Aglet

An aglet (/ˈæɡlət/ AG-lət)[1] or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, used on each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring.[2] An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides.

For the Java-based mobile agent platform, see Aglets.
Not to be confused with Aiguillette.
Three different types of aglets: double punched copper, plastic sheath, and inward fold brass

Etymology

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.[3][4]

History

Aglets were originally made of metal, glass, or stone,[5] and many were very ornamental.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.

According to Huffington Post editor James Cave, "The history of the aglet’s evolution is a little knotty—many sources credit it as being popularized by an English inventor named Harvey Kennedy who is said to have earned $2.5 million off the modern shoelace in the 1790s."[6]

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.[6]

Variety

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 add logos or pictures.[5]

gollark: Now to install this redis thing.
gollark: You test in production?
gollark: Well, its dependencies installed, now for the rest.
gollark: <@173511059582222336> How does it get tested then?
gollark: *WORK*, krist node!

See also

References
  1. "Aglet". Merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  2. "Aglet." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
  3. Aglet in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
  4. Picken, Mary Brooks: The Fashion Dictionary, Funk and Wagnalls, 1957. (1973 edition ISBN 0-308-10052-2)
  5. "What Is an Aglet?". Wonderopolis.org. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
  6. Cave, James (2016-06-22). "Behold, The Aglet: That Thing On The End Of Your Shoelace". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-07-28.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.