January 3 - Drinking Straws Patented

Posted on January 3, 2022

Key Points

This is an update of my post published on January 3, 2011:

Before Marvin Stone invented a way to manufacture paper drinking straws, people used natural rye grass straws, which gave beverages a bit of a grassy taste. The only alternative was to suffer the indignities of drinking without a straw at all. (I’m thinking of the way all the ice in the glass conspires to stay in the bottom as you tip your glass to drink—and then does a massive, coordinated strike that makes you choke and splutter. Thanks, Eddie Izzard, for pointing out this common ice behavior!)

Anyway, grassy taste and ice-cube attack didn’t suit American inventor Marvin Stone. He patented – on this date in 1888 – a spiral winding process to make straws out of paper. After he came up with the paper-winding-and-gluing apparatus, he had to experiment with different sorts of paper that wouldn’t get soggy when wet. He ended up with paraffin (wax) coated manila paper straws about 8-and-a-half inches long.

Since Stone’s paper straws burst upon the world, drinking straws have been re-invented many times. Now many drinking straws are made of plastic – but single-use plastic straws are a big no-no environmentally speaking!

Because of the environmental impacts of disposable plastic straws, paper straws are making a comeback. But also washable, re-useable straws are being manufactured – and hopefully they will catch on. These re-useable straws are made of metal, silicone, bamboo, or glass. If you aren’t yet carrying around a re-useable straw – and avoiding disposable straws – consider making the switch!

Above, silicone mouthpieces, stainless steel straws
Below, silicone straws

Stainless steel straws
Bamboo straws

In the straw world, some straws bend and some are straight, some straws are cute and individualized, some straws have special shapes, and some straws come equipped with spoons on the end. There are even candy straws and Pixy Stix!