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posted by hubie on Saturday January 07, @11:43PM   Printer-friendly

https://hackaday.com/2023/01/05/excuse-me-your-tie-is-unzipped/

If you ask your typical handyperson what's the one thing you need to fix most things, the answer might very well be duct tape. But second place — and first place in some circles — would have to be zip ties. These little wonders are everywhere if you look for them. But they are a relatively recent invention and haven't always had the form they have today.

The original zip tie wasn't called a zip tie or even a cable tie. In 1958 they were called Ty-Raps and produced by a company called Thomas and Betts. Originally meant to improve aircraft wiring harnesses, they found their way into various electronic equipment and packaging uses. But they've also become helpful in very unusual places too. A policeman trying to round up rioters would have problems carrying more than a few conventional handcuffs. But flexible cuffs based on zip ties are lightweight and easy to carry. Colon surgeons sometimes use a modified form of zip tie during procedures.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Rosco P. Coltrane on Sunday January 08, @08:27AM (1 child)

    by Rosco P. Coltrane (4757) on Sunday January 08, @08:27AM (#1285799)

    A policeman trying to round up rioters would have problems carrying more than a few conventional handcuffs. But flexible cuffs based on zip ties are lightweight and easy to carry.

    Being able to put a lot of people under arrest at once regularly is only a problem in police states.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 08, @02:00PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 08, @02:00PM (#1285817)

    put a lot of people under arrest at once regularly

    I suppose that's not what those founding fathers meant by "well regulated militia"? 😉