Bag-making Hardware Glosary

One of the most confusing things, when you start making a bag, is the myriad of different types of tools and bag hardware that can be involved, so this series aims to identify them and explain what they are used for.

When I made my first bag as a student in the early 20s, there were very few types of hardware easily available to the eventual maker, but now with the rise of internet shopping and the fact that you can get them from all corners of the globe, there are now a plethora of options that appear on websites and in patterns. Over the next few weeks, I'll be breaking down the more common items into groups,

A. Fixed Bar Sliders – these are used to make adjustable straps. The centre bar is fixed.

B. Locking Bar Sliders – these are used to make adjustable straps. The centre bar can move to allow for a slightly easier feed of the strap through the slider when adjusting the length.

C. Plastic Sliders – these are used to make adjustable straps, especially for use with nylon/polyester webbing as the ridges can grip the strap better than the smooth metal options. The centre bar is fixed.

D. Laderloc Sliders – these are used for adjustable straps at the bottom of rucksack straps to ensure that they are tightly locked in place at your chosen length.

 Zinc Alloy Golden D Ring     

E. Solid Rectangular Rings – these can be paired with sliders for adjustable straps, or used on their own for fixed length straps to join the strap to a bag. These co-ordinate better with the fixed bar sliders.

F. Wire Form Rectangular Rings – these can be paired with sliders for adjustable straps, or used on their own for fixed length straps to join the strap to a bag. These co-ordinate better with the locking bar sliders.

G. Triangle Rings – these are used to joining detachable straps to a bag.

H. D Rings – these come in a variety of sizes and are usually wire-formed. They are used to join fixed, adjustable or detachable straps to a bag. The straight side of the ring is attached to the bag and is usually sewn in such a way that the ring cannot slide around.

I. Heavy Duty D Rings – these are used like their smaller counterparts but are useful for heavy-duty use, such as on a suitcase or duffle bag.

 Zinc Alloy O Ring

J. O Rings – these are used in a similar way to D rings, with the exception that the entire ring can slide around both the strap and bag attachments.

K. Gated O Rings – these are used to create detachable straps.

L. Swivel Snaps – these are used to create detachable straps. They are useful with wider straps, especially adjustable ones. Unlike the O rings, the strap can turn through 360 degrees, so you can’t attach it backwards or twisted.

M. Trigger Clips – these are useful for holding things such as keys to a bag.

N. Key Clips – this is an alternative way to attach things such as keys to a bag

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