Reader Asks: Where to Buy Anchor Rubber Bands?
Kirk writes:Today I wrote about these fantastic items: "Cinch It anchor bands are rubber band with anchors. It sounds dumb but I've never found anything better for wrapping small wires, like iPod headphones."I found a place in Europe that sells them in a variety of sizes. Won't be cheap to import, I imagine, but you have an option, at least!The thing is I have no idea how to find these online! I first ran into them at the sadly-just-now-defunct (and very boingboingish) shop at Harvard Square "The Museum of Useful Things." Luckily their parent shop "Black Ink" still had some. I can't Google them anywhere, even "Shepard Medical Products" is mum about this lovely bit of elastic brilliance!
So I wouldn't mind enlisting boingboingers help in explaining where these come from, and if I need to stockpile more.
Rubber bands of the moment [Kisreal.com]
the latest
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Probably of no use what so ever but I bought some in muji in japan. they don't seem to have any in their UK online store
http://www.mujionline.co.uk/
might be worth asking in-store. take a picture, might be kinda hard to describe!
In the past I've found that rubber bands tend to dry rot and fail over a long period of time.
I've taken to re-purposing the pull-apart sheet of wire ties you get with boxes of bags.
They are easy to scrounge if you know where to ask for 'em. (anywhere that uses lots of plastic trash bags, as many people tend to tie up the bag itself if they can)
You know I did try twisties for a while, but the paper covering fell apart quickly, and in general the wire didn't seem to hold as well as these do...
And, if anyone cares, the link is correct but the name is Kisrael not Kisreal... everyone gets that wrong.
In the category of "While I am trying to help find these..."
I can across a product called WrapNStrap at a Washington, DC Federal Computer Show.
They carry several size straps, one that may suit your small wire needs.
Their Web site is: http://www.wrapnstrap.com/products_mp3.asp
They are also widely available.
Use the Velcro cable ties. Or even cheaper, make your own using Velcro tape with hooks on one side and loops on the other.
#5, my sentiment exactly. Doing a VJ gig I have a s***load of cables (along with anything the DJ/&live artists bring along) and buying a couple of meters of 1/2" dual-sided velcro saved mty day so many time. OT: for all the (prospective) VJs out there: _always_ have a couple of 2.5mm/6mm/RCA/XLR cables included in your kit. It'll be appreciated when the DJs forget their own, and it comes back to you in form of intoxicants. Have it good.
Buy the green velcro you get at plant stores. 18 feet for $3 on amazon, for example. It's green.
Ditto the last several posts. Velcro. If you really use a lot, you can buy large spools of Velcro (approximately 500 feet or 152 metres). A little coloured tape around the end of the strip you use can help make it easy to identify and unwrap as well. And you can sharpie labeling info onto the tape as well.
I like the look of those Wrap-n-Straps as well, and there are also re-usable zap straps on the market.
That's terrible news about the Museum of Useful Things. Now where am I going to go when I need a can of the special oil for my authentic reproduction three-point-mount manual pencil sharpener, or pre-cut high-traction felt nubbins for the bottom of my 1938 Remington manual typewriter?
Seriously, that store was great--it really was part museum. They should make a real museum with not-for-sale exhibits of the sort of things they sold.
I thought for sure I recognized these. I thought "Fred" made them.
http://www.worldwidefred.com/home.htm
Can't find them on the site though.
I'd enjoyed the Museum of Useful Things online, and am upset to hear that the real-life location has closed. :(
I'm the manager of the MUT, http://themut.com
Sadly, I can't help with where to buy Cinch Its online, as I have no idea either. My Google fails me, too.
I can say that they're no longer being manufactured by Shepherd Medical. We heard this in November, and bought as many as we could, but they're quite popular, and we don't have many left.
It's very 20th century, but you can phone Black Ink, http://www.blackinkboston.com and 866.497.1221, order with one of my friendly colleagues, and we'll ship them right to you. They're getting an online store soon.
A brief, slightly off-topic, note:
We're sad, too, to have needed to move. Keep in touch via theMUT.com and Black Ink, as we have plans for new happenings in the physical world soon.
The Wrap-N-Straps look so unwieldy compared with the elegant, task-oriented Cinch Its. Even the name Wrap-N-Straps sounds clunky and, if I may be frank, completely unreliable.
Plus, I dare you to not see little hospital bracelets when you look at them.
Found anchor rubber bands as shown in the "cinch-it" bag -
they are yellow - I have 2" and 4" sizes -
from Baja Tape & Supply, El Paso, TX
(915) 771-7995.
The Wrap-N-Strap cord organizers are a high quality product that come in a variety of sizes to cover almost all applications. The strap material is a custom blend and is formulated to last for years. Unlike Velcro the rubber straps do not tangle with each other, collect dust or dirt and being rubber they don't slip on cords. Post #13 statement is rather off the track as the strap is easy to use and totally reliable. The 4" strap is ideal and works incredibly well for small cords like IPOD cords and cables. The 6" are fantastic for laptop external power cords and the colored straps are perfect for organizing audio and video cords for computers and all musical applications.
Not snagging on carpet is a plus.
henrich rubber sells them in the USA. www.henrichrubber.com Email CJ