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Answers to Go

Velcro, created by George de Mestral, is a useful invention we use every day, from knee braces to NASA aircraft.
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Answers to Go

San Marcos Public Library

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Answers to Go

Sunday, August 21, 2022

Q. I am interested in finding out about “Velcro.” What can you tell me about it? My kids find it fascinating!

A. Velcro is a brand name for a hook-and-loop method of fastening. It was invented in the 1940s by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer.

Like many inventions, Velcro was inspired by something George de Mestral saw in nature. In 1948, he was hunting with his dog in the Jura mountains of Switzerland and became intrigued by the burdock burrs (cockleburs) that stuck to his clothing and dog’s fur. He wondered how they stuck on so well. When he loosened them, he examined one under his microscope. What he saw was basic enough. The cocklebur is a maze of thin strands with burrs (or hooks) on the ends that cling to fabrics or animal fur. De Mestral saw the possibility of a strong, lasting and easy-to-use fastener. After almost eight years of experimentation, research and investigation, de Mestral was able to come up with a synthetic version of the cocklebur. He successfully reproduced the natural attachment with two strips of fabric, one with thousands of tiny hooks and another with thousands of tiny loops. Though the first Velcro was made out of cotton, de Mestral soon discovered that nylon worked best because it didn’t wear with use. (Suddath) In 1949, he discovered that, when sewn under infrared light, nylon forms small but tough hooks that easily fasten on to soft polyester material. (Krols) Early news reports (such as one that appeared in Time in 1958) described the product as a zipperless zipper — which, while accurate, sounds a little strange to us now. It seems there just weren’t that many removable, reusable all-surface fasteners back then. (Suddath) After some thought, de Mestral gave his invention the name “Velcro.” Velcro is a brand name and many people refer to it simply as “hook and loop.” The word “Velcro” is from the French word “velour” (velvet) and “Crochet” (hook). (Jones, C.F.)

In 1955, patents in the United States and many other countries were issued for Velcro, but it wasn’t until 1958 that the U.S. trademark was registered. The product really took off in the 1960s with the advent of the Space Age. NASA used it in the Apollo spacecraft, securing pens, food packets and all sorts of equipment they didn’t want to drift away in zero gravity. (Suddath) From there on out, it was seen and used in many places from hospital gowns to shoes — and in many colors. A 1959 fashion show at New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel displayed everything from Velcro diapers to Velcro golf jackets to stylish society matrons; a New York Times report declared it “the end of buttons, toggles, hooks, zippers, snaps and even safety pins.” But even with colors, the stuff was too ugly, and for a long time it was relegated to athletic equipment. (Suddath) In 1968, Puma became the first major shoe company to offer a sneaker with Velcro fasteners. Other companies caught on (most notably Adidas and Reebok) and by the 1980s, every child in America seemed to own at least one pair of those threestrap Velcro wonders. By then, the Velcro company’s original patent had expired and companies in Europe, Mexico and Asia were making cheap knock-off versions. Perhaps this is the reason why Velcro fights so hard for its name: these days, anyone can make a hook-and-loop fastening product, but only one company makes Velcro. (Suddath) For more information about inventions, check out these books at the library:

• “Ancient Inventions” by Peter James

• “Ingenious patents: bubble wrap, barbed wire, bionic eyes, and other pioneering inventions” by Ben Ikenson

• “The pinball effect: how renaissance water gardens made the carburetor possible — and other journeys through knowledge” by James Burke

• “The evolution of useful things” by Henry Petroski.

• Jones, C. F., & O'Brian, J. (1991). “What They Wear. In Mistakes that worked” (pp. 68– 68). essay, Doubleday.

• Krols, B. (2009). “Everyday Life. In Accidental inventions: the chance discoveries that changed our lives” (pp. 124–124). essay, Insight Editions.

• Suddath, C. (2010, June 15). “A brief history of: Velcro.” Time. Retrieved Aug. 16, from content.time. com/time/nation/article/ 0,8599,1996883,00. html

• Velcro Brand. (2022, June 20). History of velcro companies — our timeline of innovation. “Original Thinking.” Retrieved Aug. 16 from velcro.com/original- thinking/our-timeline- of-innovation/

Suzanne Sanders is the columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.

San Marcos Record

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