Vive le Velcro
Karina-Leanne Griffith
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Re-arrangable history, courtesy of Velcro
photo: Chris Ikonomopoulos
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15 years after inventor's death, Ottawa's obsessed with the sticky stuff
There's nothing like a broken zipper on a slush-filled winter boot to get you thinking about the virtues of a no-nonsense fastener. Velcro was invented by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer who was fascinated with the burrs that stuck to the coat of his Irish Pointer. He gave up his engineering gig, got a $150,000 loan and spent eight years staring at matted dog hair under a microscope before arriving at a patent in 1955.
He named the invention-"special napped piles of man-made material with some of these loops having the means of hooking near their ends"-Velcro, a combination of two French words: "velour," for velvet, and "crochet," for the hooks, and secured patents around the world. Velcro USA holds the patent in these parts.
Thanks to NASA, Kangaroos and David Letterman (who proved on late night TV that two inches square of Velcro will hold a 175 pound person to a wall) the fab adhesive is a multi-million dollar industry, but of course the dog saw none of the money.
De Mestral died 15 years ago this month. To honour him and his burr-ridden pooch we hit the streets to see how people in Ottawa are keeping it together, Letterman-style, with a Top 10 list.
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10) The wacky display of Darcy McGee photos and newspaper clippings in the lobby of the Hostelling International Ottawa jail hostel would garner at least an A- from any grade school current affairs class. Info and titles are placed at jazzy diagonals, and, thanks to Velcro, the whole display
is easily re-arrangable and transportable, although activities coordinator Sam Dixon has no intention of doing so. (Cop a feel of the ghostly presence on the anniversary of Patrick James Waelan's hanging for the murder of McGee at the "A Toast with our Ghost" fundraiser for the hostel, February 11. Call 235-2262.)9) A Roach brand crossbar cover keeps bike courier Angelo Sarazin from mashing his bits at an abrupt stop. Affixed with Velcro, Sarazin is almost as excited about it as the secret pocket on his Chrome bag. How does he keep from going mental racing around on a bike in -25C? "I pretend I am a super hero." I believe it. (Check out Roach and Chrome products at www.roachclothing.com and www.chromebags.com)
8) Instead of carrying the DVD case for Legal Teens to the counter of the Adult Video Warehouse (491 Rideau Street, 241-7310), customers detach a discreet little Velcro tab with a number corresponding to their video choice. Pornariffic!
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| Stop in the name of scratched vinyl-Velcro saves the day Photo: Chris Ikonomopoulos |
7) Deep in the bowels of the National Arts Centre, Baron Bryant and his team design props that actors "don't have to think about." They often uses magnets when props need to stay put and silent, but the tearing sound of hooks separating from loops was welcomed in last year's production of Hamlet when the freshly stabbed prince pulled down the curtain hung with Velcro in a woeful death scene.6) Velcro keeps the local po-po (that's police for those of you on the straight and narrow) snug and secure. The panels for their mandatory body armour are held in place by hefty, hidden Velcro straps.
5) The main branch of the Ottawa Public Library was using Velcro to secure their cash box to the counter, until it got lifted-literally. "Now the box is bolted to the table," explains front desk clerk, Christine Ambroise.
4) Plenty of velour and crocheted items at Attic, a downtown vintage shop you'd wish was your closet. A hot scrapbook caught our eye-the cover is a record, and Velcro pieces keep the tunes from sliding out when you pull it off the self. A remote control rigged with fastening tape to stick to a sofa inspired Halifax designer Maggie Burns. Treat yourself and visit the store (203 Dalhousie Street, 860-0087), or contact Maggie at info@recoverjournals.ca for details.
3) The yummy mummies who work out with their tots at the McNabb Community Centre have a lot to say about the sticky invention. Tiana Kluchert, instructor for the Sweaty Moms class (180 Percy Street, Thursdays at 10 a.m., 564-1070) pointed out that babies roll around on an island of blue exercise mats held together by big strips of the fab adhesive. Collette Nault says that due to larger class sizes, "touch fastening" shoes are mandatory in junior kindergarten. Cynthia Jones, mother of baby Gemma, warns not to "wash bibs with loop and hook fasteners with nylons" (unless you are going for the trashed-out-rock-star-with-baby look). Kate Jaimet loves the "multiple poop check" factor you get with Velcro diaper fasteners as opposed to archaic tape.
2) "It holds the hard drives into place and most of the equipment together," says SAW Video workshop instructor, Jake Hanna. "Too bad we can't use it to keep people's mouths shut." I hear ya.
1) Ottawa Valley native Dr. Wilbert Keon was the first Canadian surgeon to implement a totally artificial heart, and the first to use the Jarvik 7-70 artificial heart in Canada. The two pumping chambers of the Jarvik are fastened with Velcro.
I'm sure de Mestral never imagined such uses for Velcro (although I wouldn't put it past the dog.). May de Mestral R.I.P.
10) Darcy McGee..spooky past still haunts Ottawa's brief history. "A Toast with our Ghost" fundraiser for the hostel, February 11. Will check it out.
9) Angelo Sarazin "sticks" to the same routine every day. A man dedicated to a thankless job as a messenger=Big Hoorah for Angelo (watch out for drivers opening doors without looking)..
8) Nothing like a little sticky substance that is not 100% sperm...eh, naughty video renters?
7) Baron Bryant Keeps "ripping" off the classics (at least your lead actors can let it rip. .)
6) Is that velcro attached to your Glok or are you just happy to see me?
5) Velcro doesn't stop criminals from ripping off charities, libraries and the elderly. The Great "RIP-OFF".
4) There's no static at the Attic. Vintage ideas with modern sensibility.
3) Sweaty Moms: Sticky Bums
2) SAW Video: Nothing is directed until the gear is erected (with velcro).
1) A heart-felt suggestion that stuck.
I bet the only thing that George de Mestral never heard was to take Velcro and "stick" it where the sun doesn't shine/ Bravo-George-in your wake, you have left us a very useful material that will survive the test of time.
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Steve Landry
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{44 votes}
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It's funny, whenever I think of velcro I'm always reminded of that bit from "Garden State" with character that invents silent velcro and becomes rich off the patent. Cool yeah but what would velcro be without the telltale noise? Still I'd be cool to invent it because we live in a world that can patent and market just about anything including crap like Clamato juice and Spam.
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Pedro Eggers
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| Velcro gets children chocolate bars |
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01i5hgOut of everyone in my first grade class, I was one of the last ones to learn how to shoelaces. After learning though, I was HOOKED (get it?). However, by this time my fellow classmates were "above" shoelaces and moved back to velcro shoes.
Our class was divided in groups and to keep us in line, my teacher offered the group who could put on their indoor shoes and sit at their desk the fastest a mini chocolate bar at the end of the week. Since I had shoelaces to tie, my group never won and I never got a chocolate bar.
LONG LIVE VELCRO!
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Paul G
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{1 vote}
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i bet nobody back in 1955 when Velcro was invented thought that any of the uses stated in this article would actually come true. Who knew that people would use it to keep their body armour together, or keep their bag together, or their playpen for the little kids. But hey 50 years later and that is what we are using it for.
Long Live Velcro!
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Jonathon Dean
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{4 votes}
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| Velcro Should Be Used More |
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I am surprised that only a small proportion of shoes and boots use Velcro fasteners.
Laces take a lot of time to tie especially for young kids. They are hard to adjust properly and are often too short or too long. They often come undone and in winter they get stiff from dirty salty slush. Once when I rode my bike the laces got stuck in the gearing and I almost had an accident.
Velcro on the other hand would be much faster and safer to use for shoes but it makes a ripping sound that can be distracting. However there should be a way to make it windproof and waterproof so it could be also used on garments. My ski jacket has Velcro fasteners which are more convenient than snaps or buttons which need more dexterity to use.
The smartest use I have seen for this invention is placing Velcro backed tokens on the wall next to DVDs in Video Stores indicating when they are available.
If Velcro could be made cheaper more people would use it.
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Stephen Talko
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{7 votes}
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| When cockleburs leads to Velcro. |
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When imagination leads to inventions, when cockleburs leads to Velcro.
That was the case for this guy whom inspired by cockleburs invented the Velcro. How do you actually come up with something like this, I found this quite amazing?!. And the most impressive thing is that the Velcro had been playing a little part in everybody daily lives by providing us with something that makes life easier by saving a lot of efforts : an exemple I like is the exposition of Darcy McGee photos in the lobby of the Ottawa Youth hostel.
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Valerie Augier
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{2 votes}
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Next best thing to moms apple pie. Velcro..worldwide fastener, easy, convenient and safe to use. (Only thing that sux is when fibres, hairs, fluffs get all stuck in the velcro stickiness...and you have to pick it all out) Very imaginative little invention isn't it.
10....Velcro attached displays is a good ghostly idea...a fundraiser of intrique.
9...Roach brand bar for protection is a great velcro attaching idea....he was thinking.
8...Porno velcro tab...now how ingenius is that?
7...National Arts Centre velcro curtain/props has made an national impact.
6...Cops and velcro straps....great entertainment too.
5...Velcro at the library.....doesn't work against criminals.
4...The Attic has plenty of velcroy ideas....non slip keeps things neat and tidy.
3...Mandatory velcro for tots....diapers (don't let baby powder get on those tabs or they wont work) Shoes a must till they get linted up....ajoining mats..perfect idea...make sure the bib fasteners are fastened before putting them in the wash...or they will be stuck to everything else.
2...Saw..great for hard drives...and speaking of keeping peoples mouths shut....work on it.
1...Velcro heart fasteners....hmmmmm
Well after all that....I can still think of lots of Velcro ideas..never ending.
Thanks De Mestral and yo pooch. Who's cashing in on the financials now....lucky.
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Jennifer Berardini
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{4 votes}
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There are so many uses for velcro. What a great invention from this guy. It's amazing how: "special napped piles of man-made material with some of these loops having the means of hooking near their ends" became what we have now as Velcro, a material on par with duct tape as having so many uses.
One of the uses for velcro I find extremely reliable is to sew pieces on jackets or snow suits in the winter so that the snow doesn't get in. I have also sewn pieces on the kids gloves to keep them together when not in use or when I put them in the dryer.
Merci, George de Mestral.
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Bernadette Isobel McCaffrey
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{10 votes}
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My friend Pete had a great use for Velcro. He used to perform as a great one-man-band busker in Ottawa (and all over the world, for that matter) before he moved to Europe. As his feet were required to do other things, such aas beat drums and cymbals, he had to work the effect pedals for his guitar with his hands. He attached the pedals directly to the front face of his guitar with, you guessed it, Velcro.
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Jack Bond
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{7 votes}
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