Talk:Chinese finger trap

How it works
This article should include details on what exactly the mechanism in the finger trap is. What makes it tighten once your fingers are in the edges?

Title
883 hits for "Chinese finger trap". 508 hits for "Chinese fingertrap". 424 hits for "Chinese fingercuffs". 211 hits for "Chinese finger cuffs".

--Viriditas | Talk 01:20, 5 Mar 2005 (UTC)

History/Etymology
Does anyone have any data on its origin? In particular, is it really Chinese? Can't find anything through Google. I think I need a trip to the library... Matthew Platts 11:50, 28 August 2005 (UTC)


 * Agree that the article needs to comment on this. Either give the facts if they are well known, or mention most likely theories if there is some uncertainty, or state that nobody has any evidence if there is complete uncertainty!  —DIV (120.17.169.58 (talk) 09:32, 22 June 2017 (UTC))

Need picture.
Yeah, it'd be nice to have one. - Anonymous
 * There's a template for that. Photo requested Pimlottc 18:14, 24 May 2006 (UTC)

Star Trek
Hey I've just finished adding the line about the Star Trek episode before realising the same information was present before but removed by the last edit preceding mine. Any reason it was deleted ? 66.130.179.31 15:57, 16 August 2007 (UTC)

The Adams family.
In the first Adam's family movie, there is a finger trap. It is clearly not the same thing, but probably has its origin, in the chinese finger trap. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.49.27.80 (talk) 20:19, 2 November 2007 (UTC)

Hot Shots II
If I remember correctly, a finger trap also occurs in Hot Shots II, where one of the prisoners in the Iraqi camp is enchained like that. (And after the trap has been cut in the middle with a knife, he rubs his wrists as if he had been handcuffed.) But does anybody remember some details? --80.171.193.199 (talk) 21:57, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

Not Intended For Restraint
Do we really need to say this? It seems pretty obvious. jd 04:10, 16 February 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Shaft2056 (talk • contribs)

The Simpsons and these traps
Two examples of the finger trap in the show have been used, primarily as jokes. In Season 4's "Homer's Triple Bypass", Dr. Nick Rivera advertises a free Chinese finger trap to anyone that has brain surgery, and in Season 9's "This Little Wiggy", Ralph Wiggum had one, in which Bart stuck his finger in there as an act break joke ("Fighting only makes it tighter." was Ralph's line), and eventually has his own mouth stuck in one end of said trap as a mere observation of Bart explaining to his mother why he doesn't want to be with Ralph on a "play-date". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.250.21.33 (talk) 15:42, 27 May 2010 (UTC)

The bit on Chasing Amy...
Is it necessary? Really? A mention on the movie's page makes sense. A mention on this page makes it seem like knowing about Amy's nickname is necessary to understanding Chinese finger traps, which I, uh, somewhat doubt. 74.163.27.24 (talk) 12:47, 13 June 2010 (UTC)

Kind of a Big Deal
This article doesn't explain anything about the origins of the finger trap, including the big question of whether it is, in fact, chinese. --173.70.148.124 (talk) 17:08, 28 December 2013 (UTC)


 * @173.70.148.124 and after years its always the same, this trap is chinese or not? 93.55.65.186 (talk) 23:23, 6 November 2023 (UTC)

I second this. I came here looking for the history, found nothing to speak of. 75.143.160.166 (talk) 21:27, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

Girl friend trap
A single ended variant has been on sale in the UK under the name of "girl-friend trap". Martin of Sheffield (talk) 13:07, 6 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Should probably only be mentioned in the article if there are any reliable sources for it. But I've created redirects. -- intgr [talk] 11:57, 22 June 2017 (UTC)
 * I've been keeping "half an eye" open for it on sale to take a photo but I've not seen one for about 20 years. I've got documentary evidence about their effectiveness though: one marriage certificate, a mortgage deed and two children!  They are dangerous. :-) Martin of Sheffield (talk) 12:08, 22 June 2017 (UTC)
 * A recent edit by gives a reference to the name being used as far back as 1870.  I've added it to the lead. Martin of Sheffield (talk) 12:21, 24 November 2017 (UTC)