something along those lines.

 

[lindylady]

Thanks! I'll do some online searching then!

 

[Feraud]

Macy's has 'em too..

 

[carebear]

The nice thing about on the 'Bay is you can get them in cheap lots, keep what you want and give the rest to a thrift store. Kind of a grab bag effect of finding something that really appeals to you without looking specifically for it.

A buddy of mine spent $10 bucks and got a dozen pair including some Louis Vuitton. He kept about half, gave a few pair to coworkers and took the rest to the Salvation Army.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Cufflinks? The most expensive ones (both vintage and new) are made of platinum or heavy, high carat gold, with or without precious and semiprecious stones.

Lower down the line are sterling silver ones, often with enamelling: most of these come from the UK, and they are usually double sided.

Still further down are the "Swank"-style cufflinks, which tend to be gold/brass-plated or nickel-plated, have larger facings, and are swivel-backed, not double sided. They are the easiest types of cufflinks to attach to one's sleeve cuffs.

At the bottom of the price pyramid are the knotted silk, rayon or nylon cufflinks, often braided in twin colors. The knots are two little balls. (In other words, these cufflinks are double sided.) They look great, but lose their elasticity with time and eventually fray.


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[Tomasso]

Swivel-backed

Still further down are the "Swank"-style cufflinks, which tend to be gold/brass-plated or nickel-plated, have larger facings, and are swivel-backed.


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[Marc Chevalier]

I don't like the swivel-backed links ... but from the 1930s onward, they really did conquer the U.S.A.


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[carebear]

I dig (but don't have) the ones someone posted about that are two piece snap-togethers.

That seems ideal, retention and ease of use.

 

[Solid Citizen]

Ebay Afforable Cuff Links

IMO you can find lots of "interesting" cuff links on Ebay in all price ranges.

If you just want do a try them out by a "few" french cuff shirts + several pairs of links & see how you feel about it. If its not for whomever your not out of a lot of $$$

SC

 

[Curt Chiarelli]

Some good advice here. I know exactly what you mean: there's a bewildering variety of cufflinks and price ranges out there on the market. How to choose?

A good classy general guidline is that they have double faces showing on either side of the cuff. The ones showing the fastening device (usually a swivel-back T-bar device) on the inside of the cuff are considered slightly tacky. Chain links are a preferred - and rarely available - choice. Gold filled or 9 - 18 carat gold links are an excellent investment with a beautiful, luxurious weight to them. Once you go past 18 carats the gold is much softer and, accordingly, more prone to damage. Hallmarked sterling silver is also another great choice. Here's a link to a company that produces high quality links of that nature at an affordable price: http://www.englishcufflinks.com/html/cl25 9ct.htm

I hope this helped you somewhat. Let us know how your Christmas shopping for dad goes!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

A good classy general guidline is that they have double faces showing on either side of the cuff.

Warning! Some U.S. mass-produced shirts have cuffs whose link holes are too small to push the face of such a cufflink through. In other words, the link holes are just big enough to accomodate a swivel back, and nothing wider than that. British shirts don't have this problem, since the Brits aren't partial to swivel-back cufflinks.

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[Curt Chiarelli]

Warning! Some U.S. mass-produced shirts have cuffs whose link holes are too small to push the face of such a cufflink through. In other words, the link holes are just big enough to accomodate a swivel back, and nothing wider than that. British shirts don't have this problem, since the Brits aren't partial to swivel-back cufflinks.

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Good point Marc! Now we can get her hooked on Charles Tyrwhitt shirts for her dad too! By the way, the minor diameter of those ellipse-shaped cufflinks work just fine on American-made shirts that I own.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

... the minor diameter of those elipse-shaped cufflinks work just fine on American-made shirts that I own.

I'm glad to hear it! It sounds as if American shirts are now being made to accomodate that kind of cufflink. They didn't use to, but I haven't bought any recently, so ...

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[Curt Chiarelli]

I'm glad to hear it! It sounds as if American shirts are now being made to accomodate that kind of cufflink. They didn't use to, but I haven't bought any recently, so ...

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They won't allow any link wider than 5/8 inch to pass that's for sure! But then again, anything larger and you'd be right back to the old swivel-back arrangement and keeping your hands to your sides throughout the evening!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Swivel-back cufflinks are equivalent to velcro sneakers.


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[Curt Chiarelli]

Swivel-back cufflinks are equivalent to velcro sneakers.


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Bravo! lol lol lol :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Lady Day]

Come on fellas, lets not be so grim. ANY man wearing ANY types of links will be great. Then we can get snoody about the type of links worn.


LD

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Regrettably, I must prove you wrong:


http://cgi.ebay.com/Dante-Gold-Blue...3QQihZ018QQcategoryZ97677QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/Marc-Antony-Amb...3QQihZ018QQcategoryZ97677QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/Amber-Clear-Rhi...2QQihZ018QQcategoryZ97677QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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[Curt Chiarelli]

Come on fellas, lets not be so grim. ANY man wearing ANY types of links will be great. Then we can get snoody about the type of links worn.


LD

Well, okay . . . . we'll behave now. (Psst, hey Marc! That was a hoot wasn't it? We gotta do that again! )