'Left Handed' Zips

Kevo

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I'd never thought about this before until today whilst out shopinng for a fleecy top in a few outdoor/camping shops.

All the zips seemed to be for left handers :confused:
i.e. the zip 'socket' is on the right and you have to use your left hand to insert the 'connector' part on the left.

I tried on several brand name tops like North Face, Peter Storm, Berghaus and all 'sockets' were on the right which I found very confusing as I have never had a garment like this before.

At first I thought it maybe a 'female thing' like buttons on the other side but it isn't as they were all men's garments.
Of all the shops, the only explaination I got was that it was the 'American way' of doing it (North Face brand), but that didn't explain why the British brand Peter Storm also had the zips on the 'wrong side' :confused:

To add more confusion I bought a Peter Storm coat from one of the shops a few weeks ago and the zip was on the 'correct side'.

All my coats, jackets, tops that have full length zips have the socket on the left so i'm baffled :confused:

It may sound a trivial thing but it isn't when you're trying to zip & unzip something in a way that you have been used to for 30 odd years.
I found it so awkward that I didn't buy any because of this.

Anybody shed any light on this? Is it a 'great outdoors thing'?
 
Strange you should comment on this.My wife bought a jacket from Tog24 yesterday which has a left-hand zip.I assumed it was because it was a female jacket,obviously I was wrong.
 
I think the socket on the right assists with easy zipping up for right handers. Sure you use the left hand to put the "connector" in, but when I do that my left hand stays firmly on the assembled connector/socket so I can pull the zip up right handedly, which I'd prefer. Some zips are particularly "stiff" when zipping.
 
:devil: This is the first step of left handed global domination.

Soon you right handed fools will be bowing down to the superior power of the left handers.

Left handers will soon rule the world!

:rotfl::rotfl:
 
Also on occasions, I find I don't so much put the connector in the socket, but hold the connector still with my left hand and slip the socket over with my right hand and then in one move zip it up.
 
I see AVForums is still crazy as I left it - glad to see a thing hasn't changed. :D

About the zips things, can't say I've noticed.
 
Also on occasions, I find I don't so much put the connector in the socket, but hold the connector still with my left hand and slip the socket over with my right hand and then in one move zip it up.

That's because you're right handed.
If the socket was on the left then you would filnd it easier doing the opposite, putting connector to socket with your right hand.

God, this is getting bizarre :rolleyes:

Just checked all my zipped garments and even phoned my sister and can confrirm that all have sockets on the left and none on the right!
 
:devil: This is the first step of left handed global domination.

Soon you right handed fools will be bowing down to the superior power of the left handers.

Left handers will soon rule the world!

:rotfl::rotfl:

MWAHAHAHAHA :devil::devil::devil:
 
I think it's just a case of economics: too expensive to produce left and right variants. I don't there is anyting sinister about there being no left handed zips ! ;) :)
 
What about the zips on trousers and jeans.

Most definitely suited for right handed people.
 
:confused:

I'm sorry, but unlike say scissors its hardly an effort to use your non-dominant hand to unzip/zip a garment

Perhaps I speak out of turn seemingly...
 
its Americanisation gone mad! :D

First it was our ring pulls, then Marathon became Snickers, holidays became vacations and cashpoints became ATMs, what next ... adopting the US date for Mother's Day and telling your buddies to "call me on my cell"?!! :mad: ;)
 
its Americanisation gone mad! :D

First it was our ring pulls, then Marathon became Snickers, holidays became vacations and cashpoints became ATMs, what next ... adopting the US date for Mother's Day and telling your buddies to "call me on my cell"?!! :mad: ;)

Manual gearboxes > stick-shifts;
bonnets > hoods;
boots > trunks;
trunks > shorts;
underwear > pants;
tights > hose;
bottom > fanny;
pea shooters > WMD. :devil:
 
:confused:

I'm sorry, but unlike say scissors its hardly an effort to use your non-dominant hand to unzip/zip a garment

Perhaps I speak out of turn seemingly...

Actually it is an effort and felt very awkward after doing something a certain way for so many years. It took me several attempts to zip the thing up and unzipping was just as awkward as you naturaly hold the socket with your left hand and pull upwards with the right hand on the connector whih obviously was having no effect on these 'left handed' zips.

I am now at work and have spread this 'left handed zip' phenomenon to my colleagues who have all checked their jackets and not one of them has one of these 'left handed' zippers or even seen them before (even one who is left handed !).

The only logical explaination I have been given is that fleecy tops can be used with certain hiking coats that have double zips which allow the fleecy top zip directly into the coat and act as a lining.

I'm now at 'conatcting the manufactures' stage :rolleyes:

I need 'closure' on this :)
 
Some fleecy tops can be worn inside and out. Perphaps it's, inside out, I mean outside in.

You know what I mean.:rolleyes:
 
Some fleecy tops can be worn inside and out. Perphaps it's, inside out, I mean outside in.

You know what I mean.:rolleyes:

That may be it :thumbsup:

All our jackets have right handed zips, even the fleeces designed to zip into a waterproof, except for a reversible jacket when it is in "inside out" mode.

Dave
 

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