Could Velcro tape be one of the best inventions ever? If the answer is no to that, then you haven’t yet discovered all the many uses for this incredible fastening device!
Nylon Velcro Tape
From nappies (diapers) to space suits, and artificial heart surgery utility to military combat device, the versatility of Velcro knows no bounds!
For those who haven’t heard of it, Velcro is basically a fabric loop and hook fastening device. Everybody uses it or has come into contact with it at some point in their lives! I think the first time I encountered this thrilling device was when I was about eight years old and given an apron to wear to avoid covering myself in powder paint. The apron was fastened with Velcro and I loved it!
Velcro is made up of a piece of fabric covered in hooks with its opposite side covered in loops. When you press the two sides together, the hooks just hook up to the loops. To unfasten, a considerable amount of force is required, but left unattended those hooks will not release those loops. When you unfasten the Velcro, brace yourself for that ripping sound because it can go right through you and make your hairs stand on end!
Velcro tape is everywhere but if you look hard enough, you will still find its chief competitors (buttons, zips, buckles and laces) about!
But where did Velcro tape come from in the first place?
Velcro began life in 1941, a device used for fastening purposes by an engineer in Switzerland called George de Mestra, Fascinated with the way burrs or seeds were attached to his dog’s fur as well as to himself. Close inspection revealed burrs were completely surrounded by little hooks enabling them to fasten to any looped surface. What if he could somehow copy the simple hook and loop system? And so the ‘zipperless zipper (or zip)’, which was eventually to be patented as ‘Velcro’, was borne.
Velcro has many uses because it is easy to use, safe to use, strong and essentially maintenance free. Velcro will lend itself to any situation where fastening is required and will only prove less effective in its capability when it has been fastened and unfastened many times.
Velcro versus the pickpocket! Some may find the ripping noise that Velcro makes when unfastened somewhat cringe-worthy but you know what, there is a positive note, the pickpockets out there hate it! That’s a vote for Velcro tape!