# YKK **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 12, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730 "2013-11-12T16:01:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twnorman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@twnorman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twnorman)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/1 "2013-11-12T16:01:19Z")
On the 8th I got my latest email from “The Straight Dope” and I came across "Straight Dope Classic #3 - 10/05/1990. I enjoyed it and wanted to leave a comment. The title is: “What does ykk mean on zippers?” Here is my comment: And I had always heard that the zipper was just “Yankee” ingenuity! Thanks, Tim ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/2 "2013-11-12T17:48:36Z")
That would be [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1039/what-does-ykk-mean-on-zippers). ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/3 "2013-11-12T17:57:47Z")
A little contemporary wisdom from Cecil: > [@](#): > > OK, it’s just zippers, but Yoshida’s idea is, they might as well be great zippers. One more reason why the Japanese are kicking Occidental butt in the fields of commerce. Of course lots of people believed that in 1990. Also, of course, the zipper was [“yankee” ingenuity](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zipper): > [@](#): > > Whitcomb L. Judson was an American mechanical engineer from Chicago who was the first to invent, conceive of the idea, and to construct a workable zipper.[2] The method, still in use today, is based on interlocking teeth. Initially it was called the “hookless fastener” and was later redesigned to become more reliable.[3] ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/4 "2013-11-12T18:06:42Z")
Nothing to do with the basic issue/topic but I thought the thread title had to do with “Y 2 K” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/5 "2013-11-13T19:28:41Z")
And all this time I thought the YKK stood for Young Korean Kids, as in “who works in the zipper factory?” ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/6 "2013-11-13T21:30:39Z")
Zippers, in general, are a pretty fascinating product. Check out the [YKK website](http://www.ykk-usa.com/Byproduct). They also make an incredibly different number of fasteners/closures for myriad applications. IMHO, YKK makes the best zippers currently on the market. (And no, I don’t work for, nor am I affiliated with, YKK.) ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/7 "2013-11-14T01:58:05Z")
So, what we’re saying here is: Crotchluminati. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2013, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/8 "2013-11-14T04:06:29Z")
And here I thought it was the sound you make when you… never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/9 "2013-11-14T18:49:07Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > IMHO, YKK makes the best zippers currently on the market. This is why I love the SDMB. People have opinions on such things. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/10 "2013-11-14T19:20:29Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > This is why I love the SDMB. People have opinions on such things. > > Awesome. They (YKK) seem to be doing some serious brand-awareness building. I bought a new leather motorcycle last month and almost every ad description touted the jacket having YKK zippers, like I was supposed to care (I probably should, it has nine of them). I don’t recall any such mentions when I bought my previous jacket pre-2000. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/11 "2013-11-14T19:48:22Z")
That’s just good business. They’re trying to turn what is perceived as a commodity into a strong selling point, and doing a great job of it. YKK is probably the only zipper company I could name, and I’ve been aware of them forever. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/12 "2013-11-14T20:50:29Z")
My father being in the rag trade, he received a complementary copy of Talon’s 1963 50th-anniversary book. A fascinating read—but Talon is nowadays about as relevant as Silicon Graphics. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/13 "2013-11-16T07:07:32Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > They (YKK) seem to be doing some serious brand-awareness building. _ **I bought a new leather motorcycle last month** _ and almost every ad description touted the jacket having YKK zippers, like I was supposed to care (I probably should, it has nine of them). I don’t recall any such mentions when I bought my previous jacket pre-2000. (bolding mine) A ‘leather motorcycle’? Is that a new HD model? 😕😉 Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.😃 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/14 "2013-11-16T11:09:10Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > (bolding mine) > > A ‘leather motorcycle’? Is that a new HD model? 😕😉 Umm, my leather motorcycle is actually [quite restrained.](http://cdn.rideapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/weird-top-2.jpg) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/15 "2013-11-16T11:47:10Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Umm, my leather motorcycle is actually [quite restrained.](http://cdn.rideapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/weird-top-2.jpg) 😉 Please, PLEASE, tell me that _ **is not** _ yours. :eek:😉 ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/16 "2013-11-16T11:51:31Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Umm, my leather motorcycle is actually [quite restrained.](http://cdn.rideapart.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/weird-top-2.jpg) 😉 [This one](http://www.hdforums.com/forum/members/190414-amish-gone-bad-albums-37416-garage-road-kow-picture153746-imgp2294.jpg) belongs to a fellow Doper, **Kopek**. 🆒 He calls it the “Road Kow”. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/17 "2013-11-16T19:58:29Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > Please, PLEASE, tell me that _ **is not** _ yours. :eek:😉 Only because I’m allergic to cats. And… an _Amish_ Harley? ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/18 "2013-11-16T20:53:04Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Only because I’m allergic to cats. And… an _Amish_ Harley? [A picture](http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/68402.html) is worth a thousand words. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ykk/673730/19 "2013-11-16T21:02:46Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > [A picture](http://www.nouilles.info/sdpix/68402.html) is worth a thousand words. 😉 I get it now. But he needs one of those “slow moving vehicle” triangles to _really_ mess with minds.