The Swedes zip fastener
Ha! Got you there on my subject line, didnt I? Yes, we Swedes may be fast with our zips, but that’s another story which I’m not going to tell you this time.
Since we’ve noticed that people don’t know much about Sweden (except maybe the fact that we just got a gold medal in icehockey in the Olympic Games), we’re now starting with this post and others to follow, to help you to explore some things about Sweden and the Swedes.
Did you know that the zip fastener was discovered by a Swedish man named Gideon Sundbäck in 1913? Then the idea was caught on in a big way when the US army used it to replace uniform buttons and lacing during the First World War.
Since then the zip has gone from strength to strength and is today even used in abdomen surgery on people who need more than one operation. The true zipper, and the design used today, is based on this interlocking teeth, that the Swede patented.
So, next time you’re using your zip, you’re going to think about Swedes, aren’t you…?
Source:
“Things Swedish” by Mari Hemming
Wikipedia about Zipper
