Dutch Brand Plastic Tape

Illustration of a tape dispenser in blue and orange with blue and white text on it and a black stripe with white text across the entire imae on a dark blue background

Dutch Brand plastic electrical tape was made by Johns-Manville. Electrical tape is used to insulate wiring and occasionally bind wires into cables. It can also cover bicycle rims in an emergency. Early electrical tapes were fabric and can still be bought under the name “friction tape.” 3M introduced plastic-backed electrical tape in 1946 and competition followed suit. Modern electrical tape is now sourced with vinyl.

Dutch Brand tape was first marketed by Van Cleef Brothers, a Chicago company that invented rubber cement. Johns-Manville bought Van Cleef in 1947 and kept the name as their Dutch Brand division. Johns-Manville, after multiple reorganizations, is still in business as an insulation company.a