# Glitter production **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 19, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871 "2002-12-19T19:37:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hirsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8c91f0/32.png) [@Hirsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirsel)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/1 "2002-12-19T19:37:37Z")
now here in the Christmas time, I often see decoration with glitter. I even saw a pen with glitter particles in it, probably to draw glittery bits onto presents or so. A friend asked, how it was actually produced and I do not know, but someone here perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/2 "2002-12-19T19:44:26Z")
Allow me to take this moment Hirsel to say: What a good…f-ing question! Kudos! ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/3 "2002-12-19T21:21:39Z")
just a wild guess, but it looks like they take very thin metal foil, and just shred/chop it to pieces; different color glitter using different color foil. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/4 "2002-12-19T21:33:21Z")
I suspect that it is _nibbled_ from metallised plastic foil. My daughter was given a set of glue/glitter/sequins recently and every single one of the tiny glitter pieces is heart shaped! ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/5 "2002-12-19T21:42:52Z")
My understanding is that first you need a mentally unstable diva, a roomful of monkeys with typewriters, and an astounding collective lack of taste … Oh, THAT glitter! ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/6 "2002-12-20T16:03:13Z")
Glitter… The metallicy bits that stick to you for eons. Good question. I’ve Googled and even Asked Jeeves, but you know what? COuldn’t find any useful information. Must be some top sectret governmental lab with hamsters nibbling away on coloured foil whose remnants are collected and bagged for consumer goods… ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/7 "2002-12-20T16:04:46Z")
CECILLLLLL ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/8 "2002-12-20T16:14:12Z")
The reason that I suspect it is nibbled (or possibly cut) is the relatively uniform size (and sometimes shape) of the particles; if it was shredded in a huge rotary drum or some such, the particle size would vary and would include dust. ---
**Author:** ![Kendo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Kendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kendo)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/9 "2002-12-20T16:18:46Z")
Maybe if it’s nibbled foil, that’s what the hamsters do when they’re not busy crazying up this place! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/10 "2002-12-20T16:22:21Z")
My guess is that there’s a farm somewhere in Montana where they have thousands and thousands of pixies in cages, and they have somebody come through and smack the cages, then just sweep the pixie dust up and bottle it. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/11 "2002-12-20T16:36:39Z")
But if it was pixie dust, wouldn’t it make us fly? I’m betting it’s reverse vampire tears. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/12 "2002-12-20T16:39:59Z")
what if they had a really super thin sheet of metal foil and stamped it, with something that looked like a really fine screen window, you know? Then all the pieces would be uniform, wouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![krazy\_kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b2d939/32.png) [@krazy\_kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krazy_kat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/13 "2002-12-20T16:43:23Z")
I heard it was an organic material produced from fairy farts ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/14 "2002-12-20T16:51:55Z")
It’s made at the [North Pole](http://www.countrybunnygifts.com/heritagevillage/northpole/5656738.php), you sillies. I can’t give much detail, but by pursuing the information offered by some Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers, it is just coated and slit paper (or polyester film). Stamping is out because of the huge number of linear inches required and tool wear. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/15 "2002-12-20T17:08:31Z")
So, you have a huge sheet of film (think mylar-ish) passing across a bunch of cutting blades (cutting it into strips) and then being sliced horizontally? ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/16 "2002-12-20T17:56:17Z")
Check this out: [http://www.trade-india.com/dyn/gdh/catalog/hp/375/tour.htm](http://www.trade-india.com/dyn/gdh/catalog/hp/375/tour.htm) > [@](#): > > Glitter cutting machines & metallic yarn slitting machines are used at the company production facility. Metalised & Lacquered Polyester Films and Nylon Tows sourced from the domestic market are utilized in making the company’s range of products. A sprinkle of information, if you will. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/17 "2002-12-20T18:09:02Z")
The first ever produced glitter tab was created in 1936 on the Production floor of J.T. Willhooven and Company Finishings in Intercourse, PA. That tab was found on my sweater last week. The damn things turn up decades after initial use. Never pour glitter into auto heater vents as a prank. The auto will continue to belch glitter onto it’s passengers well into the 22nd century. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/18 "2002-12-20T18:58:28Z")
I don’t know anything about the producer, but I’m quite sure that the _director_ of _Glitter_ was on some serious drugs. Oh … never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/19 "2002-12-20T19:07:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > **But if it was pixie dust, wouldn’t it make us fly?** Only when it’s fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871/20 "2002-12-20T19:40:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NurseCarmen \* > \*\*Never pour glitter into auto heater vents as a prank. The auto will continue to belch glitter onto it’s passengers well into the 22nd century. \*\* But… but, you say that like it’s a _bad_ thing! _rushes off to find a few pounds of glitter_ Seriously, does it make the car non-street-legal or something? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glitter-production/143871.md?page=2)