“Stops” are just what their name implies, same as pullers. These are the parts of a finished zipper that limit the movement of the slider at the top or bottom of the zipper. Most times they are metal, either brass or aluminum, but can be made out of stainless steel, plastic, or even a clear glue like substance. Regardless of what they are made out of, they serve the same purpose, to stop the slider. There are specialty stops out there too. We have half moon bridge type stops which we use on zippers that need a special curved nesting place for certain sliders when the zipper is closed. We sell all kinds of stops that can be manually applied to zipper chain projects. When we make a zipper, the stops are actually manufactured from long rolls of metal in our machines. Then there are the items that technically are not stops, but function like them, called pins and boxes. These neat little items are the pieces at the bottom of jacket zippers; the piece you slide one into the other and then pull the slider up. They are not sold loose as specialized equipment is needed to put them on. Almost any finish is also made an option for these tiny wonders; from silver and gold, to all the antique finishes, to specialty painted versions. The metals, finishes and options are a whole product line in and of themselves. See Zipper 101 for a REALLY detailed look at stops.