Monday 30 April 2012

That's not a knife...............A$105

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.
  
Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

If there is an animal that can scare the pants off your scribe, its a crocodile in the wild.  These living dinosaurs are quite beautiful creatures but never, ever, mess around with one if you see one.  They are VERY dangerous and your scribe has seen one in captivity that was a staggering 4.5 metres long. Lunch for this guy, whose name was "Charlie" was a dozen chickens cheerfully thrown over what I thought was a substantially inadequate holding pen fence.  Charlie was captured in the waterways of the Northern Territory in Australia and now spends his time sunning himself and waiting for those lunch time chickens.  I hate to think what devastation he caused in the wild waterways in his younger days.



As a fashion accessory, there is only one thing that can surpass the Hermes Burkin bag for a lady executive on the move and that is a crocodile skin Hermes Burkin bag.  The Burkin of course was named after singer Jane Burkin and if your looking at the bottom of the range style, you will get more change out of buying an old car from $10K.  It is an item of true excellence in craftsmanship and a symbol of luxury in only the way Hermes can.


When your scribe is on the prowl or getting away on the trails for the weekend and his date happens to sport a crocodile skin Burkin, what better way to compliment the moment than with some crocodile skin links.


These links were found in a hotel gift store in Kalimantan, Indonesia whilst your scribe was on the coffee trails some years ago. Who knows how they ended up where they were but alas your scribe can never resist such things when on the road.  I often wonder if they came from one of Charlies distant relatives!!!!!

 They are worn with a Savil Row cotton shirt and a Salvatore Feragammo silk neck tie with none other than crocodile motifs!!!

Til Later


ONWARD

Sunday 29 April 2012

Live long and prosper..........A$155

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series .....

There are many milestones for your scribe to live through over the coming days, least of which is that it is your scribes Birthday Month.  Your scribe traditionally celebrates for an entire month....the problem of extended grown up off spring and new families.....ah so be it!  The local suppliers of French bubbles are on alert, as are the local restaurants and constabulary.

Having spent some formative years in the United States your scribe remembers all to well the run home after school to watch some classics of the golden era of television.....Lost in Space, the Honey Mooners, The Monkees and Banana Splits.  But one of your scribe’s favourites was Star Trek.  All iterations of the television show and the movie franchises are still favourites and who can forget such lines as "I can't push her any faster Jim" by Scottie and of course the imitable Spock played by Leonard Nimoy, who was half man half Vulcan with his Vulcan greeting of "Live long and prosper".



Today's links are worn to mark the beginning of your scribe’s journey for the Birthday Month.  I found these in the back streets of Hong Kong may moons ago during a past Birthday Month celebration whilst there on business.  Remarkably they are silver and not gold, a favourite of the Chinese culture but none the less your scribe includes them in his "lucky" cuff link category and are worn during the Birthday Month in the cause of seeking longevity during a time when one feels mortal for a change!!!!


They are black onyx and solid silver with the Chinese character representing longevity.  A long, healthy and prosperous life is one of the most admirable and highest goals and form part of three of the most basic well wishes that Chinese confer on each other. That you are happy, prosperous and live a long and fruitful life. I'll drink to that......"more champagne to sir's table please"

They are worn with a cotton Brooks Brothers shirt and a Moschino silk neck tie with peace symbol and heart motifs.


Til Later


ONWARD

Friday 27 April 2012

Tisk Tisk Tisk..........A$55

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.
 
Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

Your scribe has a real passion for canal cities....Amsterdam, Osaka, St Petersburg and Copenhagen to name your scribe's favourite few.

Copenhagen has been mentioned in dispatches before and we again visit that wonderful Danish city where art meets architecture meets design meets furniture design meets science meets technology meets great everyday living.


Every visit holds a new discovery and a new adventure that your scribe grasps with both hands. Today's links come from the Copenhagen Design Dansk Centre.  It is a treasure trove of  "stuff" for the design minded and your scribe makes it a must visit for any trip there.  It also provides for those last minute presents to the family and friends on your return and it's always a treasure trove for the traveller with links on his mind.  The gift shop is almost a museum in itself where your scribe found today's links on his last visit there.

Copenhagen of course has many attractions least of which is its wonderful architecture.  A tour of the landmarks (old and new) is a must.  Marvel at the Baroque and Rococo, as well as, the modern marvels of Arne Jacobson and Jorn Utzon. Follow this up with a trip to Christiania or a canal side pilsener with cold cuts during one of the lengthiest sunsets on earth and you would rather be no where else.



Today's links I call the Tisk Tisk Tisk links.  They are silver plate with three....dare one say "whooshes" without fear of infringement or retribution?  They are designed by Karol Ngordsted and they, like other Copenhagen treasures always attract comment from admirers.  The "tisks" are a mystery, perhaps as good art should be and they compliment the Gene Meyer of New York silk neck tie with asterisk motifs on green and red stripes.  They are worn with a Savile Row cotton shirt.



Til Later


ONWARD

Thursday 26 April 2012

The Empire Strikes Back..........A$65

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

April 25th is a special day for many reasons but particularly for those from New Zealand and Australia it celebrates one of the more important days in military history for both nations.  We are of course speaking of Anzac Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) which is a national day of remembrance for both countries for those that fell in the battle of Gallipoli.  It was Australia's first foray into war as a nation....albeit under the flag of the Empire, as both nations were still dominions under the British Empire.

Your scribe has attended many dawn service ceremonies for Anzac Day in many countries.  The most memorable was in El Alamain in Libya many years ago.  It was a multi nation ceremony attended by allied veterans as well as their foes from Turkey and Germany.  It was a most moving service and the War Memorial there is something to behold.  The following quote comes to mind in relation to Gallipoli by Ataturk the first President of the Republic of Turkey.

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives…You are now living in the soil of a friendly country.  Therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours…You, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears;  your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace, after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."


Mustafa Kemel Ataturk, 1934


The Anzacs of course fought under the flag of the British Empire.....for King and Country as they say.  This brings us to our links of the day.


These were bought on
Portobello Road
on one of your scribes many visits to The Old Dart or home of the Empire.  It’s a favourite haunt when your scribe has some business down time and there is no end of great pubs to visit or fabulously charming shop keepers to engage with.  These are an unusual stud link with "Empire" 2/25" engraved on a silver link.  I'm not sure what the 2/25 signifies but let’s say that for fun's sake that it is to celebrate one of the great authors of our time Anthony Burgess of "Clockwork Orange" fame.



Our link man for the day to celebrate Empire, Anzac day and the birthday of Anthony Burgess.

Til Later


ONWARD

Friday 20 April 2012

You can run but you can’t hide..........A$25

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

If you have ever been to Rio de Janeiro you will know that there is no place that can provide a starker contrast in society’s fickle and broad stratums than Rio.  And one of the great portrayals of this city is in the independent film The City of God.  The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and a host of other nominations at Film Festivals world wide and appears on countless “movies to see before you die” lists….and today your scribe can only say that it is one of the finer films (albeit disturbing in parts) you will ever see.


Set in the back streets and favelas of Rio de Janeiro, it traces the life of organized crime and drug dealing youth in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro, between the end of the '60s and the beginning of the '80s.  "If you run, the beast catches; if you stay, the beast eats".  The entire cast of the film were not professional actors, but actual residents of the favelas of Rio, which the gives the film an eerie all to real feel about it.



There are some absolutely brilliant portrayals of real life characters with fabulous gangster names like…Firecracker….Pliers….Stringy…Steak with Fries…and the lead characters Shaggy Clipper and Goose.



Today’s links depict Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro which stands at 40 metres high and is an icon of the city.  And what better image for all visitors to have than this.  They are worn with a cotton tailored shirt and a silk Chanel neck tie with star motifs.

The links are worn today as your scribe is to meet a delegation from the Rio organising committee for the 2016 Olympic Games….four years and 99 days to go!!!!!!



Til Later


ONWARD

Monday 16 April 2012

Fond Memories..........SOLD

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  
Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

Your scribe has a host of aviation ties and aviation themed links and today we venture in to the rise and fall of one of the world’s great airlines Ansett Australia and its sister Ansett International.

Wearing a “failed’ airlines cuff links is always a conversation starter and such was the airline that many people all have a story to tell of their experiences over the years.  The irony or the catalyst for the collapse lay on the day it closed its doors…..12 September 2001 after 66 years of operations.


Established by Sir Reginald Ansett KBE in 1935, at its peak it ran hundreds of aircraft, employed thousands of staff and had an impressive route map of destinations.  At one stage of the airlines life, it was the largest operator of the classic Fokker Friendship aircraft…..a true classic from the golden age of aviation. It is one of the few aircraft that is immortalised on postage stamps!!!!


Some speculate that the airline fell in to decline when the airlines share register was raided by none other than Rupert Murdoch and it was taken out of the hands of aviators and fell in to the hands of speculators….there’s a lesson there!

Ansett’s failing in 2001 was so spectacular that the financial administrators have only recently concluded the asset sales and paid out the long suffering employees their staff entitlements.  Best wishes to all that were affected by the collapse.



Today’s links were official Ansett wear for executives and pilots and are plate metal and enamel cuff links with the famous Ansett logo.  They are worn with a white cotton Brooks Brothers shirt and a Hermes silk neck tie with airplane motifs.


 
Til Later


ONWARD

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Sappers Links..........A$30

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  
Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series…

Some time ago on this blog we visited the United States Marine Corps and in the interests of equity, today we visit the Corps of Royal Engineers of the British Armed Forces.

They are responsible for the engineering and technical support of the British Armed Forces.  Founded in 1717 the Corps comprises 15 Regiments…when you consider that a Regiment can have as many as 1,000 personnel, we are talking about a major contributor to any military operation.  They have been pivotal in the many major military theatres of war, as well as the establishment of major pieces of infrastructure across the Commonwealth and British Empire.  These include major bridges, airfields (of personal interest to your scribe), canals, prisons and even recital halls such as the Royal Albert Hall.  The Royal Engineers football team are even accredited as playing in the first FA Cup Final and that is a good thing to note as we approach the pointy end of the FA Cup season.



The 1872 Royal Engineers side that lost to the Wanderers 1-0 in the First FA Cup.  They eventually won the title V Eton in 1875.

Its mottoes are Ubique….”Everywhere” and Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt….”Where Duty and Glory Lead” and they were granted by King William IV in 1832.



Tody’s links are a matching tie and cuff links set of the Corps of the Royal Engineers.  They were a gift from a dear friend that is involved in aviation and aerodromes and your scribe tends to wear them with the matching regimental tie to formal functions.  They are worn with a white Brooks Brothers cotton shirt.

 
Til Later


ONWARD

Tuesday 10 April 2012

The vessel with the pestle..........A$65

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

Your scribe was lucky enough to have had a most wonderful and lengthy lunch with an old chum from the medical profession.  It was in Black Friars, London, years ago.  Your scribe’s dear old friend is a Professor in the Medical Sciences and an Apothecary extraordinaire.  He is also an esteemed Member of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London.  Lunch of course involved many courses, discourses and a post lunch trip to the wonderful Apothecaries Hall around the corner in Black Friars Lane.  The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries was incorporated as a City Livery Company by Royal Charter from King James I on 6 December 1617 in recognition of apothecaries' specialist skills in compounding and dispensing medicines.


When in London a visit is a must to The Apothecaries Hall for those that have an interest in medical science history.


Today’s links were a gift after that lunch and they are a solid silver mortar and pestle, the symbol of apothecaries world wide.  They are worn with tailored cotton shirt and a green Salvatore Ferragamo silk neck tie with rosemary leaf motifs.


Which brings me to the Link Man for the Day……none other than, Danny Kaye whose famous lines in The Court Jester were:


"The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle;
the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!"


Til Later



ONWARD

Monday 9 April 2012

Friday Saturday and Sunday..........SOLD

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

Religious and other holidays are always celebrated with cuff links by your scribe and the past week is no exception.  If you ever get the chance to experience the Easter, Ramadan or Passover celebrations in the Holy Land, do take it up.  Your scribe has been lucky enough to have been in a number of Middle Eastern cities at that time and have celebrated the religious days in Mosques, Synagogues and ancient Christian churches.  My favourite though has to be in the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem at Easter.  It is built on the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried and the Easter ritual there dates back millennia.  Each branch of the Christian Church takes its turn to celebrate mass and is a most moving experience ever for those that may not be believers.


Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Like all great ancient sites, the place is always over-run by tourists and any number of young kids hawking souvenirs and the like.  One little urchin on my last visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was the one and only time a street vendor has offered me cuff links.  I was so taken by the young fellow and his persistence that I paid way over the odds and I am now the proud owner of his obvious home made efforts.  Well done young fellow.



Today’s links are a depiction of the Madonna and Child and are housed in brass rings and worn with a cotton Savile Row shirt and a silk Moschino neck tie with Crescent Moons, Star of Davids and Cross motifs.

Wishing you all, of all persuasions, a most wonderful religious holiday whether you praise the Lord on Friday or Saturday or Sunday.

Bless you all and Pax Vobiscum.

Til Later



ONWARD

Saturday 7 April 2012

Free at Last..........A$55

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.  

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series….

There are a few cuff links in your scribe's collection that are of unknown provenance….they have mysteriously entered the collection and probably emanate from a mixed bag Christmas stocking or from a raucous milestone birthday celebration!  So today we make an event match the links that have no story, no source and no past.  They are worn today with a cotton tailored shirt and a silk polka dot Gene Meyer of New York neck tie.


This week of course is a very spiritual one for many people.  Including the anniversary of the assassination of The Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jnr. in Memphis Tennessee in 1968.  Dr King was of course a huge link man and can be seen in many dozens of archive shots donning cuff links. He was an activist, a man of God, a Nobel Laureate and a truly great leader of our time.  Your scribe was living in Washington DC at the time of his assassination and there was a wave of race riots that ensued across Washington and the rest of the USA.  His funeral was a most moving event for a youngster like your scribe and has remained in my memory as one of overbearing collective sadness not often seen in society but for the most loved of leaders.

Excerpts from Dr King’s “ I have been to the Mountaintop” speech the night before he died….most prophetic.

And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't really matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live - a long life; longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord

RIP MLK
  

Til Later


ONWARD

Wednesday 4 April 2012

Sir Yes Sir..........A$55

One man’s mission to share with the world the fine art of cufflinks.

Each blog a different pair and each blog a different story.  Read on in this series…..

Today we once again enter the world of “militaria” links.  Spiffing uniforms are a mainstay of any county’s military and what better way to finish off one's issued regimental dress than a pair of smart links.

Styles vary across the world’s military forces and elaborate decoration can make official dress unique to many a nation.  The Swiss Guards of the Vatican take great pride in their medieval dress and the Coldstream Guards in the UK never fail to impress when on parade.  When in full dress the added splashes of colour that a lanyard or sash can bring or a full array of decoration medals are all to instil pride in the wearer and the subjects that they defend.


Today’s links are apparently from the US Marine Corps and are to denote that the wearer is of the First Lieutenant rank.  They are worn with formal dress or on parade.  By the way never call a US Marine a “soldier”…..they are “Marines” and damn proud of it.  They are the first to arrive to any military operation and “take the beach” so to speak for the rest of the advancing American military.  Active in every theatre of war since 1775 their motto is Semper Fidelis or Always Faithful and/or Loyal and they never leave a man behind.


Today’s links are all the more extraordinary in that they are worn by a commissioned officer of the US Marine Corps, a much lauded position in the Corps.  Commissioned officers carry the "special trust and confidence" of the President of the United States.  They are solid silver with the First Lieutenants “bar” embossed.  I found these in a military ephemera shop in Louiseville Kentucky many years ago.  I hate to be an imposter but a nice set of Links is a nice set of Links…..from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli.

They are worn with a cotton tailored shirt and a Ralph Lauren silk neck tie with anchor and eagle motifs.

Til Later


ONWARD