Is the zip on your backpack broken? Don't throw it away: we'll explain how to fix it easily

The first mechanism that can be defined as a zipper proper, was invented in 1851 by Elias Howe (the same inventor of the sewing machine), who, however, chose not to commercialize the product. In 1893, Whitcomb Judson filed a patent on the zipper mechanism as a "separable closer" to replace shoe laces.

Since then, zips can be found everywhere: to open and close clothes, jackets, trousers, but also backpacks, handbags and suitcases. Made of nylon, plastic or metal, zippers consist of teeth attached to two ribbons and secured at the ends by two stops which keep the slider in position.

If the zipper breaks, we usually believe this is irreparable - but this is not necessarily the case. We explain below how to fix a zipper on a backpack:

Creativo

Backpacks and their zips are made of very strong material in order to withstand bearing heavy weight. For this reason, when a zip breaks, throwing away the backpack may not be feasible. But getting the zip repaired can be very expensive. But fixing a backpack zip yourself can be an easy task if you know how to do this.

In the event that the zip's tongue has popped out, it is usually very simple to put this back. However, sometimes it may be necessary to tighten up the  tongue's housing: for this operation you just need to follow these steps:

• using a cutter, cut the thread that secures the zip to its housing;
• extract the zip and slide the cursor back to the correct position;
• now it's time to close the zipper with a needle and thread, fixing it;
• therefore put the zipper back in position, giving two more closing points in order to keep it fixed and prevent the slider from coming out again.

Want to test your repair skills?