Posted on 06/18/2010 11:13:50 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Is this the end of the line for Velcro? According to USA Today, the US army has decided to ditch that once most fashionable and space-age of fasteners from the pockets of trousers issued to soldiers in Afghanistan, and replace it with the humble button. The Velcro fasteners have, apparently, been failing to cope with bulging pockets as well as collecting dirt and sand and even, with that unmistakable, fingers-on-blackboard ripping sound, betraying soldiers' positions to the enemy. US sergeant Kenny Hatten wrote on an army website, "Buttons are silent, work just fine in the mud, do not clog up with dirt and do not fray and disintegrate with repeated laundering."
Let us pause for a moment to mourn Velcro's fall from grace. A Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, came up with its ingenious hook-and-pile design in 1948, after returning from an Alpine hunting trip to find his dog's fur covered with tenaciously sticky burdock burrs. Its heyday came with the Apollo missions, when astronauts used it to help them get in and out of spacesuits, and to keep their pens and foodtrays handy.
Velcro soon became the fashionable fastener of choice: in 1967, this newspaper fawned over a collection of Sioux Indian-style "ankle-to-calf gaiters", featuring some distinctly natty Velcro fastenings. It was even, apparently, used to hold together a human heart during the first artificial-heart surgery.
Now, of course, Velcro is confined mainly to ski-suits, aeroplane antimacassars, trainers and the art of Velcro-jumping, in which fun-seekers launch themselves against a Velcro-covered inflatable wall which sounds a lot less dangerous than realising that the enemy can hear you opening your pockets in the desert.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
“How’d you get the beans above the Frank?!”
It seemeth that the lowly hook would be yet plainer, whilst also saving a goodly amount. What thinkest thou, FRiend?
Yr humble servant,
Ha! Everybody knows it was a Vulcan invention!
I participate. You just have not read my other posts.
When the Clinton administration decided to go with black berets for the Army, the only beret company in America capable of making them was the Bancroft Cap Co. OF CABOT ARKANSAS. Others said that they couldn't reach the production goals using only American wool as required by law. During the Bush administration it was found that Bancroft was in fact using foreign wool. Bancroft went out of business.
If you are going to invest in a button company make sure it is a company run by a Democrat preferably in Chicago.
When a Rat who hates the military does anything to the military it is because there is money in it.
Both snaps and zippers MAKE NOISE!
Sometimes it’s funny how modern technology is supplanted by the truly OLD stuff.
It’s rare, but noteworthy.
>>> and now can the Navy get rid of the Village people cracker jack outfit..
Admiral Zumwalt back in the early 70s did that one already. As soon as he was replaced as CNO they were brought back, to the general relief of the Navy. From what I read, Mrs Zumwalt motivated this. She didn’t like the traditional sailor uniform.
I doubt they are in a hurry to repeat that fiasco.
Well..i doubt the admiral ever tried to get out of that jumper when he was smashed! ;)
It is "sell" not "sale" in this case.
Actually, I like Velcro pocket closures. But as a soldier I would most definitely not want such a noisemaker on my clothing. In this situation, it is an “inappropriate technology”.
I’m guessing the people we’re fighting over there don’t give a second thought to this kind of bullshit. Bad portent of the future.
Not too many buttons on a dirty nightshirt.
They tried to get rid of anything metal on the body due to mines. When I was in they were phasing out the metal web belt buckle with nylon.
If a button comes off, a soldier can just sew it back on. Just try to do that with velcro.
Here we're talking about military. Velcro is terrible for military appliations. Too noisy. Refastens itself, making the "put away" take longer.
Sounds like something my great aunt would collect.
And I'll bet that not one square inch of any of it will be manufactured in the USA.
Really? I think the sailors look very handsome in the Cracker Jacks. MUCH nicer than those awful new blue fatigue things that give everybody a case of droopy ass so severe it looks like they’ve had an “accident” in them.
Regards,
In the aviation world, velcro works great on the zoom bag, helmet bag, nav bag and helmet, in the cockpit, etc. It has many practical applications in the military. Just gotta know where to apply it.
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