Riri Zippers

[MonicaJacobson]

Hey guys,

I have a customer who is used to cloth purses with plastic zipper. The ease of zip is very important for her. I have only used YKK zippers so far, and they can be a little rough. Using Riri zippers is a bit of an investment (buy the tools, by the tape), and I've never used one before, so I don't know if the experience would be up to her expectations.

Alternately, I'm considering a delrin zipper, but I don't want to put in a zipper that won't last as long as the bag.

Any help or experience would be appreciated.

[Tree Reaper]

Would a pull on the zipper help her?

[MonicaJacobson]

I put a pull on the YKK zippers, and they still are sketchy. They catch. Nylon zippers zip like butter, but the YKK ones I bought are rough.

For reference, I put a longer, loose pull on at first, and it worked really badly. Then I put a stiff wood pull on it and that worked much better. But it's still not very smooth. Maybe the size I bought is too big?

[Northmount]

Have you tried lubricating the zippers? Use either paraffin or beeswax. Rub it on the zipper, them zip and unzip a few times to work it in and spread it.

I think it also helps to use a longer zipper with an inch or so buried behind the gusset. I think it makes a smoother transition. Also when installing, pin at the centre on both sides, and work to both ends when fitting the gusset. Glue or staple in place, then stitch. You should be able to test the fit before doing the stitching to make sure it is nicely aligned.

Tom

[MonicaJacobson]

Hey Tom,

No, I've never tried lubricating the zippers. I had no idea that was a thing! I'll definitely try that out on the ones I have. I'll try working outwards from the middle. Usually, I cut a slot in the leather, glue the zipper in flat (with it closed) and stitch, also stitching down the ends of the tape. Is that incorrect?

(The attached picture is for a zipper pocket, not a gusset)

[Northmount]

Your method should be fine with all things flat. It looks fine. Just watch that there is no creep to skew the zipper as you are sewing it (hand or machine).

Tom

[Avgvstvs]

My experience is somewhat limited but here goes:

Before getting into leatherwork, I bought a leather briefcase. There's a Riri zipper on one of the pockets. Knowing they are swiss made, I was quite surprised when I realised that the zipper 'catches' as you said.

So the bottom line seems to be that Riri's are not a guarantee of smooth zipper operation.

[cgleathercraft]

+1 on the paraffin wax. Helps a lot on overalls when they are new.

[billybopp]

I once found myself ..er .. um ... caught out the zipper on my jeans decided to stick. A quick going over the zipper with a pencil will leave a deposit of graphite which makes an excellent light lubricant on zippers did the trick. Just don't mix graphite with other lubricants as it will form a not so slick paste.

Bill

[MonicaJacobson]

LOL, Bill. Quick thinking.

Agv - good to know. That was exactly what I was worrying about - spending 100 - 200 getting set up for Riri, and then not solving the problem. I'll still probably get all the stuff eventually, but I'm going to try paraffin on YKK first.

Thanks, CG -

I did just try paraffin wax, and it did help a lot. Probably not enough to satisfy the tastes of someone used to a nylon zipper, but that will help a lot with the normal zipper usage.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help!

[Tree Reaper]

I use E-Z snap and zipper lubricant, it helps too.

[Matt T]

Monica, you won't get the same ease of operation with a metal zipper, but it will look better and last longer. Did you make the bag in your pictures? Looks nice!

[Avgvstvs]

Wait... is that the famous black lady attorney bag?

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks, Tree Reaper, I'll look it up.

Matt - yes, that's what I was trying to convince her of. Maybe I'll buy the pre-made Riri zipper from buckleguy, lubricate it, and tell her she'll be much happier in the end. As for the bag... yes, I did, thanks

LOL, Avg - that's the one.

[thefanninator]

Bump.

Been thinking about getting some Riri also. Bought a practice zipper the other day at Hobby Lobby and it's pretty weak. It's says C&C on it.

[Tinkerton]

A tad off topic, but that's a gorgeous bag!

[MonicaJacobson]

Chris, I got YKK zippers on etsy for a really good price. Not saying you should get some, but they're well respected, and might be a cheaper experimental zipper than Riri.

Speaking of sacrificial experimentals, and Tinkerton's very nice comment (thank you, btw!)....

lol, the zipper I installed in that bag failed, I found out yesterday. After a month of use. So.... lucky me, I get to put in a new one. I'll probably buy a Riri from buckle guy just because I want to try them, and because it's a very heavy use bag.

So, as I'm sure you guys will want to know what exactly caused it to fail, I think it's because I used a pricking iron to make holes in the actual zipper tape. In retrospect, idiotic. I only did it the one time (fortunately), but it caused the zipper to fray out.

Now, my question is... should I have backed up the zipper with a thin lining leather to give the fabric extra strength? I have no idea.

[Matt T]

Good catch on using the pricking iron on the zipper tape.. I've done it myself without problems, but never had a high stress zipper situation. Something to keep in mind! Thanks

[dq7133]

I've had similar problems with two-way zippers. The teeth on two-way brass chain have a slightly different shape, so the slider can be installed both ways, but it's not perfect and it ends up catching a lot.

We've been experimenting with the following (more expensive) alternatives to standard YKK brass chain.

YKK's Excella line

YKK's Everbrite line

UCAN's G2 line

I'm not a big fan of UCAN's standard brass zipper, but we've had success with their high-end G2 line. They manufacture in California, so you avoid the 4-6 week lead time that comes with a large YKK order. They can usually turn around custom cut and die orders in 10 business days.

[JosiahReed]

Ykk standard zipper chain is garbage. Every zipper I made with this had your same issues. I tried everything, paraffin wax.. and I did notice that with one way zipper chain you must instal the pull going the right direction for smooth operation. This didn't help me. They literally wouldn't work at all. But you get what you pay for and if you felt the teeth on the ykk standard chain they were really rough and sharp! (not good for smooth operation.. this is why nylon zips are so smooth)

Enter Buckle Guy - I spent about 400 on Riri zipper size 4 and 6 one way chain. This was before they switched everything over to the combi chain (2 way zipper teeth) and I had much better success with that. But sadly their one way chain also has issues. 

All zipper tape has lines on it marking different spacing options. This was when I discovered zipper guide to help me glue my leather at the correct spacing for the zip to work smooth as butter. If you buy a zipper guide it's a little easier but I have had a lot of luck with just gluing up to 2 mm away from the edge of the line I want to use on the zipper tape (so glue won't show after you stitch the leather to your zipper tape. Riri zipper tape is also the softest weave fabric that absorbs glue great and has multiple spacing lines. I also find that the teeth cut easier than ykk. They pop right off leaving the zipper tape nice. And if my pliers ever catch the tape I just take my lighter and clean up the tape after removing the teeth with a couple quick passes to burn away all the fray and mess. 

RiRI combi teeth are great and shouldn't give you any issues! Ykk Excella also have great reviews as other lux zip brands like Lampo. I will say I wish I had those fancy Riri zipper stop pliers. They look awesome! Not sure they still make them. I recommend Buckleguy because they now carry all Combi teeth. They have many tape colors and teeth finish options compared to other suppliers. And honestly they have the best price on zippers and all the needed add ons like top and bottom stops, pulls and spacers!