Roughly half of all zippers in the world are stamped with these letters. Find out what YKK zippers are and what the YKK means.
If Your Zipper Says YKK, This Is What It Means
We zip our jeans, jackets, boots and bags without a moment’s thought. The humble zipper, that tiny row of interlocking teeth, is an invention we use every day—and just as often take for granted.
But have you ever stopped to wonder why so many of the items in your closet have the letters YKK on the zippers? We’re here to help! Read on to find out the YKK meaning and all the little details behind this most utilitarian advance in technology.
What does YKK stand for?
The literal meaning of YKK is “Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha,” which translates to “Yoshida Company Limited” in English. The Japanese corporation produces roughly half of all the zippers made annually, which equates to about 10 billion zippers per year.
According to the company, YKK produces 3 million kilometers (or more than 1.8 million miles) worth of zippers every year–enough to circle the globe more than 80 times.
Why do zippers have YKK on them?
Zippers made by YKK are stamped with the company’s initials as a form of branding or logo. When you see YKK on a zipper, there’s no doubt as to its manufacturer.
Tadao Yoshida, who founded the company in Tokyo in 1934, wasn’t satisfied with existing zipper production methods. Initially, the company produced zippers for military uniforms and parachutes. Today, YKK zippers can be found on many different types of products, including clothing, accessories and luggage.
Did YKK invent the zipper?
YKK did not invent the zipper. American inventor Whitcomb L. Judson developed a type of hook-and-loop fastener for shoes in the 1890s. It looked like a zipper, but without the slider to draw both sides together.
Gideon Sundback, a Swedish-American engineer, is generally credited with the invention of the modern zipper as we know it. He registered his first patent for the device in Germany in 1909, but it wasn’t until 1917 that he received a patent for a device called a “separable fastener,” aka the zipper.
What are YKK zippers known for?
YKK zippers are known for their durability, precision and high quality. At the company’s factory, every aspect of the manufacturing process takes place in-house, from smelting the metal to packaging the finished product.
It can be pretty frustrating when a broken zipper undermines an otherwise usable piece of clothing or an accessory. Companies that sell items with zippers understand this too. Which is why many of them rely on YKK zippers—they trust YKK zippers to be dependable.
“There have been quality problems in the past when we’ve used cheaper zippers,” designer Trina Turk told Slate. “Now we just stick with YKK. When the customer is buying $200 pants, they better have a good zipper. Because the customer will blame the maker of the whole garment, even if the zipper was the part that failed.”
Where can you find YKK zippers?
No matter who you are or where you live, you probably can find products that employ YKK zippers. You’re just as likely to find a YKK zipper on trousers, a pair of workboots or a backpack as you are on a scuba-diving suit, bagpipe cover or vintage Hermès handbag.
By the way, YKK’s brand philosophy and company motto, coined by its founder, is “No one prospers without rendering benefit to others.” With that concept and the manufacturer’s level of dependability, it’s no wonder that YKK zippers are everywhere.
Sources:
- Harvard Business Review: “Lessons in Longevity from an 88-Year-Old Zipper Company”
- Los Angeles Times: “A World Unzipped Is Unthinkable”
- Slate: “Why YKK?”
- YKK Fastening Company: “It’s Not Just a Zip”
- Zipper Shipper: “History of the Zipper”
