Talk:Zipper

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Wouldn't it cause less confusion to change the article on the clothing fastener from zip to zipper? We'd also save on disambiguation... --Uncle Ed 19:06, 25 Aug 2003 (UTC)

Done. - [[User:Pat

garment. However, if the zipper fails, the whole garment is wasted. Therefore, it is very important to choose a very good quality zipper, even if it costs a few cents more." a matter of POV or badly worded. Also the use of cent on this page (American) and Pants (Not the same meaning in British English) is dubious. EAi 01:23, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Contents 1 Zip 2 Zip 3 Zipper animation 4 What is Excoffier zipper? 5 Birthplace of the Zipper Dispute

[edit] Zip

Regarding earlier comments on disambiguation and changing this article from 'Zip' to 'Zipper', this would seem a little strange.

The English usage of the word is "Zip", Americanisation (note the usage of 's' not 'z') has made usage of the word "Zipper" more common - an unfortunate and needless amendment to the language.

Surely - as this is the English edition of Wikipedia - the article should be changed back and listed under the term 'Zip', with 'Zipper' used for disambiguation for those who do not speak the traditional form of English.

If we must be exposed to the Americanisations of the traditional language, then surely these should be as supporting material to the definitive 'Oxford English' - alternatively, there may be scope for usa.wikipedia.org which could house such examples of language abuse.

I'm a Canadian who uses mostly British spellings over American spellings when given the choice (i.e., esses instead of zeds in words like 'Americanisation', as you mentioned), but I think you're worrying a bit too much over this. "Language abuse"? Just because one country uses a different word for something than another country doesn't make it wrong or abusive. English isn't the same between any two countries, or even cities. British English may be the most common, but it doesn't make it any more "right" than American English. And as Imarsman noted below, the English edition of Wikipedia isn't restricted to British English terms and spellings. It's all English, even in its many variations.

(That being said, I really don't care if the article is called "Zip" or "Zipper" or whatever - I just think it's kind of offensive to accuse Americans of abusing the English language just because they have a different word for something than most of the world.) --DearPrudence 22:03, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Zip

As the zipper seems to have been invented, patented, and initially manufactured in North America the term "zipper", if it's an "American" one, seems to be the appropriate one to use. Why would the UK term be the most appropriate? en.wikipedia.org serves the English language as a whole, not the UK version of the English language. By the way, I'm not an American, I'm a Canadian who lives a few kilometres from Gideon Sundback's original Lightning Fastener Company factory in St. Catharines, Ontario. Imarsman 19:49, 23 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Zipper animation

I was Browzing the commons when i came acrose this sweet animation. Is it apropriat to but moving animations in an artilce? This Zipper animation seems like a must have for the artivle but then again sombody may object to animations in an artile so i am bringing it to the talk page. I did not make it--E-Bod 02:47, 28 March 2006 (UTC)

This Zipper animation is a better link to use. I am proposing moving it into the article other than just a link. Good idea? Bad Idea?--E-Bod 03:12, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

- i think that the animation looks great. It's very informative, simple to follow and relevant to the topic. ~Neph

I think this one looks much better: [1] Greetings from the German Wikipedia! --82.83.41.45 13:33, 26 August 2006 (UTC)

Can someone please make a reverse animation of the wonderful zipper? It should be quite easy and would be informative for the spatially challenged. Xiner 17:05, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What is Excoffier zipper?

I tried to find external reference about "Excoffier zipper" which is mentioned in the History section. However, I could not find any reliable resource in the internet with google, yahoo, msn. The closest result which is not original or quote from wikipedia is about Excoffier's zipper algorithm in computational biology. Please check this piece of information.

[edit] Birthplace of the Zipper Dispute

There is some disagreement in this article as to the birthplace of the zipper. In this article, it is claimed that the zipper was invented in Meadville, PA by Gideon Sundback. In the Gideon Sundback article, however, it is claimed that the zipper was invented in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. This claim is also supported in the St. Catharines, Ontario article. In this very article, a TV special is mentioned which names the zipper the greatest Canadian invention. So, was the zipper founded in St. Catharines, or in Meadville? CanadErik 05:05, 28 January 2007 (UTC)CanadErik

FWIW Sundback's zipper patent (US patent # 1219881) says that he lived in Meadville. (Of course that only indicates where he lived when he filed the patent, not necessarily where he lived when he did the inventing.)Anonymous55 18:01, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Upon further research, both appear to be wrong. According to what is by far the most detailed source I could find - History of Northwestern Pennsylvania by Joseph Riesenman, Jr., Part 46, pages 9-10, Sundback's invention, called the "hookless fastener", occurred in 1913 while he was working for the Automatic Hook & Eye Company in Hoboken, NJ. Subsequently the "Hookless Fastener Company" was founded in Meadville, PA, specifically to manufacture Sundback's invention. The idea that the invention occurred in St. Catherines, Ontario appears to be a misunderstanding derived from the fact that Sundback was later the president of the Lightning Fastener Company of St. Catherines, but that wasn't until after 1925.Anonymous55 19:28, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Upon even further research, apparently it's a bit more complex. According to this article (subscription required) from the Hayward, California Daily Review, Aug 13 1972, the version of the zipper Sundback invented in 1913 was a failure due to poor durability, prompting Sundback to design a new one in 1914 called the "Hookless No. 2". That was after the Hookless Fastener Company was already operating, so it would have been in Meadville rather than Hoboken. So whether the zipper was invented in Hoboken or Meadville depends on whether you consider the Hookless No. 1 or the No. 2 the true "zipper".Anonymous55 20:05, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

I've now updated the article to reflect the new information.Anonymous55 09:15, 30 January 2007 (UTC)