Originally Posted By Rick
I like your idea of the tethered cordlocks. I don't quite understand how the ITW work, but yours outlined on your website I do.


let's get the terminology out of the way first. In the industry, the term cordlock seems pretty generally accepted to mean the flat units that really lock the cinched cord tight (and lock it more, the tighter the cord) and that are released by pulling back on a button or a ring. They are most often installed on closures that use static cord and need a secure lock (eg backpack skirts, shoe laces). What I call springlocks are also often referred to as toggles. They are also used for backpack closures sometimes but are much more suited than the cordlocks for elastic cord applications, which is why I was surprised at Nek's statement that he's got the Cyberian cordlock on a jacket.

My springlock cage system works for springlocks but is a bit of a pain to install and, as I mentioned, cannot work on cordlocks. I assume that the Cyberian cordlock works as I thought a tethered cordlock should work. If you picture a standard ring-pull cordlock tethered at the back to the cord casing of a backpack skirt, you can easily imagine that you will be able to:
1. close the skirt by just yanking on the cord with one hand (instead of using one hand to pull the cord and the other to slide the cordlock), and
2. open it by pulling outward simultaneously on the ring and on the opposite end of the skirt closure (two hands required but still one motion, as opposed to sliding the cordlock down the cord with one motion and opening the skirt closure with two hands in a separate motion).

With a smaller version of this system installed on the tongues of a pair of shoe, you can picture that you could close and open both shoes simultaneously with both hands, since step 2 already has your heel holding the opposite end of the opening.

Instead of a ring, the Cyberian has a second bail bar to which you can sew a small webbing tab (or a bigger one if the cordlock is meant to be used with mitts on). I'm quite eager to get some and see how it works on both static and elastic cord and I'll definitely be on the look-out for it in the stores.