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The Cuff Linker #2-2 October 2004

The CuffLinker July 2004

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		Published October 2004

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In this Issue
Welcome! Southwestern Cuff Links Games of Chance "Practical" Doers	Musings Helpful Resources Questions and Answers Subscribe / Unsubscribe

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1. Welcome! Welcome to the October, 2004 issue of The Cuff Linker. The Cuff Linker is a free monthly newsletter about cuff link collecting. Our goal is to provide: Original articles about how to enjoy both the collecting and wearing of cuff links, and; to supply up to date information based on reliable sources.

This issue contains short articles on gambling cuff links, cuff links that do more than fasten the cuff and the wonders of the Great Southwest. Please provide me with suggestions of makers that should be profiled in the future as well as any types of cuff links you would like to see examined.

2. Southwestern Cufflinks
There are fair amounts of handcrafted cuff links produced in the American Southwest. While there are many similarities between pieces produced in the American Southwest and those produced in Mexico, there are also many differences. The materials used by both are basically the same as such materials are local to both areas. Both also bring together the influences of their native culture plus European design concepts. However, the differences between pyramid building militaristic Aztecs and the more peaceful Pueblo dwelling peoples of the Southwest is far greater than the differences between a Spanish influence and a Northern European influence. The cuff links of the Southwest fall into two categories.

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First, there are the basic trade goods, simple silver designs or enamel pieces done on copper in the same traditional Navaho, etc. designs seen on rugs and other fabrics. While these enamel on copper pieces are not highly collectible, there are certainly quite wearable and on a break-a-way Friday can certainly make your French blue Egyptian cotton shirt think its denim.

Then there are also some great silver cuff links that come out of the Southwest and many can be had at bargain prices. This is because many of the pieces are not signed and for many that are signed – the artist just is not well known. Also, there will be times that you may find cuff links by a known Indian artisan, but will be reasonable as the collectors of major Indian silver jewelry focus on the larger traditional pieces. I believe that the confluence of cultures in the Southwest, together with nature itself, provides a backdrop that allows an artist to step outside of the box and create unique pieces.

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3. Games of Chance
A couple of months ago I wrote about the multiple types of playing card cuff links. In the same vein, if you like to gamble, there are cuff links made “just for you.” It is interesting to realize that in the traditional 4-vices cuff links, two of the vices are gambling (horse racing and cards). I do like to watch a roulette wheel and the thought of having a working roulette wheel on one’s cuff is quite interesting. While these miniature wheels do not have all the numbers, you can at least manage a red/black bet against yourself. I believe that the best of this type of cuff link are made in Austria. Even though I find the roulette wheel fun, I try to keep my own gambling limited to an occasional trip to the track and the stock market (can’t understand why people call that investing and not gambling).	...more...
...more...	Then there are the high stakes of dice. Dice cuff links can be very simple, to quite elaborate with miniature dice within a turning cage. While those gaming tables do get one’s blood pumping, just the name of the tables should tell you that it is a quick way to send your money down the toilet. I would probably not be so hard on dice games if dice would have cooperated more when playing all the childhood board games – did much better with a spinner.

4. "Practical" Doers

First you may ask, what is a doer? Simply, like the roulette wheels above, a doer is a pair of cuff links that does more than fasten your cuff. Then the question is what is a practical doer? I would consider a practical doer cuff links that actually does something useful. Examples would be a thermometer or a lighter (if you smoke cigarettes as they produce just enough of a flame to start the cigarette paper– as a pipe smoker they would not be practical for me). Then, finally, what is a “practical” doer? It is a pair of cuff links that look like they could be of assistance, but there is very little chance one can actually use them for their purported design.

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For accountants and bookkeepers, who wouldn’t want abacus cuff links. . The abacus cuff links look good, says your good with numbers, but are just too small to use correctly and it would be quite an accomplishment to maintain them level enough to use while on your cuff. Engineers might find slide rule cuff links fun, but, probably most people who remember how to use a slide rule would need a magnifying glass to see the results (since I have not used a slide rule since high school, even the magnifying glass wouldn’t help).

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Many watch cuff links would be considered practical, as they are really just small watches, still readable, that are put into cuff links. However, when one decides to miniaturize the psychedelic cocktail watch from the 60’s, it becomes a “practical” doer as even the actual watches were quite difficult to use to tell time. They are fun to look at and if you consider putting yourself into a trance, then maybe they could be considered practical.

Remember, that the fun of a doer is not that it actually does sometime useful, its just that it does more than just keeping your cuff closed. Whether practical or “practical” just the notion that a pair of cuff links could perform something else useful can certainly be used in deciding why you really need another pair of cuff links. (To be used when well made and fun is not enough).

5. Musings...

I am still working toward having The Cuff Linker host a cuff link convention in New York City during early August of 05. We’ll see if we can make it the event of the summer (I’m sure it would at least be the event for me). I hope to have specifics to be listed during the November issue (yes, I know, for scheduling it certainly cannot be later than December). The November issue will be out around Thanksgiving – if you want to discuss cuff links and are in New York City the weekend of November 20-21, Captain Huck’s Booty will be set up at the Stella Triple-Pier Show, Pier 92, Booth 3228 – we hope to see you there.

I look forward to hearing from all those interested in cuff links, especially those of you who might wish to provide articles for The Cuff Linker. I’m looking for stories involving favorite cuff links, wonderful cuff link stories and articles about cuff link collecting areas.

The overall purpose of this newsletter is to keep bring to you a few unusual cuff links, sometimes provide good information on makers and issues and to help keep the fun in wearing and collecting cuff links. Please let me know if there are particular makers or designs that you would like to see featured in future issues.

Finally, after you have looked over the cuff links on http://captainhucksbooty.com I suggest that you check out the approximately 500 pair of cuff links being offered by other dealers on TIAS. http://tias.com

6. Helpful Resources

For a good overview of Danish jewelry, including the artistry of Jensen, Nielsen and Magnussen, I suggest Danish Jewelry by Jacob Thage, published by Komma & Clausen, originally in 1990. It does a history of Danish jewelry through the 1950’s focusing on the major players, but generally mentioning high quality smaller shops

7. Questions and Answers

? Question:

I just got a pair of cuff links signed Bent K – who is Bent K?

! Answer:

Bent K stands for Bent Knudsen who was trained as a silversmith at C. M. Cohr in Fredericia Denmark. He worked at the Hans Hansen Smithy for 10 years. Bent and his wife, Anni (also a trained silversmith), established their own smithy in 1956. He often used stones in his designs that are in a simple, clear style and clearly well crafted. Knudsen’s pieces certainly would be generally classified as Danish Modern; however, his use of stones puts him apart from most Danish modernists.

While generally not at the quality level of Bent K, there is another Danish silversmith from the 50’s whose signature is often found on cuff links – John L. It appears that John L was John Lauritzen, a Copenhagen silversmith from 1955-1981. His pieces are generally smaller and some were made in 830 silver instead of sterling. His pieces are well made but are probably more wearable than collectible. Knudsen is listed in the Thage Danish Jewelry book, listed in helpful resources while Lauritzen was not included.

8. Subscribe / Unsubscribe

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To subscribe to other TIAS newsletters, including The Watch Enthusiast for which I am the editor and primary contributor: http://tias.com/subscribe

Please e-mail comments to huck@tias.com. While I still have not gotten to it yet, I will be updating my website. I've got hundreds of pairs of cuff links to be added (mostly in the collectible and costume areas) and not enough time to make too many mistakes. Please let me know your thoughts on how my store or our mall can be adjusted to make finding the type of cuff links that you are searching for easier and your overall browsing experience more pleasurable!

Thank you for reading! Please feel free to forward this to a friend.

Paul G. Huck
email: Huck@Tias.com
website: http://captainhucksbooty.com