#otherwise i just wrap the cut segments of fastener back around the... disc...? of fastener i cut it from.

[catastrophic-crow]

i think everyone should buy a roll of double-sided hook-and-loop fastener ("velcro") to cut to length for cable ties.

this stuff. it's so much better than any alternative i've found or used. wrapping cables without a tie leaves them with inconvenient kinks and bends. zip ties are wasteful and annoying. pre-made cable ties can be good, but arent always practical for very large and very small cables, plus they cost multiple times as much in relative terms. this stuff works for everything, and costs hardly anything, with only fairly low effort required. (it's, not, technically, as easy as pre-made cable ties. you do need something to cut it with, if you don't have a segment already cut. if you do; it's as low-effort as it gets. in any case i'd argue that it's close. if it's an issue, then just, like. keep it by whatever you use to cut it to length. problem solved.)

i've bought a roll that was 50 feet (~15 meters) long x ("0.78in" 🙄) 20mm wide (i know; i know—mixed units. yuck. blame the manufacturer and the seller's marketing) twice, and each time it was less than $10. that was... a couple years ago(?), so it might cost a little more—but less than $20, certainly. you probably won't even need to buy two. i didn't, and i have a lot of cables. i just bought an extra in case i ran out and couldn't find it again later.

it's nice "velcro," too. not that low density shit or on a hard plastic backing like you usually find in stores for premade cable ties. it's soft and flexible and works great even for long, thick cables like extension cords and power strips! and if you want a small strip for a very thin, very short cable, you can just cut it! shorter, and thinner! do whatever you want!

oh, uh. while you're getting used to cutting cable ties to length—err on the side of "too long" instead of "too short." it's fine to wrap a cable tie around itself an extra time or two—but you'll have to cut a whole new strip if it's too short to reach and connect up securely. (and if you do cut it too short; it's not wasted. you can probably use that for a smaller cable, or—failing that—stick it back on the roll for now and wait until you have two or more "too short" segments, and. stick them together. just overlap the segments by, like. an inch. (or 25.4mm. yes, exactly) and press firmly. those suckers will never come apart accidentally. for best results maybe wrap it a way that doesnt try to pull them apart when taking it off the cable—but honestly it doesn't matter.)

while you're at it, buy "shears" from, like a hardware store.

like this. to use instead of scissors where appropriate. they won't go dull the instant you use them for something heavier than printer paper, and they're invaluable for getting into clamshell packaging and cutting things, such as the aforementioned strips of hook-and-loop fastener. (they're also less than $20, which is. so much less expensive than a pair of scissors that cut thicker materials even half as well.)

sometimes scissors (even fancy, expensive, more sturdy scissors) just aren't the right tool for the job, and using one better suited to what you're doing removes, like. ≥90% of the frustration. plus, if you have big, fuck-off hands like i do they might be one of the first pairs of comfortable "scissors" you've ever used. might be worth it for that alone tbh.