I'm adapting one of my saloon cushions and I need to replace the zip sliders. The old sliders were badly corroded, but they are OPTI #3. I bought some generic #3 sliders, and they dIdn't work: one spiral rode over the top of the other. I asked another eBay seller if there were differences between zips:
Oh yes, there must be at least 200 variations between compaines, even YKK No3 dont interchange with others as they are produced wherever YKK have them made the cheapest. Then there are OPTI made by Coats. Our sliders are compatible with most YKK No3, but not OPTI; although we do list Genuine OPTI sliders in our ebay store. Then there is Aero; where those are made is a mystery to me!Mine are indeed OPTI, so that explains the problem. OPTI zips are made in Germany, so it is likely that Bavaria use them a lot.
So, I bought ten OPTI No3 sliders from him on eBay:
Alan's Alterations. They fit just fine, although they are £1 each in this quantity (possible Group Buy started
here).
I can also share a tip: I fitted the first one on the wrong side, and didn't notice until I had put on a drop of superglue to lock the end. Having cleaned the teeth, I discovered that residual glue on the fabric at the side of the teeth make it stiff, so it was much easier to feed into the slider. I put a drop on the end of each zip, avoiding the teeth, then cut off any damaged teeth.
