Aglet

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Aglet

An aglet or aiglet is a small plastic or metal sheath typically found on the ends of shoelaces

Shoelaces

Shoelaces, which are also called shoestrings, shoe laces, or boot laces, are a system, commonly consisting of pairs, used to secure shoes....
, cords

Rope

A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength ....
and drawstrings. Aglets keep the fibers from unraveling, and their firmness and narrow profile make them easier to hold and feed through the eyelets

Grommet

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An aglet or aiglet is a small plastic or metal sheath typically found on the ends of shoelaces

Shoelaces

Shoelaces, which are also called shoestrings, shoe laces, or boot laces, are a system, commonly consisting of pairs, used to secure shoes....
, cords

Rope

Grommet

Grommets and eyelets are metal, plastic, or rubber rings that are inserted into a hole made through another material. They may be used to reinforce the hole, to shield something from the sharp edges of the hole, or both....
, lugs or other lacing guides of the lace or cord.

The word "aglet" (or "aiglet") comes from Old French "aguillette" (or "aiguillette"), which is the diminutive of "aguille" (or "aiguilee"), meaning "needle". This in turn comes from "acus", the original Latin word for needle. An aglet is thus like a small "needle" at the end of a cord.

Aglets today are most often made of clear plastic, but in times past aglets were made of metal, glass, or stone. Many were highly ornamental, and made of precious metals such as silver

Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
. Before the invention of button

Button

In clothing and fashion design, a button is a small disc, typically round, object usually attached to an article of clothing in order to secure an opening, or for fashion....
s, they were used on the ends of ribbon

Ribbon

A ribbon or riband is a thin band of flexible material, typically cloth but also plastic or sometimes metal, used primarily for binding and tying....
s to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they would be formed into small figures. Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew is an early Shakespearean comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1590 and 1594. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a drunken tinker named Sly is tricked into thinking he is a nobleman by a mischievous Lord....
. (See aiguillette

Aiguillette (ornament)

An aiguillette, aguillette or aiglet is a decorative tag or tip for a Cord or ribbon, usually of gold and sometimes set with gemstones or Vitreous enameled....
) Purely decorative metal ornaments called aiguillette

Aiguillette

An aiguillette is an ornamental braided Cord most often worn on uniforms but may also be observed on other costumes such as academic dress, where it will denote an honor....
are sometimes features of modern military dress uniforms.

For a time during the Great Depression aglets were made out of paper and glue.

An aglet can be fashioned out of adhesive tape

Adhesive tape

Adhesive tape can be one of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive.Several types of adhesives can be used:...
, wax

Wax

Wax has traditionally referred to a substance that is secreted by bees and used by them in constructing their honeycombs.It is an imprecisely defined term generally understood to be a substance with properties similar to beeswax, namely...
, resin

Resin

Resin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly Pinophyta. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume....
, glue

Glue

This is a list of various types of adhesive. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....
, thread

Yarn

Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers, suitable for use in the production of textiles, sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery and ropemaking....
, heat shrink

Heat-shrink tubing

Heat shrink tubing is a tube which shrinks in diameter when heated. Its diameter and thickness can vary, and there are three main categories, thin-wall, medium-wall and thick-wall tube....
or metal

Metal

In chemistry, a metal is a chemical element whose atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions , and form metallic bonds between other metal atoms and ionic bonds between nonmetal atoms....
tubing

Tubing (material)

Tubing is a pipe or hollow cylinder for the conveyance of fluids . The terms 'pipe' and 'tubing' are almost interchangeable, although minor distinctions exist ....
, or by simply knotting

Knot

A knot is a method for fastening or securing linear material such as rope by tying or interweaving. It may consist of a length of one or more segments of rope, string, webbing, twine, strap, or even chain interwoven such that the line can bind to itself or to some other object?the "load"....
or melting

Melting

Melting is a process that results in the phase change of a substance from a solid to a liquid. The internal energy of a solid substance is increased to a specific temperature at which it changes to the liquid phase....
the end of a lace or cord.

Aglet

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