Why Is It Called Duct Tape

Why is it called duct tape called duct tape. Some people actually think it is duck tape. Is duct tape or duck tape, well they are both correct.

This morning during random facts on the facts was about duct tape:

 If you took all the duct tape sold around the world every year, it would go around the equator more than 12 times.

This prompted Gunner to ask why it is called duct tape. My reply on air was it was probably called that because they used it on air ducts and the name stuck. Some one quickly called us and gave us a story about how it became duct tape.

According to I Found Out Today:

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.  This is why the originally Duct tape came only in army green.

As to why it was originally called “Duck” tape by the soldiers isn’t entirely known.  It is commonly thought that because it was green and shed water, like a duck, the soldiers took to calling the tape “Duck” tape.  An alternative theory is that they called it thus because it resembled strips of cotton duck.  Which one is true or if it was a combination of the two, isn’t known, but in either case they called this new tape “Duck” tape.

These days it is called "Duct Tape," so how did the name get changed? Again according to I found out today, the name changed after the WWII. The soldiers brought "duck tape" and started using in the construction of building and new homes. That is when the color changed to silver to match the "ducts." Then the name eventually changed from duck to duct tape.

You learn something new everyday.