Shoelace tip name

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Tying your shoes? No problem. But what is the end of the shoelace actually called? While every little child knows some way of tying a shoelace, there are certainly some adults who still don't know what the end of a shoelace is actually called. Does the end of the shoelace have a fixed term at all? Or is it one of those things that can be called anything—free of sense and reason?

Shoelace tip name

The word aglet and its variant aiglet come from the Middle French and Old French word aguillette , the diminutive of aguille , meaning "needle, pin", which in turn comes from the Late Latin acucula "ornamental pin, pine needle" , diminutive of the Latin word for needle and pin, acus. Aglets were originally made of metal, glass, or stone, [4] and many were very ornamental. Wealthy people in the Roman era would have their aglets made out of precious metals such as brass or silver. Before the invention of buttons , they were used on the ends of the ribbons used to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they were formed into small figures. Shakespeare calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in The Taming of the Shrew. Today, the clear plastic aglets on the end of shoelaces are put there by special machines. The machines wrap plastic tape around the end of new shoelaces and use heat or chemicals to melt the plastic onto the shoelace and bond the plastic to itself. There is a subtle distinction between aglets, which are generally functional, and aiguillettes , which are generally decorative. Aiguillettes usually appear at the end of decorative cords, such as bolo ties and the cords on military dress uniforms. Shoe companies often produce their own shoelaces, for which they manufacture aglets. Many companies prefer to add metal sheaths over plastic aglets for better durability. Some may also add logos or pictures.

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Despite their simplicity, aglets perform several functions:. If you were one of those people searching for the name for the tip of a shoelace, you have your answer. If you'd like to learn more about aglets, read on! In the past, most aglets were made of metal, and were created by either rolling or crimping a small strip of metal directly onto the shoelace. The photo at right shows an antique aglet tool that would likely have been used by a shoe repairer. These are usually attached in the factory by either gluing or crimping. A typical plastic aglet begins with acetate tape, twice the width of the required aglet, which is wrapped around a section of the uncut shoelace.

Have you ever wondered what the tips of shoelaces are called? Those parts with little plastic bits at the ends of the laces. They are called aglets or as sometimes spelled aiglets. Unfortunately, the history of aglets is sketchy. However, Harvey Kennedy takes most of the credit for inventing the modern shoelace back in While the history of the aglets is unclear, the origin of the name is clearer.

Shoelace tip name

Despite their simplicity, aglets perform several functions:. If you were one of those people searching for the name for the tip of a shoelace, you have your answer. If you'd like to learn more about aglets, read on! In the past, most aglets were made of metal, and were created by either rolling or crimping a small strip of metal directly onto the shoelace. The photo at right shows an antique aglet tool that would likely have been used by a shoe repairer. These are usually attached in the factory by either gluing or crimping.

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Toggle limited content width. If you'd like to learn more about aglets, read on! Look up aglet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Charli, London UK During a game of 'I-Spy' on a particularly long and boring journey some years ago, one player kept us guessing for hours with 'something beginning with 'F''. News Guardian. Molded tip aglet process For polyester shoelaces, there is also another totally different process where the end is clamped and blasted with ultrasonic frequency. If you'd like to send feedback about Aglets , please Contact Ian. Leave a comment Name. Rob Shipway, London E Continue browsing here. Ethical conundrums.

Tying your shoes? No problem. But what is the end of the shoelace actually called?

News Guardian. Parrots also enjoy trying to remove your shoelaces many enjoy undoing knots. I find it very stupid that there is a name for it though, it seems quite pointless. Red tape, white lies. But what is the end of the shoelace actually called? Send a query. In other projects. Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles containing Old French ca. I figured you might get a kick out of it. In the past, most aglets were made of metal, and were created by either rolling or crimping a small strip of metal directly onto the shoelace.