Menu Close

Who discovered Velcro?

Who discovered Velcro?

George de Mestral
Hook-and-loop fastener/Inventors

Hook and loop fasteners were invented by a Swiss engineer called George de Mestral and he commercialised them under the VELCRO® trademark. You may not recognise his name but you will have certainly used his most famous invention!

Who invented Velcro and how was it invented?

The VELCRO® brand of hook and loop was invented by a man named George de Mestral in the 1940’s while hunting in the Jura mountains in Switzerland. Mr. de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, realized that the tiny hooks of the cockle-burs were stuck on his pants and in his dog’s fur and wondered how they attached themselves.

Is George de Mestral alive?

Deceased (1907–1990)
George de Mestral/Living or Deceased

Why was Velcro an important invention?

In the early 1960s, Velcro received a huge boost in popularity when NASA began using the product to keep objects from floating around under zero-gravity conditions. NASA later added Velcro to astronauts’ space suits and helmets, finding it more convenient than the snaps and zippers that were previously used.

How did George Mestral think about inventing a Velcro?

Answer: George De Mestral got the idea for Velcro® from cockleburs caught in his clothes and his dog’s fur. De Mestral realized he could create a fabric fastener that acted like the burrs, and so the idea of Velcro® was born.

When did George de Mestral invent Velcro?

1955
In 1955, George de Mestral patented VELCRO® hook and loop fasteners, an efficient way to fasten fabrics and other materials. The idea came to him after observing the way a burr’s barbed hooks clung to clothing.

What did George Mestral discover day?

An Idea That Stuck: How George de Mestral Invented the VELCRO® Brand Fastener. Born in the tiny town of Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges in 1907, George de Mestral filed his first patent at the age of 12, for a toy airplane. “He was driven to invent,” says Fraser Cameron, president and CEO of the modern-day Velcro Companies.

Who was George de Mestral and what did he invent?

George de Mestral. George de Mestral (June 19, 1907 – February 8, 1990) was a Swiss electrical engineer who invented the hook and loop fastener which he named Velcro.

When did George de Mestral come up with hook and loop?

De Mestral first conceptualized hook and loop after returning from a hunting trip with his dog in the Alps in 1941.

Where did George de Mestral live in Switzerland?

On his father’s death in 1966, de Mestral inherited the family home in Saint Saphorin sur Morges, château Saint-Saphorin-sur-Morges (Mestral Castle). De Mestral died in Commugny, Switzerland, where he is buried.

How did George de Mestral come up with the name Velcro?

De Mestral gave the name Velcro, a portmanteau of the French words velours (“velvet”), and crochet (“hook”), to his invention as well as his company, which continues to manufacture and market the fastening system. However, hook and loop’s integration into the textile industry took time, partly because of its appearance.