Robin Burden answered
Originally, Slinkys (the toy) were made using blue-black Swedish steel. Nowadays, however, they are made from either metal or plastic coils.
As for the 'slinky' fabric that you can find in the haberdashery section of department stores, that is most likely made from a nylon-blend.
What are slinkys made out of?
As I mentioned above, the first Slinky was designed using Swedish metal. This was still the case when the toy debuted at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia in 1945.
However, the design was later changed by Betty James (wife of the Slinky inventor), to use silver-colored American metal. Nowadays, many Slinkys are also produced using brightly-colored plastic.
The history of the Slinky
The Slinky toy was first designed by a naval engineer who saw a pressurized coil falling down some steps, and thought that it would make a great toy. This man's name was Richard James.
His product was so popular that an entire Slinky-empire was born. The original design used Swedish steel, and the word "slinky" is also supposed to be a Swedish adjective...
Unfortunately, poor Richard had a mid-life crisis during the 1960s, and ran away to join a Bolivian religious cult.
His wife Betty took over the company, and she was responsible for the decision to use American metal instead of Swedish steel.
As for the 'slinky' fabric that you can find in the haberdashery section of department stores, that is most likely made from a nylon-blend.
What are slinkys made out of?
As I mentioned above, the first Slinky was designed using Swedish metal. This was still the case when the toy debuted at Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia in 1945.
However, the design was later changed by Betty James (wife of the Slinky inventor), to use silver-colored American metal. Nowadays, many Slinkys are also produced using brightly-colored plastic.
The history of the Slinky
The Slinky toy was first designed by a naval engineer who saw a pressurized coil falling down some steps, and thought that it would make a great toy. This man's name was Richard James.
His product was so popular that an entire Slinky-empire was born. The original design used Swedish steel, and the word "slinky" is also supposed to be a Swedish adjective...
Unfortunately, poor Richard had a mid-life crisis during the 1960s, and ran away to join a Bolivian religious cult.
His wife Betty took over the company, and she was responsible for the decision to use American metal instead of Swedish steel.
