Duct tape became a staple of American DIY projects and repairs after World War II. During the war, duck tape—as it was initially known—was distributed to soldiers to use in sealing ammo cans. Industrious soldiers quickly started using it for all manner of repairs thanks to its strong adhesive and sturdy construction. When millions of soldiers returned home from the war, they brought their respect for duct tape with them, rapidly introducing the now ubiquitous tape into popular culture. If you want to read more about the history of duct tape you can check out the Wikipedia entry here. How popular has duct tape become? When Forbes magazine put together a list of the top 20 tools in all of history including such items as the knife and compass, they forgot to include duct tape. They received enough reader questions on their exclusion of duct tape to prompt them to write an entirely separate article singing its praises. Not a bad place to hold in public opinion after less than a century on the scene.
Duct tape is manufactured by a variety of companies and available in everything from generic Dollar Store rolls to premium nuclear regulatory agency-approved rolls. The 3M company even introduced clear duct tape for those times when you really want to repair something with duct tape but the DIY-vibe of good ol' silver tape just doesn't fit.
No comments:
Post a Comment