Cufflinks of one sort or another have been with us for centuries. In the early days, men used to hold the cuffs of their shirts together with pieces of string. These then developed into the use of coloured ribbons, before cufflinks as we know them today were invented.
The modern cufflink has three main parts – the face, the post, and the toggle. The face is the part that shows outwardly on the wrist, and this can be of any sort of design that you wish. It can be made of glass, brass, gold, silver, and more, and an expensive pair can include a precious stone or stones.
The post is the part that is attached to the rear of the face and is what goes through the holes in the cuffs. The toggle is attached to the rear of the post, and it turns through 90°, so you twist it parallel to the post when you insert the cufflink through holes and then turn it back again to lock it into position. The toggle can be what is known as a bullet-back, so it is in the shape of a bullet, or it might be a whale-back which is in the shape of the tail of a whale.
Not All Cufflinks Work Like This
However, not all cufflinks work in this way. We still have chain link cufflinks where you have what are effectively two faces connected by a short chain. Then there is the ball return cufflink where the whole thing is in one piece with a curved post and a largish ball shape on the other end. You have to push the ball through both cuffs, so it is more difficult to put on than some cufflinks.
Cufflink face designs today are almost endless. This can be a good thing because you can choose different cufflinks for different occasions. So, you might want something very formal for the office or to go to the theatre, but a more relaxed appearance for the weekend.
At Wimbledon Cufflink Company we produce a wide choice of different patterns of bullet back style cufflinks. Many people love our Heritage range which depicts patterns such as the Welsh Dragon Cufflinks – perfect if you are Welsh!
The Welsh Dragon Cufflinks feature the dragon in gold on a red background. Legend has it that it was the battle standard of King Arthur. Today it has been added to the arms of Cardiff, the capital of Wales, demonstrating our pride in the Celtic inheritance.