Glue sticks are solid adhesives in twist or push-up tubes. The user can apply glue

Glue

This is a list of various types of glue. Historically, the term "glue" only referred to protein colloids prepared from animal flesh. The meaning has been extended to refer to any fluid adhesive....

 by holding the open tube, thus keeping their fingers clean. Because of their ease of use, and their economic value, glue sticks are a popular school and office supply.

Applications

Glue sticks are only designed to glue paper, card and felt together, as glue sticks 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.

Brands

In 1969 the German company Henkel

Henkel

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA is an multinational company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.The company operates in three business areas: Home Care , Personal Care ,...

 invented the glue stick after studying the "twist-up ease" and convenience of lipstick

Lipstick

Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color, texture, and protection to the lips. Many varieties of lipstick are known. As with most other types of makeup, lipstick is typically, but not exclusively, worn by women...

 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 multi-purpose 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.

Elmer's Products, Inc.

Elmer's Products, Inc.

Elmer's Products, Inc. is the manufacturer of Elmer's Glue-All and other crafts and home repair products, including Krazy Glue, Ross Glue, ProBond adhesives, and X-Acto craft knives. Elmer's also produces foamboard and presentation board. It has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.The brand was...

 is known for its wide variety of glue products, including a number of different glue sticks. For more than 60 years, Elmer's has been recognized as a glue expert, providing glue sticks and other adhesives for any project. Its all-purpose school glue stick remains one of its most popular products.

Glue sticks are made by many brands and each may have different features to it. Various brands, like UHU

UHU

UHU GmbH & Co. KG is a manufacturer of adhesive products, based in Bühl, Germany. Its company slogan is "Don't say glue, say UHU!". The company logo is yellow with black lettering and in many markets it includes the German phrase: "Der Alleskleber" .- History :In 1905, August Fischer, a dispensing...

, Kores, and Snopake make glue sticks. Generic brands manufacture glue sticks as well, utilising the twist action.

Composition

The composition of a Pritt Stick is as follows:

Name	EC number	CAS number CAS registry number CAS Registry Numbersare unique numerical identifiers assigned by the "Chemical Abstracts Service" toevery chemical described in the...	% content	Risk Statements Risk and Safety Statements Risk and Safety Statements, also known as R/S statements, R/S numbers, R/S phrases, and R/S sentences, is a system of hazard codes and phrases for labeling dangerous chemicals and compounds. The R/S statement of a compound consists of a risk part and a safety part , each followed by a combination...
CAPROLACTAM-Eta Caprolactam Caprolactam is an organic compound with the formula 5CNH. This colourless solid is a lactam or a cyclic amide of caproic acid. Approximately 2 billion kilograms are produced annually...	203-313-2	105-60-2	1 - 5%	Xn;R20/22 Xi;R36/37/38
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is the simplest peroxide and an oxidizer. Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid, slightly more viscous than water. In dilute solution, it appears colorless. With its oxidizing properties, hydrogen peroxide is often used as a bleach or cleaning agent...  SOLUTION ...%	231-765-0	7722-84-1	< 1%	O;R8 C;R34
SODIUM HYDROXIDE	215-185-5	1310-73-2	< 1%	C;R35

In popular culture

Used in schools and creative environments where children and toddlers are present, glue sticks have become a stereotype of young education.

The product was used in a sketch for the UK comedy show Little Britain

Little Britain

Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...

, being sniffed by stereotypical chav

Chav

A chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...

 character Vicky Pollard

Vicky Pollard

Vicky Pollard is a fictional character from the British comedy TV series Little Britain, which aired on BBC.Vicky Pollard is a stereotypical chav. She is a teenage mother and juvenile delinquent and is known for her inarticulate and incredibly fast speech and incessant gossip...

, as a spoof on sniffing glue

Inhalant

Inhalants are a broad range of drugs whose volatile vapors are taken in via the nose and trachea. They are taken by volatilization, and do not include drugs that are inhaled after burning or heating...

 (Nearly all glue sticks on the market do not contain solvents, making sniffing ineffectual).

In the UK and Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Pritt Stick has become a generic term used by the public to refer to any type of glue stick, although both terms are common.

Kate Nash's album Made of Bricks

Made of Bricks

-Personnel:Musicians*Kate Nash – vocals, piano, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass, synthesizers, production on track 1*Jay Malhotra – electric guitar on tracks 3, 5, 10, 11 and 12, bass on tracks 3, 6, 10 and 12, acoustic guitar on track 1, percussion on track 7*Elliott Andrews –...

contains a song called "Mariella" wherein the title character of the song sticks her lips together with a Pritt Stick.