Fabric Talk - Nomenclature?

[Gresh]

That's the thing: I suspect Argon was named so because it's a noble gas but is heavier than air...Argon fabric is lightweight but heavier than air.

[gunner76]

Arr....air pirates

[ripstopbytheroll]

I'm pretty sure it's the same for the PolyD and NylonD - the trend right now seems to be in having fabrics with diamond weave produced, as opposed to the more traditional square grid ripstop pattern. PolyD is a polyester fabric with diamond pattern, NylonD is Nylon, etc. Pretty straightforward.

The better question is where do the more fanciful names come from Like what's the story behind Argon, or Nobul, or Illume?

The trend toward diamond grid ripstop is a GOOD ONE. Technically it's a better material for our needs and it also has a visual pop that looks great. Never hurts to look good .

I'm happy Ripstop by the Roll was able to lead this movement and be the first to bring diamond ripstop to this community with the HyperD line. Like I said in my video premiere, the hammock community is still small, and we don't always have access to the cool stuff. When it comes to fabric and materials, hopefully we're helping to change that.

[Boston]

Argon is just a name. My guess is it was conceived because Argon gas is very low density - lightweight like the fabric. The gas is also inert, but I think we all know Argon fabric is combustible!

When you create a fabric and give it a trade name, it sets it apart from all other other similar fabric's. Instead of being "just another 15d nylon ripstop" (aka generic) it's "Argon". Then the performance of your fabric will be judged on it's own, instead of lumped into a group with varying quality, and properties.

[sargevining]

This is perhaps the most common practice in the world for items manufactured in standard colors, finishes, and patterns.

Our biggest client is a Metal Building company that owns 10 different brand named companies. Each of these companies sells metal wall and roof panels that come in a variety of colors. Each of them has a different name for the colors they sell, even though they all sell panels that are made from the very same coil stock. So when one company sells "Brick Red", it is the same color as its sister company's "Country Rred", which is the same as another one's "Barn Red", etc.

The practice goes even further than that. Our client owns the coil coating facility that these brands buy their stock from. Our client's competitors also buy from that same coil coating facility, and each of them has a different name for those colors.

Now, all of these companies make these panels using roll forming machines that produce the desired configuration of the panel. All of them buy their roll forming machines from the same source. That means that they all have the same panel configurations as well, and all of them have a different name for that pattern.

This keeps the cost of production low. Otherwise each of these companies, both those owned by our client and his competitors, would have to purchase or manufacture their own painting and forming machinery, and this also lowers the cost of maintenance and spare parts.

This is why the store brand cereal isn't any different from the name brand cereal (just to name one product familiar to everybody). The principal difference in both cereals is the amount of money the company spends on advertising and box art. But that chocolate cereal sold by Safeway is made by the same people who make the Cocoa Puffs.

[Violent Green]

The better question is where do the more fanciful names come from Like what's the story behind Argon, or Nobul, or Illume?

Pretty sure Nobul came out of a spat between one of the owners of TiGoat and another fabric supplier. The names and details of some fabrics at both places needed to be updated at the time & that's one of the things that came out of it.

Ryan

[Dutch]

Gresh you know darn well how the ARGON name came about. I'm surprised you would want me to reveal it publicly.

[Gresh]

What can I say? I'm a pot-stirrer.

(Disclaimer: This post is in no way an admission of guilt to any mod or admin that may or may not read it and think that I am in fact stirring the pot. It it a work of satire and is not meant to be taken seriously by anybody that reads it. Santa loves you.)


Really, I don't (and if I was told I don't remember it) but I DO remember getting ahold of a sample of it from Gunner76's fabric sample book (which is quite comprehensive, last I saw it) and thinking that I really rather liked it.

[Dutch]

Come on Gresh, you told me to name it ARGON, all caps because it is a acronym. It stands for;
A-Argument
R-Really
G-Going
O-On
N-Nothing

You said if I named it that you would always remember you Paypal password, ARGON. You know to [email protected]

[Gresh]

True story - if I could get that domain (I tried to snipe it a few years ago) I would definitely make that my new e-mail address.

Seriously though, it's a legit question. Some things are obvious and self-explanitory (Flyz, Fleaz, Flight Jacket for top quilts, Snoring Cub for pillows, etc.) but other things aren't (like ARGON or Renegade for underquilts, Thunderbird for hammocks). There's almost got to be some sort of creative process that goes into the naming of products that don't lend themselves to obvious names, and I'm curious.