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Velcro Gets Remixed

by Terrence O'Brien on May 18, 2007 at 12:14 PM

Velcro Gets Remixed
Here's an amazing fact: Some wide-eyed dreamer designing sneakers for Pony didn't invent Velcro in the '80s -- it was actually invented by some Swiss guy in 1941. Here's another amazing fact: Someone has bothered to reinvent it.

Eight years ago, Vermont-native Leonard Duffy set out to reinvent the zipper. Forty thousand dollars later, the 66-year-old is now showing off his Slidingly Engaging Fasteners to Popular Science (photo).

This new and improved super-Velcro replaces hooks and loops with interlocking pieces of triangular and hexagonal plastic. Unlike traditional Velcro, the Slidingly Engaging Fastener doesn't lose its adhesive qualities over time and holds up to eight times the weight of its predecessor.

Sadly, there's no mention in the article as to whether or not Slidingly Engaging Fasteners make that same wonderful sound that the old-school stuff does.

Related Links:

From OhGizmo and PopSci

Tags: breaking+news, inventions, top, velcro

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