How to save your 08s

Alright, an up-to-date friend and I get into a conversation. This friend of mine are talking about how 08s are getting deleted. He then tells me that he once had a 07 item, added a socket to it, and then it lasted the 08 patch. I am thinking that if you socket a 08 item, it will have the ID of a 09 item, but the stats of a 08. I also have heard that the item is made into a new one after it is socketed so this could actually be true. So, I am wondering if this is true. I have already socketed my 08 shako, valor, and gf. Hopefully, they will survive the patch.