Duct tape was originally created and distributed by the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division around 1942. Back then it was called Duck Tape due to its water proof nature. It was used primarily by the military in order to keep ammunition cases clean and dry, but it did not take long for the soldiers to begin using the tape to make quick repairs on a variety of equipment.

Following the war, the tape was used for civilian purposes, most commonly for air vents and duct work in homes and businesses. This led to the product being referred to as duct tape, and it wasn't long before the tape was being used as a household adhesive product.

Today the tape is utilized for a plethora of reasons. Some of the more creative uses of duct tape include:

1. Taping the back of a finished jigsaw puzzle with duct tape to hold it together;

2. First aid, when no other supplies are available;

3. Sealing food items such as chip bags and cereal boxes with duct tape products;

4. Taping up knives and other blades before throwing them away.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy duct tape online

When you want to save a trip to the hardware store, it is easy to find many duct tape suppliers and order the tape or other duct tape supplies through an online vendor.

I recommend: Purchase the tape you need from 3M, PTIPackaging.com, Northern Tool + Equipment Catalog Company or PackagingSupplies.com.

Purchase colored duct tape

Duct tape manufacturers produce the tape in several different colors so that it can be used to fix a larger number of products. You can find a roll of tape that will match almost any item you are attempting to repair. The tape is always available in the standard grey, and it can also be ordered in red, orange, yellow, green, purple and almost every color of the rainbow.

I recommend: Order colored duct tape from tapebrothers.com, Uline Shipping Supplies or The Tape Depot. Find sellers of black duct tape at NexTag Inc.

Find bulk duct tape

Duct tape has so many uses that you may want to keep a lot of it on hand at all times. When you need a large amount of it, you can save money by buying the tape in bulk. Contact a duct tape store that offers large orders at a discount to arrange for your bulk purchase needs.

I recommend: Make a bulk purchase from tapebrothers.com or Snyder Paper Corp.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Duct tape can be used on almost any surface. Experiment with it to see how many practical uses you can discover.
• •  Purchase heavy duty duct tape that will stand up to any environment, such as high winds, rain or direct sunlight.