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The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

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Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#131

Post by edgineer »

more_corn wrote: post #125
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #78

I don't like "submarine" PR articles like this, because I feel like the author didn't ask any of the obvious questions around this zipper: 1. No closeup pics of how the zipper is actually sewed onto fabrics. 2. Is this design more likely to tear fabrics than a traditional zipper? A video another commenter linked made it look more fragile to me, but I don't know. 3. The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This des…

The biggest issue with zippers is durability. I’ve had dozens of broken zippers over my lifetime on clothing that was far from end of life. If I could pay $20 extra dollars for a piece of clothing with a twice as durable zipper I’d do it. I’m pretty sure zippers cost a dime so that’s a good margin.

You can buy a new zipper and have a tailor put it on for you. I've upgraded clothing in this way before. Total cost is about $20.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#132

Post by thadk »

emptybits wrote: post #30

"Major Upgrade" for the fast, disposable fashion crowd. Major downgrade for maintainability and ability to repair. This "upgraded" zipper will be impossible to replace if broken at home, by hand or with a machine, or even at a typical professional repair shop. YKK documents say a "dedicated AiryString® sewing machine" is required.[1] [1] https://ykkdigitalshowroom.com/assets/AiryString_202507_en.p...

Huh, reading the spec sheet, the hem line at the bottom of these has to be quite thin like the rest of the zipper-proximate area.

You can note on each of the 3 example garments and in the comment near them that the double thick sewn hem has to end near the new "zipper" design.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#133

Post by m463 »

hilbert42 wrote: post #121
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #78

I don't like "submarine" PR articles like this, because I feel like the author didn't ask any of the obvious questions around this zipper: 1. No closeup pics of how the zipper is actually sewed onto fabrics. 2. Is this design more likely to tear fabrics than a traditional zipper? A video another commenter linked made it look more fragile to me, but I don't know. 3. The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This des…

"The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This design looks like it would be a lot more likely to snag, but maybe not." I can't see this new design solving that problem. Of all the day-to-day inanimate objects I've encountered I'd single out zippers as the most problematic I've come across. I cannot think of another device I've had so much trouble with. They snag, jam, the teeth fall out or tear out with little pr…

I think most zipper trouble I've had is with zippers that are too small for the job.

I think really fat YKK style zippers on things like boots or gloves are wonderful.

The zippers I've had problems with are usually small-tooth non-ykk zippers.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#134

Post by f30e3dfed1c9 »

hilbert42 wrote: post #121
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #78

I don't like "submarine" PR articles like this, because I feel like the author didn't ask any of the obvious questions around this zipper: 1. No closeup pics of how the zipper is actually sewed onto fabrics. 2. Is this design more likely to tear fabrics than a traditional zipper? A video another commenter linked made it look more fragile to me, but I don't know. 3. The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This des…

"The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This design looks like it would be a lot more likely to snag, but maybe not." I can't see this new design solving that problem. Of all the day-to-day inanimate objects I've encountered I'd single out zippers as the most problematic I've come across. I cannot think of another device I've had so much trouble with. They snag, jam, the teeth fall out or tear out with little pr…

You seem to have... very unusual experience with zippers. I honestly can't remember the last time I had trouble with one or ever having any serious trouble with one.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#135

Post by phatskat »

portaouflop wrote: post #106
Gud wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t know if it’s that easy. I have a few favourites t-shirts I rotate around. My H&M Iron Maiden t-shirt for $20 has surpassed much more expensive t-shirts by a long shot.

It also helps to avoid synthetic fabrics in my experience. But you are right it’s not that easy…

It feels easier to me: buy second hand, look for natural fibers, take care of your garments (wash according to tag, don’t use fabric softeners or dryer sheets).

Learning to mend isn’t too bad either, especially with fabrics that are sturdier.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#136

Post by StopDisinfo910 »

rootusrootus wrote: post #102
OptionOfT wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fabrics have gotten a lot thinner, and thus develop holes a lot more quickly. I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. Also, you mentioning the inability to repair stuff at home makes me sad. My mom, 72 year old, repaired my nephew's jacket the other day. Brand new zipper. The machine in that PDF you shared makes me feel YKK is going in…

> I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. One of the little things I find most satisfying about getting old is hearing the same proclamations about quality going to shit today that I heard when I was much younger, only now the supposedly-good baseline of the comparison happened well after the complaints I grew up hearing. I, too, want e…

Sadly, I have garments from my grand-parents made 40 years ago which are much better than my parents garments made 20 years ago, themselves much better than what you can find nowadays at the same price points from the same brands.

Thankfully, with the internet, it's easier than ever to buy actually nice and well made pieces of cloth. They are not cheap however.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#138

Post by IAmBroom »

snowwrestler wrote: post #128
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #78

I don't like "submarine" PR articles like this, because I feel like the author didn't ask any of the obvious questions around this zipper: 1. No closeup pics of how the zipper is actually sewed onto fabrics. 2. Is this design more likely to tear fabrics than a traditional zipper? A video another commenter linked made it look more fragile to me, but I don't know. 3. The biggest issue with any zipper is snags. This des…

Nitpicking here, but this is not a submarine article. This is above the waves, straight-ahead, overt PR. It’s a standard product launch article. The news is: Company Announced Product. The article is: what the company says about the product. There’s not much more to report than that, yet. Once the product actually hits shelves there can be more articles with real world tests, breakdowns, close-ups, etc. The reality i…

I'd say that testing of the product's performance in the lab is possible, but agree that WE the consumers won't know the truth until we experience it.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#139

Post by IAmBroom »

testdelacc1 wrote: post #70
OptionOfT wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fabrics have gotten a lot thinner, and thus develop holes a lot more quickly. I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. Also, you mentioning the inability to repair stuff at home makes me sad. My mom, 72 year old, repaired my nephew's jacket the other day. Brand new zipper. The machine in that PDF you shared makes me feel YKK is going in…

> I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Survivor...

Yes, survivorship bias is real, but it's absolutely true that clothes are often made of more delicate fabrics today.

Some of it is fashion-motivated; a shaved leather jacket that has a feel almost like cloth lays very differently on a person than a bomber- or motorcycle-weight jacket.

The rest is because lighter threads are cheaper. And lighter-weight zippers are cheaper.

We won't know if this self-lauded new product is an improvement or not for a while.

Re: The zipper is getting its first major upgrade in 100 years

#140

Post by IAmBroom »

rootusrootus wrote: post #102
OptionOfT wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fabrics have gotten a lot thinner, and thus develop holes a lot more quickly. I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. Also, you mentioning the inability to repair stuff at home makes me sad. My mom, 72 year old, repaired my nephew's jacket the other day. Brand new zipper. The machine in that PDF you shared makes me feel YKK is going in…

> I have t-shirts from 2010 which are faded but have 0 holes. Whereas t-shirts I bought half a year ago have holes in them. One of the little things I find most satisfying about getting old is hearing the same proclamations about quality going to shit today that I heard when I was much younger, only now the supposedly-good baseline of the comparison happened well after the complaints I grew up hearing. I, too, want e…

Some of it is very real, and economical.

If your mother has to drop-spindle the flax your father helped gather from the retting pond to make the thread to weave the garment... that tunic better damned-well last several years. In fact, garments were mentioned in estate records of the deceased because they were so valuable.

If you can shop online for a new T-shirt while riding the bus to work, and have it delivered to your door the next day... your children aren't going to hope to inherit it.

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