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Review on XFasten 2 Inch Black Gaffers Tape - 30 Yards Non-Reflective, No Residue Tape With Matte Finish For Photography And Floor Use, Ideal For Securing Electrical Cords And Wiring by James Fisher

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Thin, weak adhesive, doesn't rip straight - definitely not "professional "

I am a stagehand and sound engineer in the event production / music industry and I know good gaffer's tape from bad gaffer's tape. This is not "professional grade" gaffer tape.I primarily use this product to tape down audio/video cables to various surfaces, to create floor markings and to line the edges of set decor (such as fabric skirt curtains). Frankly, this tape doesn't cut it. Its flaws are as follows:-It is paper thin and rips too easily.-The adhesive is not strong enough to hold any items with any significant weight or porous surfaces.-Rips in the tape often don't end up ripping straight, leaving exposed adhesive and fabric threads.My most recent use case was first taping the edges of a cable ramp to a marble floor, followed by trimming fabric along a speaker. The tape was awkward to pull from the roll, to begin with. Because of how thin the tape is, it is hard to find the end. Then, when stretching it, this particular brand does not have any of the tensile (stretching) properties gaffer tape is supposed to have, so I had to pull a length and cut it rather than pull an edge, lay it down, and stretch from the role. Then, also because of the thinness, the tape failed to rip straight multiple times; a few of the rips I made in a normal motion ripped longitudinally as well as laterally. When applying this to the rubbery cable ramp, it would not grip it. It laid flat and had a good stick to the floor, but I was forced to "hug" the cable ramp (wrap it around the edges and then reinforce with cross-tape along the floor) and add two extra lines of tape. When trimming some fabric (a parachute-like piece hanging from the ceiling) to a speaker pole (plastic), I could get the tape to grab the fabric more than it was sticking to itself. In the end, I had to use the tape like rope and "tie" tip of the fabric into the loop. The adhesive is simply not strong enough.The only benefits of this particular product are it's price. If you're looking to hold some light items or use the tape for some temporary use, save yourself the money and get this. Otherwise, I'd move on to find a better gaff tape.I've written a similar review of TapePlus gaffer tape (https://www.amazon.com/Gaffers-Tape-Professional-Alternative-Electrical/dp/B018TKMNCA/); I'll say this again: Many of the reviews you see on this TapePlus Gaffer's Tape are by people who are using gaffer's tape for the first time. My impression is that these reviewers give this tape good reviews as if they are reviewing gaffer's tape vs. other kinds of type. They would love it, I'm sure, because of the obvious benefits gaffer's tape has over duct tape, scotch tape, painter's tape, scotch tape, etc. Those reasons are numerous: easier to tear, easier to remove, leaves no residue, is more heat resistant, a fabric backing, etc.

Pros
  • Can be easily blended with dark surfaces due to its black color
Cons
  • The adhesive may become less effective over time, causing the tape to lose its grip

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