Duct tape was originally named “Duck” tape and originally only came in green, not silver. Duct tape was originally invented by Johnson & Johnson's Permacel division during WWII for the military. The military specifically needed a waterproof tape that could be used to keep moisture out of ammunition cases.

With strong adhesive, this duct tape is the go-to tool for temporary repairs and quick fixes around the home, office or construction site.

The iconic tape was invented by an Illinois mom named Vesta Stoudt who wanted to save soldiers' lives in World War II. The year was 1943 and Stoudt, who had two sons serving in the U.S. Navy, was working at the Green River Ordnance Plant near Amboy, Illinois.

Duck Tape® Duck Brand® duct tape takes its name from the original name of duct tape. This name came from two factors. First, the tape was originally made from an army green cotton duck fabric. And second, the water-resistant properties of the tape were said to repel water like the back of a duck.

Either the Original Duck Tape® – which is perfect for hundreds of repairs, around the home, garage and garden – it will fix firmly to most surfaces. Or if your task is a little more demanding, we would recommend Ultimate Duck Tape® – which is perfect for thousands of uses indoors and outdoors.

The history of adhesive tape occurred during its first appearance in 1845. Dr. Horace Day, a surgeon used a rubber adhesive applied to strips of fabrics to make a new invention called Surgical Tape.

duct tape. noun [ U ] /ˈdʌkt ˌteɪp/ us. /ˈdʌkt ˌteɪp/ a long, thin strip of very strong, sticky material that is sold in a roll and is often used for covering holes or other repair jobs.

Richard Drew of 3M invented masking tape in 1925 to help solve the problem of paint bleeding through while painting new automobiles. He would also go on to later invent Scotch tape. Duct tape popped up a few years later during WWII, and super-sticky and durable floor tape shortly after that.

Invention of Adhesive tape. The history of adhesive tapes can be traced back to 1845. Dr. Horace Day applied a rubber adhesive to a strip of fabrics - that is how the world saw the very first invention of a surgical tape.

T-Rex® Brute Force T-Rex® Brute Force Built with Forge-Link™ Technology, an extreme tensile cloth, one loop of T-Rex Brute Force tape holds 700+ pounds of weight, making it the strongest duct tape on the market.

T-Rex's Brute Force Tape T-Rex's Brute Force Tape is as tough as it gets. Seriously: a single piece of this tape was enough to hold over 200lbs of weight, much more than any other tape that we tested. T-Rex claims that, because of the very thick fabric backing and the double thickness of adhesive, it can hold up to 700lbs of weight.

Originally, tape wasn't much more than strips of linen soaked in plaster – we can thank the ancient Egyptians for that first step. From there, various materials – mainly paper- or linen-based – made up the majority of early “tapes.” In essence, these were mere vehicles for some kind of adhesive substance.