Is it ‘duck’ tape or ‘duct’ tape? Comedy duo has the answer
It all began at a family gathering on Christmas Eve 1993 when the power went out.
Jim Berg commented that if he knew where the outage was, he probably could fix it with duct tape. That got his family, including brother-in-law Tim Nyberg, talking about the versatility of duct tape and its many uses.
One thing led to another and the two men from northwestern Wisconsin launched themselves into business as “The Duct Tape Guys.” In the ensuing 15 years, they have written seven books on the uses of duct tape, published a page-a-day calendar, have a television show in the works and appear at home shows throughout the country with their duct tape comedy routine.
They will be in Rock Island the weekend of Feb. 8-10 at the home show sponsored by the Quad-Cities Homebuilders & Remodelers Association at the QCCA Expo Center.
Nyberg says comedy was a natural fit for the two.
He is a self-employed graphic designer/illustrator who has done stand-up comedy in the Twin Cities, and Berg, an education administrator, is “naturally funny,” Nyberg adds.
Although both still work in their chosen fields, their schedules are flexible, and they draw as much as 80 percent of their income from duct tape ventures in some years, Nyberg says.
Duct tape is appealing because of its versatility, and it has become a pop culture icon.
“It comes with no direction, which doesn’t limit your imagination,” Nyberg says. “It’s sort of a universal panacea. And everyone either uses it themselves or has someone in their family who does. It’s omnipresent. That’s the key to our success.”
In addition to their commercial ventures, the two maintain a Web site — ducttapeguys.com — that explains the history of the tape and answers the often-asked question, “Is it duct tape or duck tape?” Here are some questions and answers from their site:
Q: What is duct tape?
A: It is a strong tape that is composed of three layers. The top layer is a resilient plastic (polyethelyne), the bottom layer is a rubber-based adhesive and the middle layer is a fabric mesh. While there are stronger tapes (such as filament), duct tape has the distinct benefit of not requiring any other tools to cut it — you just rip it with your bare hands.
Q: Why is it so popular?
A: It is a quick fix. We (especially in America) want stuff to happen quickly. We lack the patience (and often the skill) to fix stuff right.
Q: When was it invented?
A: It was actually rather hard to find anyone to admit to the actual invention of duct tape.
The closest we got to a consistent story was the Johnson & Johnson Permacel Division that made the stuff for the U.S. military during World War II.
The original use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to the tape as “duck” tape — as in “water off a duck’s back.” Also, the tape was made using cotton duck fabric, similar to what was used in their cloth medical tapes.
Military personnel quickly discovered that the tape was very versatile and used it to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft and so forth.
Q: Which is correct — duck tape or duct tape?
A: They both are. After the war, the tape was used in the booming housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning ductwork together. Soon, the color was changed from Army green to silver to match the ductwork, and people started to refer to duck tape as “duct tape.”
We know of at least eight companies in the United States and Canada that manufacture duct tape. Most of the duct tape that is sold into the consumer market is distributed by Duck brand, so it becomes, correctly, “Duck” tape.
We use both terms virtually interchangeably.
Q: Is one brand better than another?
A: As a general rule, spare the cost and spoil the job. Look at the weave of the fabric in the tape. The tighter the weave, the better the tape. Duck brand duct tape is our favorite for consistently good quality tape. But don’t take our word for it, Backpacker Magazine (October 2000) compared different brands of duct tape and gave Duck brand their highest rating.
Q: Sometimes the tape leaves a sticky residue. What can you do about that?
A: Try spraying with WD-40 or Duck brand Adhesive Remover (it has a really nice citrus scent) and let it sit for a bit. The residue should wipe right up. You can also roll duct tape sticky-side-out around your hand and dab up bits of remaining residue. Other products that work to remove the goo are Goo-Be-Gone and rubber cement thinner or acetone.
Q: Is it always silver?
A: Oh no! Duck brand has a whole line of plain colors, including red, yellow, green, blue, brown and black, as well as “Xtreme” dayglow colors such as blaze orange, lime green, citron yellow and hot pink.
This Christmas, Maine-based L.L. Bean sold plaids, camouflage and wildlife, and there is also a clear version.
Alma Gaul can be contacted at (563) 383-2324 or agaul@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.