When Duct tape first came out, years and years ago, it was really good for many things because it had a good adhesive and the plastic tape material was of good quality. Over the years, with the advent of new brands of duct tape, some even bowing to the mispronunciation of the word and calling themselves Duck Tape, it has become a sad product. Cheaper and less effective adhesives, cheaper plastic formulas, and stylish packaging have turned this useful tool into a shadow of its former self.
What made me think of this? My closet door is a giant mirror that is about 6.5 ft. tall and about 3 ft. wide. It closes with a magnet that attaches to a wide metal strip on the back of the door that is attached on one side by a screw in the mirror frame. The other end was originally taped to the back of the mirror with some sort of industrial tape (not duct tape), and it was partly torn already when we moved in. Shortly thereafter the tape tore the rest of the way due to much pawing of Thomas the cat in attempts to open the door, and the metal strip kept pivoting downward and away from the magnet, so the door would not stay closed. I used indoor/outdoor duct tape to reattach the mirror to the metal strip. Sadly this did not last as the tape adhesive is weak, and it kept sliding down the tape without any excess heat or coaxing other than the cat trying to reach under the door and open it over and over. I never replaced the strip of tape, but keep using the same strip to just keep trying to re-tape and keep the metal strip where it should be.
That long explanation is basically just to say that it's annoying that the product is not what it used to be, and is a waste of money. I do have Gorilla tape (made by the same people who make Gorilla Glue), and I do keep forgetting to use it on that piece, but I will. Gorilla tape is amazing stuff. It's easily better than the original duct tape. I used two strips of Gorilla tape on a large piece of heavy plastic molding on a car along the car door. The molding had become very stiff in its hanging position over time and was hard to even put back into the proper place and hold it there while taping. Those two strips of tape held that molding on the outside of the car for over a year, through Summer heat over 100 degrees, rain, sleet, snow, and car washes. The stuff is amazing. It averages about $9 or so per large roll, but it's worth every penny when you compare what people pay for common crappy duct tape.
So that is my duct tape rant, and I feel better now.
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