Glue stick

Glue sticks are solid adhesives in twist or push-up tubes. The user can apply glue by holding the open tube, and keeping their fingers clean. Because of their easy and clean use "glue sticks" are often used in schools and offices.

Most glue sticks are designed to glue paper and card together, and are not as strong as some liquid based variants. They can be used for craft and design, office use and at school. There are now permanent, washable, acid-free, non-toxic, solvent free, and dyed (e.g. to see where the glue is being applied easier) varieties.

In 1969 the German company Henkel invented the glue stick after studying the "twist-up ease" and convenience of lipstick applicators. The product was released under the Pritt Stick brand. By 1971 the Pritt Stick was being sold in 38 countries, by 2001 in 121. The first solvent-free, multipurpose glue stick that could be used for other materials (e.g. wood, glass and some plastics) was the "PowerPritt", which was put on the market in 2003. There is also a "Pritt X", launched in 2010.

Glue sticks are made by many brands and each may have different features to it. Various brands, such as Scotch, UHU, Kores, Giotto, Snopake, Bostik U-Stick make glue sticks. Generic brands also manufacture glue sticks, utilising the twist action .

Glue sticks can come in many sizes, the most common being 8g, 25g, 36g, and 40g.

Glue stick compositions are often proprietary, and vary by manufacturer and type. One style contains the following ingredients:

The reportable composition of a Pritt Stick is as follows:

Other brands are using e.g. polyvinylpyrrolidone as the glue substance.

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