Useless fact
What was the first plastic bread clip made from?
The first prototype of the plastic bread clip was carved from an expired credit card using a pocketknife in 1952.
In 1952, inventor Floyd Paxton was on a flight when he opened a complimentary bag of apples and realized there was no way to reclose it. Using his pocketknife, he carved a small, notched clip out of an expired plastic credit card, creating the very first bread clip. This spontaneous invention led to the founding of the Kwik Lok Corporation, which went on to manufacture billions of these closures for bread and produce bags worldwide. While originally designed for fruit packaging, the clips quickly became industry-standard closures for sliced bread bags in supermarkets. Paxton later patented the design, and his company became a global empire dominated by this single, simple product. Today, these small plastic tabs are found in almost every household, yet their origins trace back to a makeshift solution crafted mid-flight from a piece of plastic trash.
Why this is true — This fact is documented in the New York Times obituary of Jerre Paxton and corresponds to the invention history of the Kwik Lok bread closure.
Sources
- US2710474A - Bag closure Google Patents