So where did this wondrous grey stuff on a roll come from? And why do some call it "duck" tape?
The origins of this tape of tapes date back to World War II. The Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division was enlisted to manufacture a particular type of waterproof tape for the U.S. Military to keep moisture out of ammunition cases.
Since the tape was a military green and was waterproof, everyone referred to it as "Duck" tape. Military personnel were quick to tap into this new product's potential as they were soon using it to not only keep water out of stuff, but also to repair guns, fix jeeps, strap equipment to their clothing...and of course the rest is history.
After the war, someone in the housing industry started selling a silvery grey version of the tape for work in joining heating and air conditioning ducts and hence we now have the product we are familiar with today.
Today, the green-coloured Duck® brand Tape is still sold and manufactured by Manco, a division of Henkel, and still offers the tape in military green amongst a myriad of other colours. For some reason though, duct grey appears to be the most popular colour despite its somewhat dull appearance.
Duct Tape craze has definitely swept the globe as there even exists a Duct Tape capital of the world. In Springfield, Missouri more Duct Tape is sold per person than any other place in the world. In fact, a particular WalMart there claims the honour of selling more of it than any other single store.
As Duct Tape slowly begins to cover our planet's surface, we wonder what lies ahead for this extraordinary grey adhesive. The Duct Tape world of the future will have no need for lunch boxes-tape all your food together. The grey roll can be used to fashion a prom suit (Ryan F. from Minnesota did that), make really cool underwear, or maybe the military will use it to waterproof ammunition cases. The sky will be the limit when NASA finally builds a space shuttle out of Duct Tape.
However, we must "tape this all with a grain of salt". Experts in the Duct Tape-ology have speculated that Duct Tape unfortunately does have its limitations. It cannot fix the national debt, mend a broken heart, or patch together the meaning of life. On the other hand, we all know the world has never been the same since it came into our hands.
