zippers

Zippers

by Bob on September 22, 2007

Zippers. One can think of the Rolling Stones album which Andy Warhol made a cover for, "Sticky Fingers" which when I got it back in the 1960s had a real zipper on the album cover.

Or one can think of Michael Jackson and his black leather outfit resplendent with zippers, most of all decorative. Almost all.

Or how a good zipper is important in function anywhere from a pair of shoes to clothing to an astronaut's pressurised suit.

So I went shopping today in downtown Boston. One of the things I had to get was a new backpack. My old one is on its last legs, but I feel quite similar and kindred to it, despite that. One should be proud of old friends, like my backpack, which has weathered many a storm with me. I bought it in New York City and now it lives with me in Boston.

I had always noticed it had two "runners" (zipper pulls) on each zipper track. I really didn't quite ever realise why. Was it decorative ? Hardly. Was it to reduce work and stress on the zipper ? Unsure.

So with two runners on the main backpack section zipper, one runner finally stopped working. And I tried the other unused so far runner, and it worked. So maybe that's the reason. Maybe not.

I went to Chinatown to look at the bargain backpacks. Most of the zippers really didn't work well. And the place where the backstraps join the backpack body, well, they were not reinforced. The price was good. $14. But with what I carry, no deal. Luckily I buy other things there from the sweet lady proprietor.

Still, I stopped by an Eddie Bauer store and looked at backpacks. They too have redundant runners on the zippers. They are great backpacks, but don't have the charm and character of my weather and emotionally worn backpack.

So I spoke with the saleslady for advice on colours. She said go for the flashy one in red and gray. I finally didn't and went conservative. Black and gray. I thanked her anyway. I bought my new backpack there.

A zipper is so important. A good zipper.

I always think that maybe the human mouth should have one too, if only symbolically.

Then there's the Roman god on new beginnings and doors, Janus. But he didn't invent zippers according to the Patent Office. But he would have understood them well. One zipper closes, another one opens. Oh. That was doors. Same thing really.

But the Stones album cover took the cake. Andy Warhol understood zippers and where to put them. On album covers, of course.

We shouldn't underestimate the power of a good zipper and the danger of a bad one.

And "Frontier Psychiatrist" was a kind on interesting song by The Avalanches in 2000.