Duct Tape

An adhesive tape with stability and resistance: buy reliable duct tape in different colors.

Duct tape, or armor tape, is a fabric tape that finds its use in the military, but also in other fields. Here, "armor" is synonymous with stability and resistance. You can buy it in different types, such as red, black, or white duct tape.

How the U.S. military developed the modern armor tape.

The iconic tank tape was invented in the early 1940s. At the time, the U.S. military used paper tape to seal ammunition boxes. The tape was easy to handle, but not resilient enough. It left adhesive residue and tended to come loose, slowing troops down in the field.

Vesta Stoudt, an inspector at an ammunition factory, recognized this problem and suggested an alternative solution: a stronger, polyethylene-coated cloth tape that could be easily torn off by hand but was more resistant to water and damage. She recommended this to her superiors but did not find the support she had hoped for. She decided to write a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and described the problem. Stoudt reported her solution to him. President Roosevelt was so impressed that he forwarded her letter to the War Production Committee. The agency then contracted with Johnson & Johnson's Industrial Tape Corporation (later Permacel) to manufacture the reinforced tape, which was popularly called "gaffer" or "duct tape." The German military then gave it its iconic name.

"From jeep fenders to boots, it can be used to repair anything."

What is duct tape made of?

The fact is, soldiers still use duct tape today for everything from repairing equipment to patching shoes. It consists of three main components: Rubber adhesive, fabric and backing material. A machine mixes together a raw rubber with various sticky resins until it reaches the consistency of a pizza dough. The mixture is then heated to over 200 degrees Celsius. The adhesive is ready to be added to the fabric and backing. The fabric is sandwiched between the sticky rubber layer and the ubiquitous, mostly silver backing material. It is made of cotton and is an important component of Armor Tape. The fabric gives the tape its tensile strength. It can be easily torn off by hand and ensures that the tape sticks to a surface. Finally, there is the backing layer. The backing is made of polyethylene, the same plastic used to make bags and shampoo bottles. Once the backing is ready, all the materials are joined together. The nature of armor tape is unique. On the one hand, it is easy to peel off with bare hands, on the other hand, it is absolutely tear-resistant, water-repellent and heat-resistant. Today we use it for making flower bouquets, bags, purses, in scientific projects and for various handicrafts. Unlike masking tape, duct tape, painter's tape and other disposable tapes, duct tape has a long history of being used for just about everything. By simply bringing fabric and adhesive together, Vesta Stout created perhaps one of the most useful and powerful inventions we have today. To this day, the actual three-component principle hasn't changed much. Probably the best known nowadays is the silver armor tape, while it used to be the German Army green, but colors like black, white, or green also exist.

The fabric tape is available in many other designs besides the classic silver.

The duct tape also owes its name to its military history. But it also says something about the nature of the tape. It is said to be so strong that even a tank can be pulled with it. Since it used to be used only for "heavy duty" areas, the design was also very limited. Meanwhile, you can buy the tape in all possible sizes. The classic is about 45 mm wide and silver. Today it also comes in smaller and even larger sizes up to a wide fabrication of 75 mm. If you want it bigger, you have to order it in a specialized store. However, the colors have expanded from the former black, white, silver and red to the entire color palette. So it also comes in neon colors or with an additional printed coating. It can even be printed with logos for businesses.

For many professions, armor tape is a must, these are the reasons.

Over the decades since World War II, armor tape has become extremely popular with many different professions. It is commonly used by contractors for things like sealing gaps, repairing, or sealing surfaces. There are also many similar applications in the packaging industry, such as bundling or wrapping. But it's not just indoors where buying duct tape is practically a must. It is also used a lot outdoors in horticulture or on construction sites.

Armor tape buy many craftsmen and hobbyists, because the ease of use and high adhesive strength make it a reliable tape. Standard duct tape is already extremely strong, but now there are also the so-called extreme duct tapes for extra strong hold. It was specially developed for high loads on construction sites or in the packaging industry. Even on surfaces that can be dirty or uneven, such as brick, concrete, plaster or plaster, the armored tape holds bombproof.

From home repairs to camping to art projects or even in industry, duct tape is versatile. Seventy-five years after it was developed by a Johnson & Johnson company, Panzer Tape is here to stay. It is still so popular that it even has its own fan website and festival. Its uses are almost unlimited, it comes in just about every length, width and color imaginable, and thanks to its useful properties, it can now be found in almost every household or toolbox. Fabric tape is an integral part of any good equipment. It is flexible and robust in equal measure and can be bonded both longitudinally and transversely. Its high adhesive strength, which it gets from its interwoven structure, makes it an all-purpose adhesive tape. The fact that it can be torn off by hand is probably one of its greatest advantages. Despite its high strength, it is flexible and gives just as much as needed.

These are probably the most common applications for duct tape, but on the Internet you can find the most curious inventions with the tape. For example, on a paint roller with the adhesive side out, it can serve as a lint roller for large pieces of furniture. Entire garments such as raincoats can be taped. There is even a world record of the largest gathering of people in Armor Tape. If you don't have a band-aid handy, you can also use the fabric tape. It is said to work wonders even as a wart plaster. However, this is not proven. There are even people who have made entire tarpaulins for garden pavilions or trailers out of duct tape. Even as a fly trap, the tape has had use. The examples of witty and imaginative uses for armor tape seem inexhaustible. So duct tape where to buy, if you have none again ? In our online store.

The many myths about duct tape and what it can do

In the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" series, fabric tape was spotlighted in a series of myths. They were about non-traditional uses of duct tape. These were both outright myths that proved to be untrue and those that were true. Confirmed stories included hanging a car for a period of time, building a working cannon, a sailboat, a canoe for two (with paddles made of duct tape), a raft, Roman sandals, a chess set, a leak-proof water canister, a rope, a hammock, and even a full-size catapult attached only with duct tape. In the episode "Duct Tape Plane," the "MythBusters" repaired (and replaced) the outer wall of a light aircraft with duct tape and flew it several feet across a runway.

Even astronauts don't leave Earth without it. Even astronauts have to buy armor tape, because even they don't leave Earth without it. The advantage of armor tape is that it is handy for repairs and helps keep things in place even in space. It can be seen in many photos of space travel and crew work areas. Duct tape helped save the Apollo 13 crew and the Apollo 17 lunar rover. NASA has recorded that this roll of ordinary duct tape returned with the last Hubble Space Telescope crew on Space Shuttle mission STS-125 in 2009.

Duct tape has a cult following and many can't imagine life without it.

For an ordinary fabric tape, that's quite a lot. However, duct tape is not ordinary either. It has achieved cult status and many professions or even hobbyists can't imagine life without the silver tape. The list of extraordinary applications for armor tape goes on and on, but silver fabric tape also shines in everyday tasks. The actual ingenious invention of Mrs. Stoudt has hardly changed until today. Its advantages over ordinary adhesive tape are its flexibility, adhesive strength and robustness. There are still myths about how it got its German name, but again, it was first and foremost used in the military. Today, on the other hand, it is used for almost everything that needs waterproofing, sealing or fastening. It is weatherproof and when it is bonded in multiple layers, lengthwise and crosswise, the stability even increases. It is even used in sports today, for example, to glue on markings. Survivalists and extreme athletes always have a roll of duct tape in their backpacks. In virtually all walks of life, buying duct tape is beneficial because it has so many applications. Armor tape can sometimes leave adhesive residue, but can otherwise be removed just as easily as it is applied. If traces are still visible, they can usually be removed quite easily with nail polish remover or soapy water. In English it is called Duct Tape. Duct is the name for a heating or conduit pipe. While it can be used for electrical wiring, it is not as good as duct tape. However, for pipes, it can definitely be used because of its excellent properties.

How duct tape can be heat resistant and water repellent - That's why it's called duck tape.

The phrase "beads like water off a duck's back" was the original inspiration for the name Duck Tape. Over time, the Johnson & Johnson company developed a silver version specifically for sealing heating and ventilation pipes (ducts). Whether it's called Duct or Duck Tape is really rather beside the point. The fact is that the reference to a duck feather should make it clear just how water repellent Panzer Tape is.

The tape's polyethylene coating makes it exceptionally water resistant. However, the surface to which it is adhered is equally important. It performs particularly well on smooth, non-porous surfaces such as aluminum, plastic, vinyl and glass. Porous materials such as wood, brick or concrete, however, may need a suitable primer to adhere and keep the water out.
The duration of water resistance also depends heavily on your application. However, tests have shown that it can last up to 60 days without concern. But weatherproof doesn't just mean water resistant, it just means impervious to sunlight or wind. The short answer to this question is yes. As we've already learned, it can even withstand weather conditions in space. However, even the strongest duct tape has its limits. The very strong ones among duct tapes are known by names like Gorilla tape or Etrem duct tape. In America it is known as Gaffer tape (Gaffer stands for a light mechanic in the theater or cinema). This means that even heat from spotlights, for example, can not harm the tape. The fact that gaffer tape is heat resistant is no longer a surprise to anyone. However, the industry today has specialized in different designs. Particularly water-repellent or heat-resistant models are available on the market.

Duct tape can be found in almost every household, the tape repairs almost everything!

Where can you use the miracle tape everywhere ? According to a study published in the New York Post, Americans swear by their duck tape. The study showed that 51% of Americans currently use duct tape to hold something together in their home, and another one in three (37%) use it to fix something on or in their car. That there is something to fix comes naturally with owning a home or a car. It was found that the average respondent has five outstanding repairs in their home. Obviously, duct tape is not a permanent solution and cannot replace a repair in the long run, but it is amazing how many of the stopgap solutions last permanently.
The average American surveyed states that they currently use duct tape as a temporary solution for seven items in their home. Whereas, the average respondent states that they leave the duct tape on the item for eight full days before having it properly repaired. A full 88% of respondents said that the first thing they do when something breaks in their home is reach for the Armor Tape. Duct tape can be a savior when something breaks and you need to fix it in a jiffy, and according to the results, 78% actually consider duct tape to be "magic."

So buying duct tape is part of many people's everyday lives, according to the study. Almost no household today can do without the fabric tape, and in almost everyone there is at least one item that was repaired with it. Therefore, the question arises : "Where to buy duct tape ?". Of course, in our online store. It is universal and ubiquitous, and has fixed many a mishap quickly and efficiently. It is also noteworthy that its nature has hardly changed since its invention by Mrs. Stoudt. The process used to make it is almost the same today as it was over 70 years ago. It is to be expected that it will continue to enjoy great popularity. In any case, the list of possible applications is getting longer rather than shorter. The same is true of other seemingly simple inventions. Often it is the simplest solution that leads to success. Today, there are special products that are supposed to be particularly robust or water-repellent, but if you are looking for reliable duct tape, you can simply buy normal duct tape on a roll.