Invention of Velcro ® brand Fasteners

Who invented Velcro ® brand hook and loop?

Where did the word "Velcro" come from?

Velcro ® Images

Velcro ® brand 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, discovered tiny hooks on the cockleburs that were stuck on his pants and in his dog's fur. Under the scrutiny of the microscope, he observed the hooks engaging the loops in the fabric of his pants. Click here for fascinating look at the cocklebur and the invention of Velcro ® brand hook.

De Mestral, along with help from friends in the weaving business, finally duplicated mother natures hook and loop fastener in the manufacturing plant. The result of his new invention was Velcro ® brand fasteners, from the French words for velvet "velour", and hook, "crochet".

1948 - Summer walk in the woods, discovers cockleburs
1952 - Velcro S.A. established in Switzerland
1955 - Patents "Velvet Type Fabric and Method of Producing The Same" Patent #2,717,437 with the Swiss government.
1957 - American Velcro opened in Manchester, NH
1958 - Velcro trademark registered in the United States
1979 - Original patents expire
1990 - George de Mestral dies