Ashaway Has Manufactured Racket Strings Since 1949 It was late in 1949 when Julian T. Crandall, the fourth generation of the Crandall family to manage Ashaway Line & Twine, produced the first tennis string of multifilament nylon in Ashaway, Rhode Island. Inspired by the concept of natural gut strings made from ribbons of animal intestines, Julian developed a process in which multifilament ribbons of nylon could be woven together and coated with a tough nylon resin. Since that time many years ago, Ashaway has continued to be the world leader in developing new racket string technology. Whether it is working with new fibers or patenting a new string-making technology, Ashaway has continued to lead the way in racket string research and development. From the first basic multifilament nylon strings in 1949, Ashaway has evolved through various types of nylon and polyester strings in the '50s and '60s to the first Kevlar strings in the '70s, the first composite strings in the '80s, and the first Zyex string in the '90s. Now, in the 21st century, Ashaway is the undisputed world-leader in multifilament racket string technology, producing the strings used by World Champions in Squash, Badminton and Racquetball, as well as millions of racket sports enthusiasts worldwide.