The Chinese Finger Trap is toy or practical joke item going back hundreds of years. It is also known as the Chinese finger puzzle or handcuffs. The tube is a biaxial braid of bamboo - a helically wound affair.
If you insert your forefingers into each end of the finger trap, the fingers will get stuck as you try and pull them out. The trap tightens because of the type of braiding. To get your fingers out, you have to do the opposite - push your fingers together which in turn enlarges the ends so you can slip your fingers out in a twisting motion.
Chinese Finger Traps via WikipediaAny Star Trek :The Next Generation fans out there? Here is a short amusing video segment when the oh so clever Data gets his fingers stuck in a Chinese finger trap!
Amazon sells Chinese Finger Traps
for $1.89 a dozen or you could try eBay. Alternatively, you can easily make the Chinese finger traps out of ribbon, fabric or even paper as shown in this tutorial on eHow.Other Tutorials by PS I Made This:
- Use Your Fingers to Make this Macrame Necklace
- The Black Hair Roller Necklace Tutorial
- Spike Necklace Tutorial and other Focal Inspirations
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I do remember that Star Trek episode! Thanks so much for the tutorial, can't wait to make one with the kids!
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Yes, that series was my favorite amongst all the Star Trek series.
ReplyDeleteWow, never thought when my kids played with those that I could be making jewelry with them!!! lol
ReplyDeleteThanks Pearl.
Carol
Anything is possible Carol! We are only limited by our imaginations! Pearl
ReplyDelete"PS I Made This" is certainly imaginative !
ReplyDeleteBeing a Trekkie of sorts (I don't do their conventions) and an avid science fiction fan, I would surmise that Data's superior mentality was not able to grasp the childlike simplicity of the Chinese Finger Trap. Wonder if he returned to his quarters afterwards and crafted something more useful out of it the way PS did? :)
I thought he should have been able to access his vast data banks for the answer!
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