Talk:Duct tape/Archive 1

Archive 1

Duck vs duct

I heard differently. During WWI there were "Duck Boards" in the bottom of the trenches during trench warfare. I believe they were called this because you walked over them to avoid getting trenchfoot, so it's from the saying "like water off a duck's back." Then they came out with duck tape to seal the soldiers boots, a la a portable duck board, which is why it was called duck tape. I can't seem to find anywhere to verify this though. Alex Krupp 01:19, Sep 1, 2004 (UTC)

See the Globe story below. The "water off a duck's back" thing has been mentioned before (although in a WWII context; I don't think I've ever heard anyone suggest that duct tape dates from WWI) and is generally associated with the dubious etymology exposed in the Globe Story. Without additional evidence, I think the consensus here is that the "duck tape" predating "duct tape" stories are fabricated, or at best conjecture. --Chinasaur 03:01, 1 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Also, the WP convention seems generally to be to add new comments to the bottom of talk pages. --Chinasaur 03:03, 1 Sep 2004 (UTC)

---

See the discussion on duct tape in Wiktionary. Neither duck tape nor duct tape seems to be attested before the 70s, and it appears most likely that duct tape came first. In particular, there don't seem to be any verifiable uses of "duck tape" from WWII, contrary to the widely-circulated story. If anyone has firm evidence to the contrary, please post it and let us know. -dmh (full profile on Wiktionary).

Well, it was a nice story wasn't it? I, for one, am somewhat relieved since "duck tape" just sounds stupid to me... Lemme decide whether to revert or reedit; I'll fix it by tomorrow.

Here's a link to a pasted version of the Boston Globe story: http://groups.google.com.au/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=BA92B984.5D51%25nxk%40comcast.net --Chinasaur 19:20, Apr 22, 2004 (UTC)

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Apparently there is a minor disagreement about the degree of phonetic similarity between "duct tape" and "duck tape". Someone changed my "same" to "similar", but there really is no way to distinguish unless the speaker actually pronounces the adjacent /t/ sounds separately, which is awkward and very uncommon. I don't know much about tape, but I have studied linguistics. So I will change it back.

--SamuelScarano 18:50, 2004 Aug 26 (UTC)

I was the one that changed it. Commonly here, the t sound is voiced separately, and anyone who says it as "duck tape" would be considered ignorant. (like saying "pitcher" for "picture") Rhymeless 05:31, 27 August 2004 (UTC)

Commonly where? In any event, I see now that it was thoughtless of me not to consider dialectic variation. Perhaps my blunder is mitigated, however, by the fact that duct tape is an American inventon and vaguely associated with American culture. Also, I have a hunch that my statement holds true of most English dialects, even though speakers often wouldn't realize it -- these things are often counterintuitive. (In fact, to the best of my knowledge, double-consonants tend to merge in many if not most languages.) --SamuelScarano 01:55, 2004 Sep 6 (UTC)

It was duck tape first

During WWII the tape was created for the military, and was used for water-proofing ammunition casings, among other things. It had yet to be used for ducts. It became known as duck tape due to it being made using cotton duck and for being waterproof. After the war it became popular in housing, for sealing seams in air ducts. So, it became known as duct tape, but the brand became Duck Tape. --brian0918™ 02:46, 8 Apr 2005 (UTC)

To quote from further up the page: In particular, there don't seem to be any verifiable uses of "duck tape" from WWII, contrary to the widely-circulated story. If anyone has firm evidence to the contrary, please post it and let us know. Can you provide sources? A search at the USPTO doesn't turn up anything earlier than 1981! -- Perey 10:43, 8 April 2005 (UTC)

Evidence

I did a search for the phrase "duck tape" on Ancestry.com in all the newspapers in their collection, between 1900 and 1950, and came up with these results:

• Berkshire Evening Eagle, The (Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts)
• Bridgeport Telegram, The (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
• Delta Herald and Times (Delta, Pennsylvania) 2 results
• Dixon Evening Telegraph (Dixon, Illinois) 3 results
• Lethbridge Herald (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada)
• Mansfield News Journal (Mansfield, Ohio) 2 results
• Marion Star, The (Marion, Ohio) 3 results
• Waterloo Daily Courier (Waterloo, Iowa)
• Zanesville Signal, The (Zanesville, Ohio)

You have to pay to see all of these results, but here are a select few:

• From Berkshire Evening Eagle, The (Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts), 21 July 1949
  From Berkshire Evening Eagle, The (Pittsfield, Berkshire, Massachusetts), 21 July 1949
• Bridgeport Telegram, The (Bridgeport, Connecticut) on 25 November 1947
  Bridgeport Telegram, The (Bridgeport, Connecticut) on 25 November 1947
• Waterloo Daily Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) on 08 January 1947
  Waterloo Daily Courier (Waterloo, Iowa) on 08 January 1947

William Safire (famous writer for New York Times) also gave the etymology [1]:

"The original name of the cloth-backed, waterproof adhesive product was duck tape, developed for the United States Army by the Permacel division of Johnson & Johnson to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. The earliest civilian use I can find is in an advertisement by Gimbels department store in June 1942 (antedating the O.E.D. entry by three decades -- nobody but nobody beats this column), which substitutes our product for the "ladder tape" that usually holds together Venetian blinds. For $2.99, Gimbels -- now defunct -- would provide blinds "in cream with cream tape or in white with duck tape."

In 1945, a government surplus property ad in The Times offered 44,108 yards of "cotton duck tape." The first citation I can find for the alternative spelling is in 1970, when the Larry Plotnik Company of Chelsea, Mass., went bust and had to unload 14,000 rolls of what it advertised as duct tape. Three years later, The Times reported that to combat the infiltration of cold air, a contractor placed "duct tape -- a fiber tape used to seal the joints in heating ducts -- over the openings."

According to OED, the original term was "duck tape":

The entry for "duct tape" states:

duct tape orig. N. Amer. [perh. an alteration of earlier *duck tape s.v. DUCK n.3], a strong cloth-backed waterproof adhesive tape, originally used for sealing joints in heating and ventilation ducts, and (later) for holding electrical cables securely in place, now in widespread general use esp. to repair, secure, or connect a range of appliances, fixtures, and equipment; cf.

The entry for "duck tape" states:

duck tape, a strong adhesive tape made of waterproofed cotton fabric (a proprietary name in the United States); cf. *duct tape s.v. DUCT n.

--BRIAN0918

Camouflage

Did anyone catch the Camouflage comment:

"Camouflage duct tape, although hard to find, is useful making repairs to hunting equipment and other outdoors materials."

If that was unintentional, then it's even funnier!

Excellent! I didn't actually notice that, but very funny none the less. If only more Wikipedia articles had such gems.

I believe I wrote that text... although I didn't think twice about it when I wrote it, now that I think about it that's hilarious. --TexasDex 00:40, August 26, 2005 (UTC)

It is... shall we say... "difficult to locate stores wich carry the camouflage duct tape". i found it once... soldierx40k 19:56, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Duck tape = Gaffer Tape? Duct tape is different

The tape that gets used to tape up ducts (Duct tape) has no cloth component. The two inch wide plastic-coated cloth tape is "Gaff tape". Ask anyone from theatre or film industries. Also called Hundred-Mile-an-Hour tape in racing circles.

The near-homonym duck-duct causes much confusion.

The picture attached to this entry is quite definitely "Gaff tape" --Myk 07:00, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

• Regardless of what it is now called, it was originally called "duck tape". — BRIAN0918 • 2005-12-9 18:12

"Gaff tape" actually has different glue properties than duc* tape. It is often used by theatre folks, who are ultra-paranoid about marking up their priceless stage floors and whatnot. However, I think this is drifting into regional dialects... thats just what gaff tape means *here*.

Where is 'here'? This needs to be cleared up. There are two types of tape; with plastic and cloth backing. And there are the two names. Here in the Netherlands, the term gaffer tape is used for the stuff with cloth backing (because it's used by gaffers). The stuff with the plastic backing on the photograph I only know as a cheap alternative that is hard to remove and leaves a gooey mess (quite the opposite of gaffer tape on both acoounts, for obvious reasons). Or are there better alternatives? By the way, this stuff does have some cloth in the backing, but gaffer tape is pure cloth (finely woven). Anyway...

Is this a Europe / North America difference? Or do the two names signify a difference in material? Or does the name depend on where and by whom it is used (eg, by a gaffer or a plumber). Or (the least attractive alternative) is it a combination of the three? Whichever it is, this should be addressed in the article.

Image-googling suggests that the name 'duct tape' is used for the silvery plastic stuff and 'gaffer tape' for both. Although, if the search is limited to the '.uk' tld, gaffer tape seems to be what I call that (the cloth backing). DirkvdM 12:54, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

"Here" is USA. Also, see the wikipedia entry on Gaffer tape... it mentions the different adhesive/residue properties.

"Here" for me is Australia, and the definitions here are as follows: Gaff tape (sold as Cloth Tape in Australia) - Strong white-coloured adhesive on a finely woven cloth base, sealed with a thin layer of plastic, which can be any colour, though black is predominate. Duct Tape Less efficient clear adhesive which leaves nasty residue after some time, PVC tape body. Duct tape is designed to be used once in situations where it will lie basically undisturbed. Gaff tape is designed for situations where maximum strength is required. Gaff tape is what race car pit crews use to hold together broken fairings. Myk 01:17, 2 February 2006 (UTC)

Astronaut?

"The astronaut, Eric Gloom, used duct tape to patch a small penetration in the ship's hull during a routine landing."

As there was no reference to what ship was that, I googled for the astronaut's name.

"Your search - "Eric Gloom" - did not match any documents."

Therefore, I believe that part is fake. - 201.9.22.39 01:45, 11 July 2006 (UTC)

With the Astronaut -- I believe it is Apollo 13, the CO2 scrubber issue was one of the isssues in the Tom Hanks Movie.

Duct taping keeks after the show???

What are keeks? And why would musicians want to tape them? --Slashme 14:32, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

NPOV the etymology

The story about this product originally being called "duck tape" is not verifiable by any primary sources. It should not be listed here as fact. It certainly should not be stated that it was "developed under the name Duck Tape" as that is blatantly untrue. OED only lists it as "perhaps" an alteration of the earlier "duck tape." No researcher has ever found any documented use of the word "duck" to describe the product this article is about, except for sources dated well after the use of "duct" and after the acknowlegement by the Duck Tape brand company that "duck" was a mispronunciation of "duct" and that they capitalized on it.

I would like to build some consensus here before making any edits. I propose the following:

1) Duck tape should not redirect. Duck tape is a centuries-old fabric product used in blinds and other products. That is not the product this article is about. The redirect makes it impossible for there to ever be a stub on the original duck tape. Duck tape should be a disambiguation page with two options.

• An alternative spelling, brand name, and possible etymological origin of the adhesive product duct tape.
• A strip of cotton duck fabric

2) In this article, all assertions of etymological origins should be removed, and a new section should be created called "Etymology." It will cover the two competing beliefs on what this product was originally called. In a nutshell, one camp believes that the previous existence of a different fabric cloth tape called "duck tape," which the OED cites as "perhaps" the origin of duct tape, in combination with a popular tale about WWII Army soldiers comparing the invention's waterproof qualities to that of a duck, proves that the original name of the product was duck tape (despite those two stories being contradictory). The other camp believes in a more conservative etymology, noting that documented use of the word "duct" known to describe the product in question predates any use of the word "duck" to describe the same, by many years, and also accepts the simpler explanation that people have just confused the effectively identical pronunciation of two similar but unrelated products.

See an example of the alternative etymology here.[2]

Thoughts? --The Yar 02:06, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

• Did you see any of my sources above??? William Safire is definitely a reliable source... Also, I quoted the OED above; they don't say it is "perhaps" the origin; they say that the term "duct tape" comes "from the earlier duck tape". — BRIAN0918 • 2006-10-11 02:16Z
  • Yes, I'm very familiar with the article. Did you read my source? Safire cites the same two things I've already mentioned: 1) The previous existence of a different product called "duck tape" and 2) the unverifiable Johnson & Johnson folktale. A letter was written in response to Safire's article, attempting to clarify that the J&J tale was in fact folk etymology. Even Safire would admit that there is no documented use of the word "duck" to name this product until well after it was commonly known as duct tape. Also, perh. is an abbreviation for "perhaps." It says it is perhaps an alteration of it; it does not say that it is from it. --The Yar 02:23, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

After further review, it seems that the consensus already exists. With a single exception, all users on both this discussion page and the Wiktionary discussion page agree that the "duck tape" story is a hoax. I plan to make some changes to reflect the duck tape story more appropriately. (one more note - cotton duck is not and was never used to make duct tape) --The Yar 20:46, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

The "Ask Yahoo" Q&A link states some things that are in direct contrast with more reputable sources. I'm going to remove the reference and the claims cited unless someone ahs a better source. The Yar (talk) 23:04, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

• Information in the article is still inaccurate. See also user Largo Plazo's note below. --82.171.70.54 (talk) 14:07, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

sweet

That's totally awesome that the red green show is in the see also department, that's totally awesome, in fact that's actully what I came here to add but someone beat me to it. TotallyTempo 16:46, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

No need for NPOV treatment for etymology

The Duck Products company itself explains that it took the name "Duck Tape" from the earlier term "duct tape," according to its own account on its Duck Tape Club site. They don't even call it "duck tape" generically: they call it "Duck® brand duct tape" or, informally, "Duck Tape". They would know, wouldn't they? —Largo Plazo 11:48, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

• You are right. (Apparently it took over 2.5 years for someone to agree with you.) The article should be changed. --82.171.70.54 (talk) 14:02, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

No, Largo is wrong; that is a nonsensical argument. What makes the Duck company an authority on the subject? It's obviously in their interest to claim that they invented the term, and to appropriate it for their brand, but why should we go along with them, ignoring all sources to the contrary? -- Zsero (talk) 14:32, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Rewording "Unusual Uses"

I personally think that it is more appropriate and fitting if the "Unusual Uses" section was re-phrased to be "Alternative Uses". Does anyone object? I'm going to change it. If anyone feels like it shouldn't have changed I guess post here and we'll discuss it? --FiftyOneWicked 05:47, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

Uncommon common uses

Uses aboard NASA space flights do not belong in the section on Common Uses. —Largo Plazo 18:33, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

DucTape Innovations

[3] It needs in because it has instruction videos! where else can you find how to make a wallet in step by step videos! Ductapeinnovations 02:55, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

Well [4] has picture tutorials on a lot more than just a rose, wallet, and bookmark, but it got removed, so no, it doesn't need in. PhirePhly (talk) 05:31, 11 May 2008 (UTC)

Pressure sensitive

The article says "strong, fabric-based, multi-purpose pressure-sensitive adhesive tape". What pressure sensitivity does this tape have? 89.240.60.214 21:23, 29 June 2007 (UTC)

see Pressure sensitive adhesive. The bond is affected by the amount of pressure used to rub the tape onto the surface. Pkgx July 16, 07

External Links

An excellent addition to this article would be How to Conveniently Carry Duct Tape Everywhere. Clearly, readers on this page are interested in duct tape - this is a non-commerical solution to the problem of not having it when it is needed. This would be highly valued by many readers of the page. Therefore, I ask if anyone objects to its inclusion in the external links section. Please keep in mind that a site about a duct tape coffin, and protesters against conservative art are linked here. CanDo 17:30, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

The site has Google ads (and you've canvassed numerous other pages petitioning it's inclusion). Please do not add it. OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 18:03, 14 July 2007 (UTC)

More conventional uses?

Maybe more "conventional" uses for duct tape should be mentioned? Here is mine:

In South Africa, duct tape is sometimes nicknamed "boereband" (Afrikaans for roughly farmer's tape") because many farmers use it abundantly to repair all sorts of equipment.

Please add it if your think it is worthy of addition. -HannesJvV- 17:18, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

This looks like an ad for 3M's clear duct tape

seriously, did some guy from 3M edit this page? AD AD AD —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.74.80.112 (talk) 19:10, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

Probably not. All manner of duct tape is inferior to fiberglass reinforced packaging tape. It's much stronger, has superior adhesion to smooth, clean surfaces and it leaves far less residue when removed. It's also vastly superior for creating hinges or tow ropes . But you cannot tear it, you must use a sharp knife or a scissors. 70.130.37.218 (talk) 02:45, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

iPod Cover

That image sucks! Clearly a poor example of duct tape extravagance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Richardshelly (talk • contribs) 14:19, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Have to agree. It doesn't deserve to be there. Not funny. And I was thinking this first. Bitwiseb 14:26, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Yeah, I took care of it. It's just silly amateurish work that somebody thought was funny.--AyrtonSenna (talk) 20:33, 24 February 2008 (UTC)

Australian Duct Tape

I would really appreciate it if people stop diluting the factual statement about the quite different tape that is labelled in Australian stores as "duct tape". If you buy something labelled "duct tape" in Australia, it will not be the same as the US duct tape.

It is really irrelevant to this fact that many people in Australia think of the US duct tape when they say "duct tape". The term "duct tape" refers to a completely different in tape in Australia, officially. Opinions and usage is a separate matter, covered at the end of the section. Myk (talk) 07:52, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Different names, NO citations...

I don't think that a whole section should be allowd to remain in an article if it has no citations... ```` —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.52.228.218 (talk) 17:32, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

Duct tape in the United Kingdom

Generic "duct tape" purchased in the UK appears to be the same as the Australian variety, if the "Edwards" brand duct tape I've just bought (for one pound!) is anything to go by. It is waterproof (or claims to be), but is made of thinnish grey PVC with no fabric backing and has very little structural strength.

To get the American type of duct tape in the UK I think you have to ask for "gaffer tape" or for a specific branded tape, e.g. Duck (TM) brand. 217.155.20.163 (talk) 15:55, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

Etymology

The etymology section looks like it was written by two people having an academic argument, while an encyclopedia shouldn't look like it's been written by an individual..
I'm not an expert so I won't change it, but if "Duct Tape" is more solid, then that sect. should start with that, elaborate a bit about why the word "duct" is there, and then have a shorter (if possible) version of the alternate, less documented (?) spelling, "Duck Tape". - ailaG, not logged in.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.64.15.22 (talk) 10:35, 14 December 2008 (UTC)

DUCT tape doesn't make any sense

My father was a sheet metal worker who made/installed air ducts for a living when I was growing up, and this debate came up a few times over the years.

I'm surprised the one, major flaw in this whole debate hasn't come up more: the tape that we call 'duck (or duct) tape' CANNOT BE USED FOR AIR DUCTS.

Because Duck Tape is breathable, it can't be used to seal air leaks the same way as foil tape can, and it isn't strong enough to join ducts together, either. So why would this tape ever be called 'Duct Tape'? From a function standpoint, it wouldn't make any sense.

That's what I know of it, anyhow. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.38.113.250 (talk) 19:11, 12 January 2009 (UTC)

I agree It should really be added to the article that there is a difference between the cloth all purpose gray tape generally called "duct" tape and tape that you actually tape duct work with. The tape used for air ducts is a sliver foil tape. To me that should be the only tape known as "Duct tape" since it is the only type you can use for duct work.

"Duck" actually makes more sense for the all purpose water proof tape. Since the tape in this article could never be used for actual air ducts. And on the Duck/Duct discussion the first of the cloth all purpose tape sold was called DUCK. It was sold by Duck Products which still exists today. You can buy it from them and it's called DUCK Tape. Calling it "duct" is silly since it never touches a duct and couldn't. True "Duct Tape"is silver foil tape. It would make more sense for everyone to start calling the tape in this article a variation of gaffer tape. DingoateMyBabyyy 14:26, 3 January 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by DingoateMyBabyyy (talk • contribs)

duct tape in the mid 1960's

As a struggling young photographer in NYC in the mid 1960's, there was a company that began distributing very small but powerful lights that had a flat base. You could then tape the base, using the company recommended (and sold) duct tape, to any flat surface in the studio, a relatively easy accomplishment since the lights were no where near as heavy as their predecessors. The value of the duct tape was that it would retain it's adhesiveness despite the heat from the light. Memory is uncertain but they may have been "Lowell lights" and I am even less sure if they were early halogen bulbs. They were very small, very bright, easy to place and the duct tape worked just fine. I don't know if this will contribute to the conversation but it predates the 1970 date by several years. Mavdoc (talk) 15:26, 5 May 2009 (UTC)

Standards for Duct Tape

Is there a national standard for duct tape? Specifically: Is there any law stating that any product calling itself "duct tape" must meet certain criteria? Have ANSI, ISO, or any other industry standards organizations ruled on this? Can the user depend on any roll of duct tape to be fit for a standard list of purposes and environments, manufactured and tested to nationwide/worldwide tolerances? Or is the user pretty much at the mercy of each manufacturer? Do we even have a guarantee that the stickum is continuous and the vinyl backing is nonporous? (Background: The article refers to "standard" duct tape a few times, but that may be a lax usage of the word "standard". If someone knows of such a standard, please provide a link/citation.) -- 172.190.162.230 (talk) 15:18, 23 June 2009 (UTC)

Cold

My understanding is that duct tape does not adhere in cold temperatures. The fact that Shurtape makes tape billed as working down to 25 degrees F lends some credence to this. (See the picture for the similar look to duct tape.) If duct tape does not work in cold temperatures, this is an essential fact about duct tape that would be worth mentioning on the main page, along with alternative adhesives that work in cold. 71.112.25.123 (talk) 08:54, 1 October 2009 (UTC)ATBS

Bear Bond

What relation does Bear Bond, a tape that comes in fairly large sheets commonly used for temporary bodywork repairs in NASCAR and other types of suto racing, have to duct tape? Who makes Bear Bond? I've been searching for hours on this, only to be defeated by idiotic search engines that insist they know better than I what I'm looking for. Try putting this into any search engine "bear bond" nascar -bearer -jefferson -stock -teddy -paddington and you'll still get thousands of totally unrelated hits including ones where the words bear and bond are widely separated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bizzybody (talk • contribs) 01:26, 7 October 2009 (UTC)

Sometimes, you just need to go to the races and ask a few bold questions--of people with dirt under their fingernails. Desk jockeys rarely have it all. Frankly, I find duct tape inferior to other kinds of tapes and glues which are priced similarly.70.130.37.218 (talk) 02:51, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Tuck tape

Also known as Tuck Tape in Canada. [5] -- œ^™ 23:26, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

So how's it used?

Duct tape is also sometimes used by musicians and on film sets and in theatres, although a more specialised product, commonly known as gaffer tape in entertainment circles, is preferred as it does not leave a sticky residue when removed and is more easily torn into thin strips for precise application.

The article does not go on to explain how musicians and film/theatre crews use duct tape. I think it should, because merely saying "They use duct tape too!" doesn't really say much. - furrykef (Talk at me) 17:45, 22 September 2006 (UTC)

A typical example would be to temporarily fasten cables to the stage, reducing the trip hazard. The cables cannot be fastened permanently because the next band or show will route different cables. 82.69.171.91 (talk) 19:56, 25 March 2010 (UTC)

Australian meaning

In the "Different meaning in Australia" section, it said duck tape while referring to a picture that clearly had duct tape. Was this a typo or intentional? I have changed it to duct tape as I believe it is a typo, if it was intentional, please explain why, and change it back. Black.jeff (talk) 01:53, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

100 mile an hour tape

This Urban Dictionary page claims that the nickname "100mph tape" comes from it being used to hold together a jeep at 100mph. The Wikipedia article currently claims that the nickname comes from being used in 100mph winds (source removed, since it was a dead link to an army surplus store), but someone else on the talk page claims that "100mph tape" originates from racing usage. Does anyone have an appropriate source to back up any of these etymologies?--Subversive Sound (talk) 15:13, 25 March 2010 (UTC)

Duct vs duct; article needs changes

If you look at the article's history page, you'll see that people keep changing the word "duck" to "duct" and visa versa, and the words are used interchangeably in some sections in the article (just search for "duck tape" and "duct tape"). The Duck Products company itself says the word "duct" was used at first - see the comment by Largo Plazo and also look on their website, plus it's a brand name. In other words, the word "duck" should only be used in the article when referring to that specific brand of duct tape. Anywhere else, including under the picture of duct tape, it should say "duct". And this is not enough: the article should start off with a clear note that 'in this article, "Duck tape" is used to refer to the specific brand, and "duct tape" to refer to the tape in general', because without it people will continue to change the article back and forth. In fact, some people will just think that the word "duck" anywhere is a form of vandalism and that the whole article should be reverted back to an old revision. --82.171.70.54 (talk) 14:18, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

What makes the Duck company an authority on the subject? It's obviously in their interest to claim that they invented the term, and to appropriate it for their brand, but why should we go along with them, ignoring all sources to the contrary? -- Zsero (talk) 14:36, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Actually, according to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myfsp2BBAoM the earliest reference to it was as duck tape. She claims that the word duck in the name is from a dutch word doeck, a strong linen or cotten fabric. She references a 1902 article in the Brooklyn daily eagle about using 100,000 yards of cotton duck tape wrapped around the cable of the Brooklyn bridge. There's an ad in the 1940's New York Times for Duck Tape (used re venetian blinds). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.43.131.74 (talk) 16:46, 5 May 2010 (UTC)

The anon is right; duct tape is a generic term and Duck tape is a brand name of a specific product. Gaffa tape is a distinct type of tape that is primarily different in that the adhesive is intended for non-permanent adhesion and to not mar the surfaces it is used on. The article should reflect this. Cheers, Jack Merridew 07:27, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

Jack Merridew snobbishly referred to the anon as an anon, and not a Duck Tape expert. This kind of arrogance typifies the half wits who believe Wikipedia is an informed source of intelligent information. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.13.57.167 (talk) 23:44, 24 June 2010 (UTC)

Whether "duck" or "duct" is the original term is a matter hotly debated here, and Largo Plazo's argument from authority for "duct", adopted by the anon editor, is unsound. Gaffer tape, however, is irrelevant here, since as you just admitted it is a completely different item. One would not want to use duct/duck tape where gaffer tape was called for. -- Zsero (talk) 07:35, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

I'm just looking here. Duct tape is the proper name of the generic item, so it's simply a matter of sourcing it. And yes, Gaffa tape (or gaff, or gaffer's tape) is a different critter. For most things people commonly use duct tape for (which is not ducts), they would be better served using gaffa tape; that they don't is due to its higher cost and the relative difficulty in obtaining it.--Jack Merridew (talk) 07:55, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

You are entitled to the opinion that "duct tape" was the original term and "duck tape" came later, though by the Duck company's own admission that term was in circulation before it started using it as a brand name. But you cannot deny that there are multiple reliable sources which say that "duck tape" was the original name. It's a matter of dispute between sources, and so far nobody here has come up with a killer argument for preferring one over the other. -- Zsero (talk) 07:57, 30 November 2009 (UTC)

It's called "duct tape" generically, because that is it's primary purpose: sealing the ducting in your home. Duck Tape is a brand name. Therefore, duct tape would be the correct usage. Should we call every pair of locking pliers by the brand name, Vice Grip?
Christopher, Salem, OR (talk) 09:59, 10 August 2010 (UTC)

The use of Duck or duck when referring to the subject of an entry entitled Duct Tape is inappropriate, yet it occurs repeatedly in this article. I propose that the article carrying the title Duct Tape limit its discussion of Duck tape to the mention of the product with that trade name and the confusion or arguments regarding its use. That will give us a clean article on duct tape. Those that would like to invest time and energy in the debate over the origin of the terms Duck tape or duck tape can do so on an article with that title. Jman53705 (talk) 15:20, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

I disagree: this article should address both 'duct' and 'duck'. The Jumbo Duct Tape Book published in 2000 says "The first name for duct tape was "duck". During World War II, the U.S. military needed waterproof tape to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. They enlisted the Johnson & Johnson Permacel Division to manufacture the tape. Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as duck tape (like water off a duck's back)." The names 'duck' and 'duct' are both valid. This is the exact article to address both terms, the exact article to describe the one category of tape that is variously called duck and duct. Binksternet (talk) 16:27, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

More about the Permacel Division beginnings and the name can be found here in the Encyclopedia of modern everyday inventions published in 2003. With publishing dates of 2000 and 2003, these sources are free from the worry that the sources took their information from this article which first appeared March 11, 2002, without any mention of J&J Permacel. The original March 2002 version gave this URL as the reference, another source which describes the WWII J&J beginnings, with both terms explained. Binksternet (talk) 16:32, 7 December 2010 (UTC)

MacGyver

The MacGyver link does nothing to add to this article. The MacGyver article only contains one sentence about duct tape and even then nothing about how it's used. It was probably added as a joke, and so I've removed it. Rklawton (talk) 13:43, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Several unrelated IP addresses have taken it upon themselves to add MacGyver to the "see also" section of this article. This may be due to a joke made on the "it made my day" website about this subject. While I appreciate a bit of humor, this encyclopedia is not the place for it (creative edit summaries and user pages notwithstanding), and it's my opinion that removing this repeated addition falls under the domain of vandal fighting and not subject to 3RR. If an editor disagrees with this assessment, please make note of it here. Rklawton (talk) 14:54, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

Concur. Vandal, not subject to 3RR in its removal. Binksternet (talk) 15:18, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

Uh, are you serious? I'm not a previous editor of this article, but duct tape was like a running meme in MacGyver. It's a trademark of the show that the central character always carried a Swiss Army knife and a roll of duct tape rather than a firearm - despite being a secret agent - which he over frequently used to knock together solutions for whatever life-threatening situation he got himself in. Sure you can debate whether it's worth including in this article or not, but don't just label it vandalism or a joke based on your own ignorance. --88.105.240.174 (talk) 20:55, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

The point is that anything about MacGuyver should be written in prose, a whole paragraph of information based on reliable sources such as this and this. You could write this stuff into the article yourself! Binksternet (talk) 21:40, 21 January 2011 (UTC)

I could, but I can't be bothered. And no that wasn't really the point, I don't even know what the article originally said about MacGyver exactly, I only read the comments here about people automatically assuming it was vandalism and decided to correct them. --88.105.240.174 (talk) 00:03, 22 January 2011 (UTC)

world war

As we know the army developed duct tape during the first world war but they called it DUCK TAPE because of the waterproof qualities of the tape, it was later called duct tape after the war because of its use on air ducts etc. 11:24 Sunday, July 25 2010 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.239.144.81 (talk) 15:23, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

If you've got a reliable source for this, that would be great. Rklawton (talk) 00:06, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

True but also the original color is not gray it is dark military green. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.10.213.79 (talk) 23:05, 10 March 2011 (UTC)

Precision of wind speed figure

I question the conversion of "100mph" in paragraph 2 to "160.93 km/h". It's doubtless quite accurate, but implies an unrealistic degree of precision. If a value is quoted to two decimal places with no plus-or-minus figure it implies that it is accurate to within .05 of the quoted value. Technically the quoted value of 100mph means 99.5 to 100.5 mph, so the conversion is between 160.13 and 161.73. It would be better to quote it as 161 km/h to avoid implying unwarranted precison. In this context, of course, since we're talking about a wind speed the tape can resist, even 161 km/m implies unwarranted precision. I would suggest the text should read that the tape "was supposed to hold up to 100 mph (about 160 km/h) winds." Petrol999 (talk) 21:34, 25 April 2011 (UTC)

It's fixed now. I used the standard conversion template, which rounds off conversions. Thanks for bringing that to our attention. -- Donald Albury 12:25, 26 April 2011 (UTC)

Clarification of Aus/NZ section

I've been in various bits of the production industry in Aus for 12 years, I'm unaware of gaffer tape having an adhesive resistant to removing paint, etc. In my experience the standard Nashua 357 gaffer will happily remove paint, wallpaper and anything else it's stuck to, the last thing I would do is put gaffer tape up a wall that needed to stay looking nice. Saying duck tape here will generally get you an odd look and duct tape is for, well, ducts and has no cloth. What I don't understand is calling cloth tape "duct" tape, surely the cloth makes it not stretchy and hence unsuitable for ducts? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.233.42.189 (talk) 10:02, 23 August 2010 (UTC)

US-centrism seems to have led to the removal of the Aus/NZ section again. Duct tape is completely different stuff in Australia! This article is misleading. Myk (talk) 06:11, 25 January 2011 (UTC)

It isn't, actually. We know exactly what Duct tape is, and we know the difference between Duct tape, and wide electrical tape - I've never heard of what amounts to wide electrical tape being referred to as Duct Tape. If anything, Duct tape is sometimes (wrongly) called gaffer tape here, lumping it in with actual gaffer tape. Churba (talk) 14:10, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

"Wide electrical tape" as you call it is labelled "duct tape" on actual rolls of tape throughout Australia and New Zealand! Just because you've never heard of it being called that doesn't make the photo of actual Australian duct tape included in the section a fictional creation. "Duct Tape" is not a universal term, and the article should reflect that. Isn't the point of Wikipedia to be a world-wide resource? Myk (talk) 16:43, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

Also, please don't claim there is no citation in the section when there is a citation to a page that specifically mentions the difference between tapes in the US and Australia. Myk (talk) 16:50, 20 February 2011 (UTC)

And I can label myself the pope, and it doesn't make it so. If a manufacturer wants to label their electrical tape as "Duct tape", well, that's their choice, but it doesn't make it so, and it certainly doesn't change the fact that Australians generally know the difference between Duct tape and electrical tape, no matter what the manufacturer chooses to call it. On top of that - it's a single picture of a single roll of tape, with no other information, but for that you're the one that took the picture and added it to the page, and later replaced it with the current version which blurs the brand name. It's about as much evidence for that section as the picture of a game boy pocket printer on the Printers article is evidence that all printers are Game boy pocket printers.

While I'm reasonably sure it wasn't me that added the citation needed tag - might have been, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't - it absolutely DOES need the citation needed tag, because the only citation provided in that section goes back to a 404, but on investigation, it shows an article about the construction of Medieval re-enactment rapier construction by his preferred method, and barely mentions the tape in question. When it does, he notes that it's sold as Vinyl duct tape, that's it's different from US duct tape, and that if it's colored and/or a bit thinner, it's called electrical tape. Which would, if anything, support the "Wide electrical tape" definition. Further, in no way does it meet the Wikipedia standards for a reliable source - It's not a reliable, published source(It's a mostly unrelated guide, as mentioned, which barely mentions the tape, and it's a single person's guide on his preferred method of rapier construction, published by a small reenactment group of just over 100 members, and originally posted no later than 2004, on his personal website, from which it was copied verbatim), it does not appear in any other source which meet those criteria, and it doesn't directly support the content as written in the article. In short, as a reference, it's utter bollocks.

Thus, I'm removing said extremely poor citation, And adding a citation needed tag. If you believe so strongly that this is the case, then you should be able to find a reliable source for this information. And after a quick burn through the revisions page, it shows that you're the one that added it in the first place - but that was quite a while ago, so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, and instead of removing it as original research with zero verifiability beyond a single context-less picture that you yourself took and added, I'm putting up the call for a citation(that isn't bollocks, though that shouldn't need to be said) to prove it. Preferably by someone else, as so far, you've consistently shown to be particularly defensive of the truth of this claim, but as of yet have not actually proved it to any reasonable standard required by Wikipedia. Churba (talk) 01:50, 13 April 2011 (UTC)

Perhaps due to the discussion above, the section on Aus/NZ duct tape neglects to say what the alleged difference is between it and the "US-centric" version, it just claims that it's different. Personally speaking, I don't see a difference from looking at the product's picture. Fitfatfighter (talk) 07:16, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Ok, I'm giving up on trying to edit this section. Please believe me that Every single roll of tape labelled "duct tape" in Australian shops is a vinyl tape like electrician's tape, but wider, with no cloth component. I have spent hours searching for some decent sources for this information online, but have been unsuccessful. When I walk into any store selling tape in Australia (supermarkets, hardware stores, whatever), the stuff labelled 'duct tape' is as I say, and the stuff described in this article is labelled 'cloth tape'. Oh, and by the way, the reenactment group in question has over 2000 members in Australia, much less worldwide (Where are you getting your facts from?) Any advice you can give me as to what kind of sources would be considered acceptable for this particular piece of information would be most helpful. Myk (talk) 11:50, 22 September 2011 (UTC)

• Bunnings is Australia's largest hardware store - This is their 'duct tape' [6]
• Searching for 'duct tape' on Woolworths' (major Australian supermarket corporation) online shopping site [7] brings up Cling brand tape exactly like the one in the photo I added. (Though I had to remove the brand because someone removed the image from this article page due to its branding some time back.)
• Mitre 10 (another Australian hardware store) - search for duct tape and you get the same kind of PVC tape with no cloth [8]
• Coles (another major Australian supermarket chain) have online shopping system here: [9]. Searching for 'duct tape' finds Scotch tape, which is a different type of tape altogether (and the product's own labe doesn't include the word 'duct' at all.)
• Officeworks in Australia also sells 'duct tape' that is a PVC tape with no cloth component [10] (also available in black) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Politas (talk • contribs) 02:14, 23 September 2011 (UTC)

It's been months without any reply, so I'm adding the OfficeWorks link above as a citation and removing the citation-needed tag. I hope this citation is sufficient. The image seems pretty clearly to show the lack of cloth component to me, and the product description does not mention cloth at all. Myk (talk) 04:02, 8 March 2012 (UTC)

No mention of Metal foil duct tape

--Ericg33 (talk) 22:41, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

Do it yourself. - SummerPhD (talk) 02:45, 24 August 2011 (UTC)

Other Uses of Duct tape

I think that there should be a topic on the main article about other uses for duct tape, such as prom dresses and wallets. Thanks for listening! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.36.37.14 (talk) 23:24, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

The only problem with adding this section would be that it has infinite growth potential -- "other uses" are virtually limitless! ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 04:29, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Wart Treatment ! ! !

I propose that the section on wart treatment be removed, as it is of negligible relevance to the subject. The information is on the wart page. At most a single short sentence in the "Popular Culture" section would be more appropriate. Darkman101 (talk) 04:15, 11 September 2011 (UTC) Done~E184.76.225.106 (talk) 09:57, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Added summary from Duct tape occlusion therapy:

Duct tape occlusion therapy (DTOT): is a method intended to treat warts by covering them with duct tape for an extended period. The evidence is poor as to whether or not it is effective; thus, it is not recommended as routine treatment.

And removed the following:

A medical study by Adam Doorn announced on major news networks on October 15, 2002, stated that application of duct tape can be used as an effective treatment for warts. This treatment is often called by the name duck or duct tape occlusion therapy. A more recent study claimed to have cast doubt these findings, pointing out the original researchers didn't actually examine participants to determine if the warts were in fact gone, but instead phoned participants and asked. In the 2006 study of 103 children [Haen et al.], duct tape did not perform significantly better than a placebo. This study compared clear duct tape, applied six nights a week to corn pad placebos, which were applied one night a week. In a study released in 2007, a study among older adults found duct tape helped only 21% of the time and was no better than moleskin, a cotton-tape bandage used to protect the skin. However, researchers used transparent duct tape that unlike the grey duct tape does not contain rubber. "Whether or not the standard type of duct tape is effective is up in the air," said Dr. Rachel Wenner of the University of Minnesota, who started the new study as a medical student. "Theoretically, the rubber adhesive could somehow stimulate the immune system or irritate the skin in a different manner." The Wenner study was published in the March 2007 issue of Archives of Dermatology.

~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 08:34, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Use in spaceflight (Apollo 13 quote and photo)

I am unsure of the 'fair use' for this great photo: Screen shot from Apollo 13 footage showing Jim Lovell with duct tape. from: http://www.universetoday.com/63673/13-things-that-saved-apollo-13-part-10-duct-tape/
That article also has interview quotes, including this great one:

NASA engineer Jerry Woodfill: “...Of course ... the solution to every conceivable knotty problem has got to be duct tape! And so it was.”

(Duct tape is attributed to saving Apollo 13).

I don't know how to attribute this type of article. This is something like a blog by Nancy Atkinson on April 26, 2010; Senior Editor, Universe Today. ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 02:44, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

 Done per WP:BOLD Also: Woodfill said that duct tape had been stowed on board every mission since early in the Gemini days. ~E 184.76.225.106 (talk) 05:24, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Since that isn't a direct quote, would it be cited to the engineer, with ref to article? -- or cited to article with ref to engineer? I would DIY, but this is currently beyond my WP skill-set.'~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 06:25, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

I added According to NASA engineer Jerry Woodfill, duct tape had been stowed on board every mission since early in the Gemini days. -- but somebody who knows how to cite this should do so (Thanks!) ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 07:22, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

I would guess that there would be no issue with using the photo as it seems fairly obvious that it was taken by an employee of the US gov't during their regular duties (no matter how irregular the circumstances were) and would therefore be in the public domain. Dismas|^(talk) 04:40, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Trademark

Duck Products is listed in See also; and "duct" vs. "duck" is discussed in this article. Shouldn't there be some mention of ShurTech and their trademark? Perhaps in the etymology section? Trademark: "...property of ShurTech or other members of The ShurTech Group, LLC" ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 06:07, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

 Done I added it to the following sentence, which seems like an appropriate place, since it mentions "Duck brand duct tape":

Duck Products, the manufacturer of Duck brand duct tape (Duck Tape®), annually sponsors a competition that offers a college scholarship to the person who creates the most stylish prom formal wear made from Duck Tape.

Should there be a footnote? ... property of ShurTech or other members of The ShurTech Group, LLC ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 06:55, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

"100 Mph tape"

Problem with: The tape is named so because it was used during the Vietnam War... -- the term was used prior to that, especially in auto racing circles and Bonneville racing in particular. I doubt there is mention in publications since it was essentially 'common knowledge' back then. Following WW 2, GIs, especially mechanics, returned with an appreciation for the wonders of duct tape (and its variants) and many veterans went into racing. ~Eric F[edit) ~Eric F184.76.225.106 (talk) 13:26, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

The following might be a misinterpretation from the cited article: The tape is named so because it was used during the Vietnam War to repair helicopter rotor blades, thus earning the name 100-MPH tape.

I don't have a copy of 'Vietnam Stories, Army Times (September 1993)', but it might say something more like: ...they called it "100-MPH tape" because... -- which is not the same thing, (implying that was the origin of the term). ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 13:35, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

It's also a satirical allusion to the military's penchant for acronyms and numbers. ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 15:13, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Inappropriate Uses

Maybe section on inappropriate uses would be appropriate. Here's one:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/07/school-workers-on-leave-after-girl-with-downs-syndrome-has-shoes-duct-taped-to/

No doubt there are many more. 72.34.80.28 (talk) 06:25, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

This would make for a long section of no encyclopedic value, IMO. - SummerPhD (talk) 14:07, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

I do not want the encyclopedia to offer suggestions to any copycat vandals or criminals. Binksternet (talk) 14:17, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

disambiguation of sentence about UK usage of term

In the UK, the term 'gaffer tape' is widely used to refer to duct tape, whereas the product referred to here is known as 'camera tape'.

I find it difficult to understand this sentence, where is "here"? The US? Or is "here" this article? Some rewording would be good in this case I think. CatCat (talk) 13:30, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

 Done. Thanks for the note! Binksternet (talk) 15:11, 3 November 2013 (UTC)

Off topic
Duct Tape Duct Tape is a very fun hobby to do. Duct tape is an art. It is very easy. There are lots of colors and patterns to choose from. Go to Michael and get duct tape supplies from there! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.61.34.210 (talk) 14:04, 9 May 2014 (UTC)

Australian terminology

It seems clear that the subject of this article is normally referred to as "Cloth tape" or "Gaffer tape" in Australia; and that there the term "duct tape" usually refers to "PVC Duct Tape" - a cloth-less product only tangentially related to the subject of this article. It would be nice if someone could find a good, reliable and suitable source documenting this, but as some evidence: http://adhesivetapes.com.au/category.do?idCateg=55 Snori (talk) 00:31, 3 May 2015 (UTC)

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Duck tape in the lead

Seek consensus here and stop edit warring.--Canoe1967 (talk) 04:38, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Duck tape is a trademarked brand name, and otherwise a mispronunciation and an urban legend. I see that it has been included in the header now, and the actual etymology has been removed from the etymology section so that only the urban legend remains. I don't think that does the article any good. The article survived just fine for a long time with duct tape as the only name of the product, and then an etymology section that acknowledged the sourced urban legend about it being originally called "duck tape" while also explaining the traditional etymology. The Yar (talk) 11:17, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

This article was first written in March 2002. If you look for sources that predate Wikipedia's article, you'll find some books and websites. The Jumbo Duct Tape Book published in 2000 says "The first name for duct tape was "duck". During World War II, the U.S. military needed waterproof tape to keep moisture out of ammunition cases. They enlisted the Johnson & Johnson Permacel Division to manufacture the tape. Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as duck tape (like water off a duck's back)." The 2003 Encyclopedia of Modern Everyday Inventions quotes the previous book, adding to its authority. The names 'duck' and 'duct' are both valid. With publishing dates of 2000 and 2003, these sources are free from the worry that the sources took their information from this article which first appeared without any mention of J&J Permacel. The original March 2002 version gave this URL as the reference, another website which describes the WWII J&J beginnings, with both terms explained.

The Duck Brand history page gives this basic version as well. We don't trust it as much (because it is presumed biased) but it repeats what is found in the books: "It was World War II and there was a need for a strong, flexible, durable, waterproof tape that could seal canisters, repair cracked windows, repair trucks and help the war effort in general. Permacell, a division of the Johnson and Johnson Company, stepped up to this challenge. Using medical tape as a base, they applied two new technologies. Polycoat adhesives gave the tape its unshakable stick and polyethylene coating allowed them to laminate the tape to a cloth backing, making it extremely strong and flexible. The resulting tape was nicknamed "Duck Tape" for its ability to repel water, while ripping easily into strips for fast convenient use. After the war the tape was put to the more civilian use of holding ducts together. So the product changed from a nameless army green tape to the familiar gray duct tape. Thirty years later, Jack Kahl, former CEO of Manco, Inc., changed the name of the product to Duck Tape® and put ‘Manco T. Duck’ on the Duck Tape® logo, giving personality to a commodity product."

That places the "Duck Brand" origin at about 1975. The book Guerrilla Marketing says about Manco, ""Manco decided to play on the fact that people often refer to duct tape as 'duck tape'." Market share in 1979 was just about zero, then it grew to dominate the segment because of strong marketing. These assertions are correct, the ones saying that people were using the term 'duck tape' prior to 1975. In the 1972 book Creative Candlemaking, author Thelma R. Newman describes using adhesive "duck tape" to hold a candle mold together. The same year, the magazine Insulation/Circuits published a glossary saying "Duck Tape" was a sticky adhesive tape made of heavy cotton fabric, called cotton duck. The grandpappy of these instances is the 1945 National Directory of Commodity Specifications which specifies insulation quoted from a 1936 guide: "Primarily for direct earth Installation, Includes lead covered metallic armored, lead and Jute covered, lead and duck tape covered, and nonmetalllc armored cables; general description, conductors, stranding, rubber Insulation thickness..." (Bolding added). This pre-WWII duck tape would have been simply a long strip of duck cloth produced without Permacel's adhesive coating which was not yet invented. ("Tape" is an archaic word for long fabric strips such as ribbon.) So there is established usage for the term "duck tape" prior to the product made by the J&J Permacel division. And the Duck Brand people say that the WWII tape was unnamed, that it picked up the name "duct tape" from post-war usage. Binksternet (talk) 14:35, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

That is all good information, but it was covered fairly well in earlier versions of the article, and now the "history and etymology" section is thick with misleading and inaccurate information. Duck is a thick interwoven fabric, and anything rolled into a long thin strip may be referred to as tape, e.g., "ticker tape." Any thin, coiled strip can be called a tape, which is why adhesive tape is called tape, and it's why cotton woven into a thick fabric and then cut into a long strip is called "cotton duck tape." This fabric strip is the material being referred to in citations from 1900 - 1945, and it is a material that still exists today. It has never been an ingredient in duct tape and doesn't have anything to do with duct tape. The story about WWII soldiers and "water off of a duck's back" has no original source citations to back it up, and it conflicts with the "cotton duck" story, too. All of the sources are "so the story goes" sources, and they all seem to point back to the Duck Brand web site, whereas actual first-hand citations referring to the product called it "duct tape" long before the Duck Brand cam around and spread the story about it being duck tape. As etymologist Dr. Brown explained, the "duck" version makes a good story, but it is quack etymology. The Yar (talk) 19:28, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

I don't see what you're seeing. The thin cotton duck tape used in 1942 to make military tape was easily torn by hand; it was not your usual thick, sturdy canvas duck fabric but something much flimsier, purposely made with tearing in mind. Nevertheless it was known as cotton duck tape.

The "water off a duck's back" connection is conjecture that I removed.

Which Dr. Brown are you referring to? Binksternet (talk) 20:09, 27 August 2012 (UTC)

My mistake, I meant Dr. Freeman. I properly cited her Boston Globe article previously, but the citation and information has been removed. As she states, there is no primary source to back up the claim that it was first called duck tape. There are no primary sources regarding what it was called in WWII. All sources telling the duck tape story are reciting the same story from the Duct Tape guys book (or likely, in many cases, this WP article, a circular citation phenomenon I encounter frequently). In turn, the Duct Tape guys book references a supposed conversation with a Johnson & Johnson rep, but otherwise isn't substantiated. The Yar (talk) 20:23, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

Here it is, Jan Freeman's article "Tale of the tape" from March 2010. She expresses her doubt but cannot find evidence to prove her point, that the term "duck tape" was probably not used in the 1940s and '50s. Freeman's idea goes against William Safire's whose opinion is somewhat more significant, and against the other books and magazine articles in the article's reference section. Others assert that there is a significant connection between old-fashioned plain duck tape and the WWII stuff formulated by J&J's Revolite division. Freeman's doubt, delivered without proof, is not enough to trump those other sources. Binksternet (talk) 21:24, 27 September 2012 (UTC)

"All of those other sources" are all just retelling the hearsay story from the Duct Tape Guys book. There are no primary sources at all that back up the belief that duct tape was ever called duck tape. That's the point. Unless someone has an early primary reference to duct tape being called duck tape, this is all make-believe. I'm not saying it should be censored out, but the previous treatement was better. It acknowledged the folklore etymology as a possibility but one without any clear proof. I also don't see any sources backing up that duct tape is made from duck fabric, despite that now be listed as fact in the article. It's a nice story, but there are no clear sources for it, and the sources we do have contradict one another. Was it because of water off a duck's back, or because of cotton duck fabric? The earliest primary-source documented references to this product referred to it as "duct tape." That is traditionally how etymology works, and not by retelling folktales. I'm not going to edit-war, but i'd at least appreciate that the completely incorrect information and citations be removed. One source says that it "may not have been made from duck fabric" and this articles cites that source for a claim that it was made from duck fabric. That's a problem. The Yar (talk) 22:22, 7 February 2013 (UTC)

William Safire does not tell the "hearsay" story from the Duct Tape Guys. Safire is the guy who you have to conquer in order to eviscerate the article's "duck tape" basis. Generally when I tackle a topic, I look to the most prominent sources to see what they say. In this case, Safire wins. Binksternet (talk) 08:19, 8 February 2013 (UTC)

There is a clear history in the edits of this article to both systematically remove any facts or citations that refute the duck theory, and to mis-use and mis-quote sources to support the duck theory. Someone wants to use WP to make this story be the truth. That creates problems. All I'm really looking for is something like the article originally was: a clearer acknowledgment in the opening that the correct, accepted name is duct tape, and then a more balanced discussion of etymology theories, including Freeman's article refuting the idea that it was originally called "duck." Dr. Freeman's original Boston Globe article was a direct response to Safire and pretty cleanly refuted it. The 2003 version was removed, but an updated 2010 version appears in the sources now, except it's apparently being used to seem to support the "duck" theory, when it actually refutes it. The Yar (talk) 17:10, 20 November 2014 (UTC)

If we're going to have an etymology section, it really needs to be sourced etymology. Right now, this is the very epitome of what WP:NOR is supposed to prevent. It is amateur WP users doing their own research to try to prove something, and a lot of tertiary folklore. It needs to be secondary sources from etymologists who cite primary sources. That's what it originally was, some brief verifiable quotes from etymologists Safire and Freeman regarding primary source evidence. I'm not sure why it now has to be a lot of original user research with any dissenting expert citations removed, but it certainly appears to be someone's agenda. Wikipedia can't invent truth and we shouldn't be trying to invent truth with it. The Yar (talk) 16:43, 1 December 2015 (UTC)

Also, I think we need to bring back the disambiguation page. There was and still is a thick, non-adhesive cotton weave product called "duck" that is often cut into "tape" strips, known as "duck tape," but which is not duct tape. There is also a famous brand of duct tape called "Duck Tape," as well as the fact that many people call duct tape "duck tape." Those first two maybe don't need their own articles, but the disambiguation page survived for a long time just fine to help people find the duct tape article regardless of whether they called it duck or duct, while also acknowledging that "duck tape" has two other distinct meanings. I still don't understand the rationale for changing the disambiguation to a simple redirect; I want to assume it was done for good reason, but so far I don't see a reason other than as part of trying to bend truth to will. The Yar (talk) 19:53, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

MacGuyver tape

No mention that it's commonly called MacGuyver tape, after the 80's TV show/character's propensity to use it to fix almost anything? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 47.55.8.120 (talk) 18:40, 6 September 2016 (UTC)

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Tyre tape

In 1930's magazines, there are references to the use of "tyre tape", which I would guess would be duct tape used to repair car tyres. Some old cartoons are shown with car tyres with lots of tape repairs on them.(185.181.236.222 (talk) 07:26, 9 April 2018 (UTC))

Camouflage tape

While duct tape (adhesive tape reinforced with duck cloth with waterproof backing) has been made with woodland camouflage patterns, proper camouflage tape for outdoor use has more in common with the properties of gaffer tape: breathable thicker cloth and non-residue adhesive. -- Naaman Brown (talk) 15:05, 20 January 2019 (UTC)