Monoprice Marker Cable Tie 4 inch 18LBS, 100pcs/Pack - White

This product is absolutely indispensable for blind wiring where you cannot see the 'other' end of the cable. An extra-fine Sharpie permanent marker handles the writing. A flush-cutting wire cutter nips the tongue nice and smooth leaving no sharp corners.I label both ends of a cable, indicating on the label where the 'other' end of the cable is connected. That way, when you're faced with a fist full of identical cables, all with the same connector, it is easy to determine not only to what the cable is to be connected, but also where it is coming from.For about eleven cents a cable, it saves time and a tremendous amount of aggravation. Even in dense audio patch bays, the label is big enough to properly identify the cable without overcrowding the real estate on the panel.

It just simply works. If you are in similar situation as mine, in which you have a bunch of electronics devices, some of them are in use and others are not. One day, you may find a power cord or connection cable and have no clue which device it belongs to, then you will need this to properly lable all your power cords and cable. It's a huge help in that regard, of course in addition to label those in use. It's very to use, just tie and cut and it will be there. It's thin, but sturdy enough to stay on your wires/cables. Its face is small, but provide enough room for you to make note (don't expect to write a whole center on it), and in this case a Sharpie would be helpful.

First the bottom line. The tie is good but it helps to wrap it around one full turn before threading it through the locking eye. The id tag is rather small, really small but enough for me to write 4 numbers on it with a Sharpie. Also let the writing dry before using to avoid smudging of the ink.Now some background for anyone interested. I like the ties because they meet my needs and they are inexpensive. I share my Utility closet with my neighbor. The Comcast installer (actually a third party they contract with for installation did not put proper id tags on cables. In the past, when my neighbor had any problems with their TV or Internet, these techs would sometimes disconnect me by mistake. I want them to be able to identify the Co-ax cables there that go in my unit. Hopefully, it will avoid that once in a while loss of service for me and even if they do disconnect my cables, it will be easy for me to hook them back up without having to call for a service tech to come out.

This was my first purchase of this style zip-tie. These ties for labeling cords and other things are good -- tough, strong, tite locking -- but they have a couple of surprises someone new to them might miss. First the ties are more translucent, almost clear, than white. . .writing doesn't stand out as starkly as one might think and writing on one side shows through to the other. The writing area is small, about 1x1/4 inches, so label text must be very short and sweet. The zip-tie lock mechanism is above the label area rather than below it, as with other labeling ties, so the thin tie and that broad label area both must be snugged around what it's attached to rather than cinching only the tie tight and the label standing clear -- this design is less of a potential problem (of sliding, for instance) with broader and fatter cords or if the tie is fixed around the plug itself. Another review suggested wrapping the tie a couple of times before locking it to keep it snug on thinner cords, which might be helpful.Given all that, the ties still are very servicable and inexpensive. . .100 in a bag at about half the cost of others (as of 8/2015).

I don't get the complaints that they are too small. Considering that I have 40 of them in close proximity to one another in my network switch, small is what I need. And I only need room for a few characters on them ("D25" for example or "V17") so these work for me.As for them staying in place: Yes, I can see having a minor problem getting them tight enough, but just do what another reviewer suggested: "I wrapped the tie around the cable completely once around before inserting into the locking slot. This way the marker tie is very secure and does not slip up and down the cable, no matter how thin the cable is."Finally, the price is oh-so-right, not even $0.04/each! For under four bucks...shipped...I have enough of these to last me three years!

You can't write on the label area. The material is nylon. Pencil doesn't show up well enough and will rub off with handling. Ball point pen doesn't work at all. Sharpies or very fine point markers, even permanent types, take a long time to dry and then will rub off if handled much. The only thing I found that works at all is a paper stick on label that I can affix to the writable area. That's a lot of work and if I'm going to do that I can just wrap the paper label around the cable and be done with it. Notice that the description of the product never actually mentions writing on the tab area. They say "easy to label".