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George de Mestral was an electrical engineer who was born and raised in Switzerland.  One day in 1941, he and his Irish pointer were out in the woods of the Swiss Alps hunting when he noticed that his clothes and the dog’s fur had hundreds of cockleburs stuck to them.  When he returned home his inquisitiveness led him to his microscope where he began to examine the burrs.  There he noticed the burrs having hundreds of “hooks” that caught on anything with a loop.

It was this discovery that lead George de Mestral to the possibility of two materials binding reversibly in a simple fashion.  He took his idea to a weaver in Lyon who made two strips of cotton that worked.  Noting that the cotton wore out, de Mestral decided nylon had several advantages to the cotton.  Unlike the cotton; nylon doesn’t breakdown, rot, or attract mold.  Various thicknesses of threads could be produced using nylon.   He also discovered when sewn under infrared light, nylon formed strong hooks.  He had to figure out a way to make the loop side.  He learned that nylon thread, when woven in loops and heat-treated kept its shape and its elasticity. George de Mestral was having a difficult time because the loops had to be cut in just the right place so they could be fastened and unfastened many times.  He took a pair of scissors and cut the loops tops off.  By doing this, the hooks and loops matched up perfectly!  This process took ten years to perfect.  His idea for patent was submitted in 1951 in Switzerland and was granted in 1955. This resulted in VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners, from the French words “velour” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook).

Velcro USA, Inc., today, has become a leader in the industrial, consumer, and personal care markets with many VELCRO® Brand Fastening innovations. Sew-on or pressure sensitive adhesive backed VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners are available in a variety of sizes and materials.  Variations on the standard VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners include but are not limited to VELCRO® Brand ONE-WRAP® straps, VELCRO® Brand VELTEX® Display Loop, STICKY BACK tape, and VELCRO® Brand ULTRA-MATE® Plastic HTH (High Tech Hook).

Texas Specialties is an Authorized Platinum Status Distributor of VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners.  We maintain a substantial stock of VELCRO® Brand products.  We can also cut VELCRO® Brand products to your specifications.  We can “Cut and Mate” these materials which simply means that we put the Hook and Loop together before cutting and supply you with mated sets rather than individual pieces of Hook and Loop.  Our consultative approach to helping customers incorporate best-in-class fastener applications into their products is a hallmark of Texas Specialties.  It is our responsibility to guide you toward the best solution to your fastening needs.  We look forward to helping you create products that exceed your expectations.

We hope you will consider Texas Specialties for your next VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fastener order.  Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require assistance in selecting the type of VELCRO® Brand Hook and Loop Fasteners that would best meet your needs.

We highly recommend you visit the VELCRO.com website for a full look at the products available to you through Texas Specialties.

VELCRO® and other marks are registered trademarks of Velcro IP Holdings LLC. Used with permission.