ASTM D2261 - Fabric or Textile Tongue Tear Test --Universal Grip Company

In this video, we’re quickly showing how ASTM D2261 works — the standard test method for measuring the tearing strength of woven fabrics using the tongue tear procedure.

In the tongue method, a rectangular fabric specimen is cut partway down the middle to create two “tongues.” Each tongue is clamped and pulled in opposite directions until the fabric tears. This setup makes it possible to measure the force needed to propagate a tear, providing valuable insight into a material’s durability and resistance to tearing.

ASTM D2261 is widely used in the textile, apparel, upholstery, and industrial fabric industries. For example, automotive seat covers, heavy-duty workwear, and furniture upholstery must all meet certain tear strength requirements to ensure long-lasting performance and safety. By using ASTM D2261, manufacturers can compare fabrics, verify quality, and design stronger products for real-world use.

This test method is pretty simple to set up using vise grips. During the test, individual fibers will be pulled and split during the tear. For this reason, the calculation involves taking an average of several peaks.