Do you know those plastic buckles (parts) that are often found on outdoor backpacks and waist bags?
There are also plastic buckles (parts) from YKK and other manufacturers, but the ones we use most often are from a manufacturer called Nifco.
Today I would like to introduce you to Nifco!

About NIFCO

The company was originally established in 1967 as a joint venture between Nichi-Ei Bussan Co., Ltd. and ITW Limited, called Japan Industrial Fasteners Co., Ltd., and changed its name to its current name, Nifco Co., Ltd., in 1970.
We only have the image of Nifco as a manufacturer of plastic parts called plastic buckles, but in fact, it appears that they also manufacture plastic parts for cars and housing.

We are a first-section listed company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with affiliated companies all over the world.

Surprisingly, you can also buy it on Amazon.

Some are also sold on Amazon.
Let me introduce it to you briefly.

TSR20

This is a plastic buckle that serves as a buckle to join two pieces of 20mm wide tape together.
You can adjust the length of the belt, etc.

YSR20

This is also a plastic buckle that serves as a buckle to join two 20mm wide tapes, but the difference with the TSR is its shape.
This buckle has an improved design with a streamlined shape that is completely different from previous buckles.

CS7 Plastic Cord End Stopper

These are cord end stoppers used on the ends of cords and strings. Without these, the ends of the cords would become fuzzy.
It's a simple but important part.

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The parts introduced here are just a small part of the lineup.
Nifco plastic buckles (parts) come in many varieties, both for apparel and bags.

Are TIFCO and KIFCO fakes of NIFCO?

Some plastic buckles (parts) are called TIFCO or KIFCO and look like they are obviously fake NIFCO products!!
But it's not a fake.

TIFCO is a joint venture company established by Nifco and Taiwan's Yuning Industrial Co., Ltd. in 1983 (Showa 58).

KIFCO is a joint venture between Nifco and South Korea's SSAMG YPMG CPRP., established in 1985 (Showa 60), Korean Industrial Fastener Corp. (KIFCO).

That's it.

That's why neither TIFCO nor KIFCO are fake.

At the time, TIFCO was printed on products made in Nifco Taiwan, and KIFCO was printed on products made in Vietnam.
However, both companies have now changed their names to Nifco Korea Inc. and Nifco Taiwan Corp., and NIFCO is now printed on the plastic buckles.
So TIFCO and KIFCO are a little rare.

Another thing that caught my attention was that even though KIFCO is a joint venture with a Korean company, production is done in Vietnam.

Thank you for reading to the end m(__)m

We introduced plastic buckles, which are probably of no interest to anyone unless they make bags.
However, to make a bag, not only fabric and leather are needed, but also metal fittings, plastic buckles, zippers, etc.
I thought it would be nice if people could learn about the background of these things, so I introduced them.

Well then.

source
Nifco Inc.
Buckle dedicated site | NIfCO Buckle Web Site
Nifco – Wikipedia