During a hike in 1948, Swiss inventor George de Mestral first envisioned his idea for the hook and loop fastener when he observed burrs sticking to his dog’s fur. His biomemetic invention, however, would not succeed commercially for 20-more years. U.S. Pat. 3,009,235.
He needed to develop a viable industrial scale manufacturing process. The loop part was easy, but the hooks proved much more difficult. He discovered, however, a new material－nylon－could form rigid loops. Those loops could then be cut to form burr-like hooks.
A decade later in 1958, he filed his patent and coined the term Velcro® which was a combination of the French words “velours” (velvet) and “crochet” (hook). Velcro® brand hook and loop fasteners did not achieve immediate success, however. Another serendipitous event was necessary for his product to gain commercial acceptance.
“There are two paths of ruin for men: women and inventions, inventions being the more certain path.”
George de Mestral*
*Mestral often repeated this quote, which was attributed to a friend of his.
NASA’s use of the material (500 pieces inside and outside the Apollo 7 spacecraft) allowed the material to capture the consumer’s imagination as a space-aged material. In 1978, Mestral’s patents expired allowing other companies to enter the field with competing hook and loop fasteners. Although Mestral was unsuccessful in updating his expiring patents, the Velcro® brand had been successfully established.