You might take that zipper on your favorite clothes for granted, but did you know that it has a rich and long history before it became how you know it right now?
Take a look at some of the surprising and amazing facts about zippers and bring your trivia game to the next level.
Table of Contents
What Zippers are Made Of
Zippers are mainly composed of four elements. The “tape” or “stringer” is the cloth found at either side of a zipper. The teeth are those small interlocking parts of a zipper. Meanwhile, the zipper slider is the part that closes and opens the teeth as it slides over them.
The part of the zipper that you use for pulling the slider is the zipper tab. Most zippers also feature a bottom and a top stop at either end of the teeth. Today’s zippers can be made of metal and plastic materials alike, and both are ideal options to make this fastener.
Zippers are Versatile Fasteners
Zippers are no doubt some of the most versatile fasteners you can find. These are not just on and for your jeans! Some of the most common uses for zippers include camping supplies, luggage, clothing, shoes, and so much more.
Zippers are Big Business
Zippers are definitely no joke in the business community. People in the United States alone use 4.5 billion zippers per year. Now, that is plenty of zippers for every person!
Who’s Behind the Development of Zippers?
People often give credit to several inventors for developing the zipper, but the truth is that only a single invention actually resembles the zipper that everyone uses today.
Elias Howe is the one who is sometimes credited for the creation of the zipper. However, his invention somewhat resembles an elaborate drawstring.
Whitcomb Judson is also typically cited as the creator of the zipper, although his device, called the clasp locker, is actually more of an intricate hook-and-eye fastener.
The real inventor of the zipper that people know today is none other than Gideon Sundback. The device that Sundback made included teeth as well as a zipper slider that pulled the teeth to a close.
This only means that Sundback is the true inventor of what the world now knows as the zipper. Without the patents of Gideon Sundback in 1913 and 1917, chances are people would still be fumbling to button their flies closed.
It All Started with Shoes
The first several attempts at designing zippers happened while trying to come up with fasteners for shoes. Most of you probably don’t often think of shoes right away as far as zippers are concerned, but these fasteners actually have a valuable place on your feet and not just on your jeans.
Zippers were mostly used on tobacco pouches and shoes when they were originally created. Zippers didn’t become popular for being used on clothes until the 1920s and 1930s when children’s clothes and trousers began started using zippers.
ZipperShipper.com is one of the leading names when it comes to zippers that are a testament to the long history that these fasteners have gone through.