Invention: Velcro
Inventor: George Mestral
Inventor’s Location: Switzerland

Inventor of Velcro

The inventor of Velcro was a quiet Swiss engineer who was also an amateur mountaineer and inventor.  Mestral had studied the hook and loop fasten design to some degree and had always thought it could be improved upon and have many real world applications.  Mestral lived in a Golden Age in human history when man turned his mind and efforts into inventing ways to make his life better.  It was also a way for one to gain wealth and notoriety.
To invent Velcro Mestral had to take a walk on the wild side; literally.  The story goes that on one bright sunny summer day in 1948, George went for a nature stroll with his dog.  After, a long day on the trail, George and his dog returned home.  Upon returning home, George Mestral discovered that he and his dog were covered in sticker burrs.  These sticker burrs grow on weeds and are seed sacs that have very sharp points with hooks on them.  These sharp points and hooks help them cling to passing animals, and humans, for that matter and is how the plants reproduce.  Their seed is carried from one place to another in this manner.
George Mestral was annoyed by all the burrs.  They are actually a very bad nuisance and can be very painful to get them off your clothing or out of your skin.  They are especially hard to get off your dog.  The story continues; that George was so fascinated by the proficient manner in which the burrs were able to stick to his clothes that he left the burrs in his dog and went to examine the burrs more closely.
Upon inspecting the burr under his microscope, George Mistral saw the efficient manner that the small hooks on the burr stuck to the small loops of the fabric in his pants.  It is said that George arose from the microscope having already formulated a plan to create a revolutionary two sided fastener.  One side of the fastener would stiff hooks and the other stiff loops.  When pushed together the fastener would form a very strong bond.
Poor George Mestral, like many other inventors and philosophers of the day, was laughed at and met with much resistance about his invention.   He decided he would call his new invention Velcro.  Velcro is a combination word from the words velour and crochet.  George thought his new invention would get rid of the old zipper and make him wealthy.   After some time, George finally met a man who was a weaver in France.  With the weavers help, George Mestral was able to perfect his hook and loop fastener and the rest would be history.
It took many years of tinkering.  There were many trials and many errors.  One day Mestral examined nylon being sewn under infrared light.  It was discovered that while sewing with an infrared light the nylon loops could be sewn much closer together and tighter.  This would be the finishing touch on the Velcro design.  George Mestral patented Velcro in 1951.  He would later form a company called Velcro industries.  This company would manufacture the product that George Mestral has designed.  Back then, George Mestral was selling over sixty million yards of Velcro per year.  Today, Velcro is word wide seller to the tune of multi-millions in sales.  George Mestral started this journey by always being open and honest and being sensitive to what the world around him could also teach him.  He quit his job and secured a $150,000 loan to develop Velcro.  All in all, it took him around 8 years. Needless to say Mr. Mestral got the last laugh.
Today, we use Velcro in hundreds of ways to improve our lives.  You can buy Velcro strips and apply them to whatever use you might need.  Some of the ways we use Velcro today are:

• Keep our jacket closed: we often sew several small strips into opposite sides of out clothing lining to help us keep them closed.  This is very useful, especially in cold climates.  Velcro straps come as standard items on many winter clothing lines today.
• Hanging paintings and Photo’s: we us Velcro adhesive back straps to hang our painting on our walls.  We apply it to the back of photo’s we want to hang.  No more do we have to teeter a painting this way or that way to get it straight.  With Velcro you get straight and permanent every time.  It is so versatile.
• Rug tip: Tired of those pesky floor rugs always moving around on your.  Well, get out your adhesive backed Velcro tape and cut you several pieces.  Set the pieces out on the floor where you want the rug to go.  Stick them to the floor.  Slide your rug over and put the other side of the Velcro piece on the underside of the rug where it will match up with one of the pieced you adhered to the floor.  When finished, your rug will no longer move.  Works terrific.
• Kitchen Chair Tip: easily stop the seat cushions from sliding off the kitchen chairs.  Simply applying the Velcro of your choice to cushion and chair and viola, no more picking the cushion up off the floor.
• Never lose your TV remote again: this one is a great idea for every man.  Velcro on your remote and then where ever you want to be able to always find it.  Simply put it in place and the remote with Velcro on it stay in place.  You will always be able to find it.  Mine is stuck to the side of my easy chair and I love it.  Never have to look for it.  Always easy to reach.  You just have to love Velcro.

This list goes on forever.  Velcro is such an incredible invention that you are only limited by your own imagination!