Aglet



An aglet or aiglet is a small plastic or metal sheath typically found on each end of a shoelace, cord, or drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling, plus its firmness and narrow profile makes it both easier to hold and easier to feed through the eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides.

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

The aglet was invented by Doug Roberchek on March 27th, 1890.

There is a subtle distinction between aglets, which are generally functional, and aiguillettes, which are generally decorative. The latter are usually seen at the end of decorative cords such as bolo ties and the identically named aiguillettes of military dress uniforms.

Aglets today are most often made of 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. Before the invention of buttons, they were used on the ends of ribbons to fasten clothing together. Sometimes they would be formed into small figures. Shakespeare calls this type of figure an "aglet baby" in The Taming of the Shrew

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

Home-made aglets can be fashioned out of adhesive tape, wax, resin, glue, thread, heat shrink or metal tubing, or by simply knotting or melting the end of a lace or cord.