Naugahyde

For the G.I. Joe character, seeGnawgahyde.For 2011 album by Primus, seeGreen Naugahyde.

Naugahydeis an Americanbrandofartificial leather.Naugahyde is a composite knit fabric backing and expandedpolyvinyl chloride(PVC) coating. It was developed by Byron A. Hunter, a senior chemist at theUnited States Rubber Company,and is now manufactured and sold by thecorporate spin-offUniroyal Engineered Products LLC.

Its name, first used as a trademark in 1936,comes from the name ofNaugatuck, Connecticut,where it was first produced.It is now manufactured inStoughton, Wisconsin.

Uses

The primary use for Naugahyde is as a substitute for leather inupholstery.In this application it is very durable and can be easily maintained by wiping with a damp sponge or cloth. Being a synthetic product, it is supplied in long rolls, allowing large sections of furniture to be covered seamlessly, unlikeanimal hides.

General Motorsfor several decades used the material in several of its vehicles, with the term "Cordaveen" and later "Madrid-grain vinyl" forBuick,"Morocceen" forOldsmobile,and "Morrokide" forPontiacvehicles, whileChevroletdidn't use a brand name and simply listed it in sales brochures as "vinyl interior".

Marketing

An advertising campaign showing the fictional Nauga creature, whose hide is used to make the material

A marketing campaign of the 1960s and 1970s asserted humorouslythat Naugahyde was obtained from the skin of an animal called a "Nauga". The claim became anurban myth.The campaign emphasized that, unlike other animals, which must typically be slaughtered to obtain their hides, Naugas canshed their skinwithout harm to themselves.The Nauga doll, a squat, horned monster with a wide, toothy grin, became popular in the 1960s and is still sold today.

External links

• The Naugahyde Company