Video – All the secrets of zips

It's everywhere, it's taken for granted, and the majority of people don't even pay attention to it anymore. The zip is an essential element of our daily life!

From its history to the brands that manufacture them and the selection criteria, in this video, you will know everything about zips, including what you haven't thought of.

The history of the zip

The zipper was invented by Withcomb Judson in 1893 . The idea was to join two pieces of fabric without buttons, to be able to perfectly adjust the joint, not to let air in, and above all, to do it quickly, in a single movement without wasting time buttoning a multitude of buttons.

The ease of use of a zipped jacket compared to that of a buttoned jacket is obvious. This invention started from a very concrete problem. Moreover, at that time, apart from buttons, there were no other technologies: the American literally started from a blank sheet.

At first, it wasn't quite a zipper, it was more of a system of eyelets and hooks that attached using a zipper. Reliability left something to be desired. Initially, the invention did not find its audience, in particular because of a lack of communication on the subject (at the time, this was not the marketing of today).

On the other hand, Withcomb did not lose motivation, he believed very strongly in his creation. So strong that his destiny will change. The American will meet a certain Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American engineer.

Gideon Sundback revolutionized the industrialization of the zip. He developed all the machinery needed to make zips in 1913, which was no small feat. In particular, the engineer thought about creating metal teeth that fit together rather than grommets and hooks.

For the record, the word “zipper” comes from one of their very first customers. Quickly, this expression became the common name for this funny invention. It was only around twenty years later that we saw the first zips on pants, jeans and jackets.

In the early 1930s, the zip brand was called Talon. You probably know her if you like the world of vintage clothing.

France saw the first zips arrive in 1924. Initially, only the Prym company obtained the right to use Gideon's patent. The company wishes to diversify from its first field of activity: snap buttons. To attack the French market, they decided to find a more meaningful brand name, and this name you know well, since it is the zipper.

Yes, at its core, zippering is a business . The brand has become, over time, a common name to designate the object (like the shopping cart, the paper towel or even the fridge). In fact, this technology is called a zipper. Éclair still exists and still belongs to Prym.

But in 1980, a competitor took first place, and it was a Japanese. Since then, its crown has never wavered, it is the immense YKK.

What is a good zip?

So it seems stupid said like that, but a good zip is a zip that lasts over time. For us, as a clothing designer, this is the first criterion. The zipper is very practical, but the day a tooth breaks or twists, it becomes unusable and it's hell.

So a good zip does not break or tear, and the slider always remains correctly engaged. T oday, given that YKK controls a large part of the global market and offers truly reliable products, quality seems a given.

However, a good zip is not just limited to its reliability. It also has to be pretty, that is to say with colors or finishes that you don't necessarily expect to find. B etween a black plastic zip and a silver metal zip, it changes the garment and its atmosphere quite a bit.

At BonneGueule we realize this when we receive the first prototypes with the wrong zip.

Here is an example with our Lugano parka :

Plastic zip or metal zip?

We want to say, it depends. It's a little more complex than saying: the metal zip is necessarily prettier and the plastic zip is logically less good.

So yes, the metal zip, in an urban setting, is indeed a more upscale look. On the other hand, the plastic zip, for outdoor or sports uses, makes complete sense, because it is lighter and sometimes more reliable. It is more flexible and comfortable when you have to be moving all the time.

For example, I personally like YKK's plastic Vislon because it's a zip that clicks well, slides easily and is, above all, very reliable, whatever the weather. I also appreciate its robustness and practicality. This is a zip that is regularly found on sleeping bags for the military.

However, on a beautiful leather jacket, having a plastic zip, however light and practical it may be, seems inappropriate. A high-end piece deserves a beautiful metal zip , whether brushed or smooth.

The zips I like

My favorite zips are those that are a little wide, made of metal, with a patinated and aged effect. I also like glossy zippers with perfectly polished metal, but I still prefer with a matte finish on them. Unfortunately, these are the most expensive zips.

As for the nylon zip, I'm terrified of a zip that loosens on a backpack, which explains the adulation of the made in USA zips used by Goruck, they are indestructible.

They can be distinguished by the inscription U or USA marked on the closure. Whereas for example, for zips made in Taiwan, a small “T” is written on them.

On the other hand, one must not be more royalist than the king.

On my Mystery Ranch bag, they are YKK zippers sourced in Asia, and the quality is also excellent. You can open it by pulling the top of the bag, without necessarily unzipping it, and the zip absorbs the tension without problem, although this is a movement that should NEVER be done.

Savotta, the very famous brand of hiking bags, which has a reputation for producing indestructible material, does not use YKK zippers, and yet the result is more than satisfactory.

How to recognize a good zip?

You will surely be disappointed, zippers are a bit like cashmere, it is difficult to gauge the quality of a zipper when they are new, it all depends on time.

To know if the zip is reliable, it must continue its use year after year, with complete fluidity. Honestly , when you have YKK or more high end brands, you eliminate 90% of the problem, because those are brands used by high end, luxury or outdoor.

So if you have a zip whose quality you can't see on a new garment, that's normal!

YKK, the birth of an empire

YKK is the abbreviation of the Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki gaisha phrase. Founded by Tadao Yoshida in 1934 , I particularly like their slogan: Little parts, big difference . The idea is to make a remarkable difference with a small object like the zip.

Tadao was a guy obsessed with details , who tried to improve the zips of the time. He immediately understood that he had to improve and design the machine that would make them. Then he realized that he needed special threads to weave his zip, so he started making his own thread.

The particularity of this company is that it is very vertically integrated, that is to say that it controls all the stages, from the smelting of its copper, to the manufacturing of its polyester, its fabric, etc. She even went so far as to design and produce their boxes to ship the zips and the machines to make them.

YKK has factories around the world, including a French one in Seclin opened in 1972, which produce at consistent quality.

For this, they have developed many processes relating to quality control, or inventory optimization . Their evolution is permanent, which is not always easy for a company of this scale.

Tadao had formalized what he called the cycle of kindness. To put it simply, according to the businessman, it is only possible to prosper if others around you benefit from it. If Talon has lost so much market share, it is because they have innovated much less than YKK, who understood from the start that it was necessary to extend zips to outdoor wear, handbags, or sportswear.

They even went further by creating the zippers for the outfits of American astronauts who went to the moon. They are the ones who set up the magnetic closure system for James Bond's watch, in fact I made an entire video on this character which you can find right here .

When I visited Filson , the production manager told me that YKK had very kindly lent them a machine so that they could make their own zips.

I will now tell you about some technical zips from the YKK range.

1. Zip Aquacheat

It’s the Canada Dry of waterproof zip! It tastes like waterproof zip, smells like waterproof zip, only it's not waterproof zip. The goal is simply to give a technical appearance to the zip.

In fact, these are two plastic strips that are glued to each side of the teeth. It is therefore logically less expensive than a truly waterproof zip, since the performance is lower. You will then ask me, but why? The advantage is to have a wide variety of prints and colors without being limited by the technical specifications of a real waterproof zip.

2. Aquaguard Zip

This is the range you can see on techwear or high-end outdoor clothing. They often have a slightly shiny appearance, because it is a plastic strip which is applied to the zip, with a very thin slit to open the closure, so thin that water does not pass through.

Acronym uses it a lot on their clothing, and often in a very creative way. For example, they put several cursors on the same band to make pockets coexist.

In reality, it is indeed rain resistant, but it is not made for immersion. For example, you couldn't put it on a backpack that's meant to be underwater regularly, because water would end up entering through the very thin slit in the middle. 

3. Zip aquaseal

This zipper is completely waterproof. It is used for survival suits, certain submersible backpacks or any other nautical application.

So why don't we use this zip on a rain jacket to make it completely waterproof?

In reality, the zipper is very difficult to handle, you have to force it a little. Its use is therefore largely restricted, it is difficult to open and close it as you wish.

4. Zip maintenance

For maintenance, there are products designed specifically for maintaining your zips, Gear Aid and McNett being the best known. The product is applied once a year to tent, sleeping bag zippers or many other types of zippers. In addition, this will prevent damage to the polyurethane of the technical zips.

And yes, you can go so far as to buy a zip maintenance product.

Luxury zips

Luxury brands don't necessarily need zippers that resist submersion in water, but they do need a very beautiful and luxurious finish. In addition to a high-end feeling, it obviously has to be durable! And for someone like me who loves details, it's a fabulous playground.

In this little game of luxurious zips, YKK excels with its Excella range but it is by no means the only one in this niche. Three other brands stood out well.

1. Riri

Riri is a Swiss Italian company that has existed since 1936. I really like their logo, very descriptive and above all they have done really nice advertising campaigns over time to praise the quality of their zips.

Riri is a great product, a little less flamboyant than Lampo and Raccagni which I talk about just after, but with a very precise and meticulous side like Swiss watchmaking. Their desire is not to offer imposing zips, they rather make zips with small teeth, machined with great precision.

For brands that are in a somewhat minimalist vibe and want a high-end zip, this is often their first choice. They have a very luxury image, but they are also capable of very technical products like their storm zip which is water resistant.

2. Lampo

Lampo is really the Italian zip! They 've been making zip since the 50s. It's Balmain 's zipper of choice. It appears everywhere: on their biker denims, their perfectos, etc.

It’s really this brand that put it in the spotlight and the logo on the zip is quite graphic. Like Raccagni, they offer a lot of zips with a very high-end feel, in several widths and aspects, the way they treat the metal is really nice, and the glide is soft and fluid, whatever the width.

For information, we used Lampo zips for our shearling jacket.

3. Raccagni

How can we talk about zips without mentioning Raccagni? The Italian company has been around since 1983 and offers the Roll's Royce of zippers. For many, these are the most luxurious, high-end, but also the most expensive zips.

Regarding their clients, it's not complicated, they have everyone in luxury: Chanel , Givenchy , Dior , etc.

But the most famous remains Tom Ford . Raccagni formed a partnership with the brand in 2008, to create imposing, ever more luxurious zips. Indeed, if you've seen my video on James Bond , you know that he has a certain idea of ​​opulence.

Finally, what’s so special about these zips?

They have a certain visual presence, that is to say imposing while remaining elegant. The finishes are really beautiful, whether it's the patinated, industrial effect, or on the contrary very glossy, very refined, each time it's truly high-end.

And in fact they have taken the process of polishing the teeth very far: by softening the edges of the teeth, it allows for a smoother, more reliable and more durable glide, despite its imposing size.

They also have a finish that they apply to the zip to protect the metal from any harsh chemicals that one might get in a handbag leather with a bit of questionable tanning. They are also capable of carrying out a multitude of tests depending on their clients. They have one who, for example, wanted a zip that withstands 4000 openings and closings without any tearing.

And where they are very well known is for all their industrial tools that they have developed especially for them. They are the ones who created their own mold for the zip teeth for example.

In France, it's the Aïzea brand that uses them, if you want to see what they look like in real life.

Concerning BonneGueule clothing, I thought several times about using Raccagni, but it is really very high-end, and I did not want to significantly increase the price because of the weight of the zip in the production cost , especially given the excellent quality/price/luxury ratio of the Excella range. But maybe one day we’ll get there!

4. Out of category: Umber Jade

And now it's time for me to talk to you about something really weird, but kind of weird.

It's a funny brand, which is more about the concept than the brand, which comes from Japan. It's called Umber Jade and in fact the guy has fun creating his own zips with industrial and vintage influences.

It's quite impressive, I didn't think you could be so creative on a zip.

But it's not clear, there are a lot of mysteries around this brand, and their Instagram doesn't tell us much. And the website, like any self-respecting niche and confidential Japanese brand, looks like nothing, it's even more of a joke.

By clicking on “concept” the words “industrial beauty” will appear and if you click on it again, you have a certain mister zip which replaces it. If that’s not competitive trolling!

In any case, in Tokyo, Umber Jade is located not very far from the Goro and First Arrows boutique, these Japanese jewelers that I love, and I would really like to take a look when I return to Japan.

What future for zip?

Today, and to return to the outdoors, the place of the zip is debated in the face of CSR issues. It's a bit of a love/hate relationship. Because it is an inexpensive technology, which works well and which is very practical. And besides, today we still haven't found anything better for backpacks, tents or courage bags for example!

So from an industrial designer's point of view, they are a panacea, and they are irreplaceable in terms of user experience. Unfortunately, the system relies on small teeth that fit together, so the machine can seize up with grains of sand or dirt.

And the problem is that when a tooth breaks or twists, you can't really repair it yourself, unlike a button that comes unstitched, you have to have the zip changed if possible.

Patagonia said that the zippers on sleeping bags can be very annoying, because changing the zipper opens the down compartments, scattering feathers everywhere. This requires a very restrictive process to prevent this from happening, namely rooms with a very particular atmospheric pressure. All that for a zip to change!

Which led Patagonia to rack its brains over the possible replacement of a zip and its repairability.

But it is also a difficult element to recycle, and it is often the first detail that will break first on a backpack for example... as long as the zips are of poor quality. Honestly about the backpacks that I have, unless you're a big, big nag, I don't see how it could crack with normal use.

In short, the problem with recycled plastic zips is that they are not hard and strong enough for regular and demanding use.

Currently, what we know how to do is use recycled polyester for the strips of fabric on each side but not for the teeth.

In short, this innocuous accessory has been a source of great innovation and it continues to give pause to the most brilliant textile minds in the world.

For further

And finally, know that there is a zip bible, it is zipper gear written by a Japanese. There is also the book zipper: an exploration in novelty which tells how this small object became popular everywhere in our lives.