The first commercial use of nylon was for womens' silk stockings.  Today, because of its'  reputation as an exceptional natural fibre, the name Silk, is used by the hammock industry to sell Genuine Nylon Hammocks!

Nylon first became commercially available in May 1940.  It was the first synthetic fibre to be made entirely from inorganic ingredients - coal, water and air.  Early on, Du Pont decided to tackle the challenge of substituting silk for nylon, in woman's fully fashioned hosiery, without having to raise the price.  At the end of 1937 the first nylon stockings were knit, then in 1941, Du Pont made over 60 million pairs of sheer nylon stockings for women's hosiery, more than the number of women in the United States at that time!  Meanwhile, Du Pont's Pioneering Research Team continued the development of products destined to become Orlon®, Cordura® and Dacron®.

Uses for nylon started appearing as soon as this synthetic fiber was available. Civilian uses, just before the Second World War, had extended to toothbrushes, fishing lines, neckties, sewing thread, jewellery bead cord, football pants, and foundation garments.  During World War II, all nylon production was earmarked for the war effort.  The military used it in 3.8 million parachutes, a half a million airplane tires, and for an uncounted number of glider tow ropes, flak vests, and blood plasma filters.

Industrial Nylon, for products requiring high strength and durability, such as military flak vests, made its' commercial debut in the late 1940s. Examples of such uses for Industrial Nylon cord were, tire reinforcement, ropes, luggage, and sporting gear.

In the spring of 1994, long before the term 'eco' friendly became fashionable, Du Pont made the strategic decision to enter a dramatic new phase of development - the era of 'lean production'.  Du Ponts' mainstay, Nylon, was integrated with its' polymer cousin, Polyester and together with the latest developments in biosciences, this blending of polymer technology has enabled a dramatic downstream in lower investment spinning technology possible.  These developments have resulted in lower costs, waste free, energy efficient nylon! 

As a result of nylons' first commercial silk stocking success, the name 'nylon' has been loosely applied in the hammock industry, to describe hammocks made with 'synthetic' cord.  This misrepresentation has been made possible becuase the word nylon, was never originally Trademarked.  Hammocks made with 'polypropylene' cord are traditionally sold as Nylon Hammocks, while hammocks made with Genuine Industrial Nylon cord, are called Silk Hammocks!  It is now easy to understand how hammock manufacturers and distributers have taken advantage of this misrepresentation for their own commercial gain.  Today, the term 'nylon' is used to sell less durable polypropylene hammocks and the consumer is easily duped into believing they are purchasing a Genuine Nylon Hammock.

Hammock World uses genuine Industrial Nylon for the manufacture of their Nylon Hammocks, so buy smart!