On 08/21/2017 10:06 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
Well, to throw some kerosene on the fire, this from Wikipedia:
:-)
"According to etymologist Jan Freeman, the story that duct tape was originally called duck tape is "quack etymology" that has spread "due to the reach of the Internet and the appeal of a good story" but "remains a statement of faith, not fact." She notes that duct tape is not made from duck cloth and there is no known primary-source evidence that it was originally referred to as duck tape. Her research does not show any use of the phrase "duck tape" in World War II, and indicates that the earliest documented name for the adhesive product was "duct tape" in 1960.
This kind of stuff is fascinating. I wonder what was used for sealing ducts prior to WWII? Despite a lack of written evidence I do think it's reasonable to assume that there were people during WWII calling an adhesive-covered duck cloth product "duck tape" though - and that "duct tape" as a term didn't come into use until much later (and yes, that at that point it wasn't a cloth-based product at all)
I prefer gaffer's tape to duct tape for most dry repairs. Doesn't leave a gooey mess behind when removed--and it's much stronger.
I agree about the gooey mess (although for actual duckwork the aluminum foil tape seems to work well) - although it does seem to be one of those cases where expensive duct tape is much better quality than the cheap stuff.
As an aside, I'm wondering if there's a difference between gaffer tape and hockey tape - they seem pretty much interchangeable to me, but maybe "good gaffer tape" is significantly stronger or something.
cheers Jules
