Real Gaffa at DVinfo.net

Ayesha Khan · April 8th, 2009, 10:29 AM

Is there a particular brand of Gaffa tape or something which will differentiate it from that horrible tacky stuff that leaves residue?

I have done a search on "gaffa" and haven't found any advice.

Cheers in advance.

Shaun Roemich · April 8th, 2009, 10:40 AM

Change your search to Gaffer's tape and you'll do better:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/photon-ma...fers-tape.html

Edward Carlson · April 8th, 2009, 11:12 AM

I just bought three rolls from The Tape Works, not to be confused with Tape Works Texas. What they lack in web design they make up for in price. A 60 yd roll of 2" wide gaff tape was only $12.19.

Dan Brockett · April 8th, 2009, 11:34 AM

Shaun:

Here is how much of a trivia geek I am. Gaffers tape has often been known colloquially in the U.K. as Gaffa. I only know this because Kate Bush has a great song called "Suspended in Gaffa" and I read an interview with her where she said the title came from Gaffa tape. Also, on U.K. sets, the term Gaffer is not used, the electricians are called Sparks.

Dan

Shaun Roemich · April 8th, 2009, 11:49 AM

Dan: Super cool! And to Ayesha, my response was meant in all seriousness. No implied sarcasm. I had ASSUMED that Gaffa was perhaps a brand name.

Once again this goes to prove the only real difference between North Americans and Brits is our common language! <tongue planted somewhat in cheek>

Bill Pryor · April 8th, 2009, 12:12 PM

I like Tec-Nec, sold by Markertek.

Ayesha Khan · April 9th, 2009, 03:49 PM

So... um... yeah... anyone in the UK with a handy link on hand?

:D

Peter Ralph · April 9th, 2009, 04:12 PM

Dan - in the UK "Gaffer" is used by everyone to mean boss, and is used in film/theater as here - our use derives from theirs. "Sparks" means electrician.

I never heard anyone but Kate Bush refer to gaffa.

Brian Drysdale · April 10th, 2009, 03:18 AM

What people use as gaffer tape variable in quality. The best stuff that I've come across in recent years is that supplied by Panavision and made by Scapa, although I expect other film industry suppliers sell the same brand.

PANAVISION

It's not cheap, but the rolls are quite large.

A quick google found the manufacturers;

Scapa - Home

Richard Gooderick · April 10th, 2009, 06:19 AM

Gaffer Tape - Prokit

There's a paragraph at the bottom of this link about the derivation of 'gaffer tape'. Prokit reckon that it is derived from duct tape.

In my experience gaffer tape leaves less residue than duct tape, so presumably it has evolved into a sub category of duct tape in the wonderful world of tape.

Duct Tape is sometimes called Duck Tape. I suppose, for the same reason that Gaffer Tape is sometimes called Gaffa Tape ie people hear the word and spell it how it sounds when they write it down. This is even more likely to happen if you say it with a London accent.

I think I may go out now and do something in the real world. I'm not sure that it's healthy to be spending even a small part of a bank holiday writing in such detail about tape ;-)

Bill Pryor · April 10th, 2009, 10:13 AM

Gaffer tape can also be a verb, as in, "Gaffertape that cord down before some jerk trips over it."

Duct tape leaves sticky crap all over your cords; gaffer tape does not. That's why it costs more.

Shaun Roemich · April 10th, 2009, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

Gaffer tape can also be a verb, as in, "Gaffertape that cord down before some jerk trips over it."

Duct tape leaves sticky crap all over your cords; gaffer tape does not. That's why it costs more.

In my experience, it's usually "Gaffer tape that cord down because some jerk just tripped over it..." <grin>

And not only does gaffer tape leave less residue (also see: sticky crap) on your cords, it is better suited to taping lights to things that you wouldn't think to tape lights to (usually using a Lowel plate specifically designed to do so).

Toenis Liivamaegi · April 14th, 2009, 10:04 AM

And still you can find lots of "Gaffa" from Welcome - U.K. International Cyberstore for really cheap if you ask me.
As there is that "Cinefoil" too.

T

Daniel Bates · July 4th, 2009, 04:02 PM

I'm resurrecting this thread in order to get this off my chest:

Gaffer's tape is not duct tape. More specifically, Shurtape PC 622 is not gaffer's tape, and should not be sold as such.

I'm going to Iraq tomorrow, and I packed a camera, lens, microphones, batteries, chargers, media, support solutions - everything BUT the gaffer's tape. A two-hour trip to Raleigh produced a hardware store advertising gaffer's tape for a local TV station - but alas, gaffer's tape it was not.

Rant over, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

Bill Davis · July 5th, 2009, 01:58 AM

I was always taught by my mentors that the only real true and authentic gaffers tape was Permacel 665.

Sadly, the company was sold about 3 years back.

Such angst was generated that the Film Tools web site even posted an obit...

R.I.P. Permacel Gaffer Tape (1927-2007) The Filmtools Blog – Filmmaking Equipment & Industry News

The Shurtape stuff, I think, is still being sold. YMM (clearly) V.

April 8th, 2009, 10:29 AM	#1
Ayesha Khan Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: london, england Posts: 50	Real Gaffa Is there a particular brand of Gaffa tape or something which will differentiate it from that horrible tacky stuff that leaves residue? I have done a search on "gaffa" and haven't found any advice. Cheers in advance.

April 8th, 2009, 10:40 AM	#2
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Change your search to Gaffer's tape and you'll do better: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/photon-ma...fers-tape.html __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

April 8th, 2009, 11:49 AM	#5
Shaun Roemich Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia (formerly Winnipeg, Manitoba) Canada Posts: 4,088	Dan: Super cool! And to Ayesha, my response was meant in all seriousness. No implied sarcasm. I had ASSUMED that Gaffa was perhaps a brand name. Once again this goes to prove the only real difference between North Americans and Brits is our common language! <tongue planted somewhat in cheek> __________________ Shaun C. Roemich Road Dog Media - Vancouver, BC - Videographer - Webcaster www.roaddogmedia.ca Blog: http://roaddogmedia.wordpress.com/

April 10th, 2009, 06:19 AM	#10
Richard Gooderick Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: London, UK Posts: 795	Gaffer Tape - Prokit There's a paragraph at the bottom of this link about the derivation of 'gaffer tape'. Prokit reckon that it is derived from duct tape. In my experience gaffer tape leaves less residue than duct tape, so presumably it has evolved into a sub category of duct tape in the wonderful world of tape. Duct Tape is sometimes called Duck Tape. I suppose, for the same reason that Gaffer Tape is sometimes called Gaffa Tape ie people hear the word and spell it how it sounds when they write it down. This is even more likely to happen if you say it with a London accent. I think I may go out now and do something in the real world. I'm not sure that it's healthy to be spending even a small part of a bank holiday writing in such detail about tape ;-) __________________ http://www.gooderick.com

April 8th, 2009, 11:12 AM	#3
Edward Carlson Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: North Hollywood, CA, United States Posts: 807	I just bought three rolls from The Tape Works, not to be confused with Tape Works Texas. What they lack in web design they make up for in price. A 60 yd roll of 2" wide gaff tape was only $12.19.

April 8th, 2009, 11:34 AM	#4
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	Shaun: Here is how much of a trivia geek I am. Gaffers tape has often been known colloquially in the U.K. as Gaffa. I only know this because Kate Bush has a great song called "Suspended in Gaffa" and I read an interview with her where she said the title came from Gaffa tape. Also, on U.K. sets, the term Gaffer is not used, the electricians are called Sparks. Dan

April 8th, 2009, 12:12 PM	#6
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I like Tec-Nec, sold by Markertek.

April 9th, 2009, 03:49 PM	#7
Ayesha Khan Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: london, england Posts: 50	So... um... yeah... anyone in the UK with a handy link on hand? :D

April 9th, 2009, 04:12 PM	#8
Peter Ralph Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Denver/Vail Colorado Posts: 254	Dan - in the UK "Gaffer" is used by everyone to mean boss, and is used in film/theater as here - our use derives from theirs. "Sparks" means electrician. I never heard anyone but Kate Bush refer to gaffa.

April 10th, 2009, 03:18 AM	#9
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	What people use as gaffer tape variable in quality. The best stuff that I've come across in recent years is that supplied by Panavision and made by Scapa, although I expect other film industry suppliers sell the same brand. PANAVISION It's not cheap, but the rolls are quite large. A quick google found the manufacturers; Scapa - Home

April 10th, 2009, 10:13 AM	#11
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Gaffer tape can also be a verb, as in, "Gaffertape that cord down before some jerk trips over it." Duct tape leaves sticky crap all over your cords; gaffer tape does not. That's why it costs more.

April 14th, 2009, 10:04 AM	#13
Toenis Liivamaegi Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Tartu, Estonia Posts: 579	And still you can find lots of "Gaffa" from Welcome - U.K. International Cyberstore for really cheap if you ask me. As there is that "Cinefoil" too. T

July 4th, 2009, 04:02 PM	#14
Daniel Bates Regular Crew Join Date: May 2006 Location: Daegu, Korea Posts: 180	I'm resurrecting this thread in order to get this off my chest: Gaffer's tape is not duct tape. More specifically, Shurtape PC 622 is not gaffer's tape, and should not be sold as such. I'm going to Iraq tomorrow, and I packed a camera, lens, microphones, batteries, chargers, media, support solutions - everything BUT the gaffer's tape. A two-hour trip to Raleigh produced a hardware store advertising gaffer's tape for a local TV station - but alas, gaffer's tape it was not. Rant over, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

July 5th, 2009, 01:58 AM	#15
Bill Davis Trustee Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Scottsdale, AZ 85260 Posts: 1,538	I was always taught by my mentors that the only real true and authentic gaffers tape was Permacel 665. Sadly, the company was sold about 3 years back. Such angst was generated that the Film Tools web site even posted an obit... R.I.P. Permacel Gaffer Tape (1927-2007) The Filmtools Blog – Filmmaking Equipment & Industry News The Shurtape stuff, I think, is still being sold. YMM (clearly) V.