The humble garden hose came from rather gross beginnings!

We all take for granted our garden hose, the dishwasher hose, the radiator hose & panty hose.

When was the 1st flexible hose used?

Well it was over 2,415 years ago when some ancient Greeks ripped out the intestines of an OX! They carefully removed this still attached to the large stomach bladder and this became the first flexible pump & fire hose. It was filled with water and the large bladder compressed, and the stream of water was aimed at the fire.

The intestines are very stretchy but didn’t last long in ancient times. Even as late as the 8th Century, the Greeks used solid & flexible hoses as flame throwers at sea.

It wasn’t until the 1600’s that Dutch inventor Jan van der Heyden used leather stitched together to make the very 1st manufactured flexible hose.

It would have looked similar to this riveted model, but was stitched instead.

Many advances were made over the next 300 years, from leather, to canvas, sailcloth, cotton and linen. All were heavy and prone to leaks. Then rubber virtually took over from 1870, with many variations.

Later the revolution of synthetic fibres occurred. This became the fore runner to our now familiar garden hose.

The latest trends are occurring now toward lighter & stronger hoses with thinner but extremely strong walls.

Hoselink hoses are made of PVC and can withstand pressure upto 500 PSI.

Who would have thought it from Ox intestines to PVC? Hoses have certainly come a long way...thank goodness!

Happy Hosing!

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