It's still the original tape that's on there. Gaffer tape is cool because it doesn't leave duct tape like sticky residue. When old, and used, it tends to just lose it's stick, and come loose just like it is on the prop. I use gaffer tape all the time in photography, so I'm pretty familiar with it.
Hey @
scottjua ! I've been looking at gaffer tape this afternoon in anticipation of Anakin Starkiller's Spring 2018 V2 Run and comparing what's available in today's market to the tape on the V2, and I'm wondering if you or @
BAlinger15 would be kind enough to comment on the tape itself.
It looks like gaffer's tape comes in 1/2" widths from a few vendors and I'm curious to know if the tape on the V2 looks as though its width has been altered any? By that I mean that I'm wondering if the tape used on the V2 was trimmed down from a larger width roll of 1" or greater? Since I have no idea if tape manufacturers made gaffer tape in 1/2" widths back in the 1970's, I've been thinking the tape on the V2 (which looks like it may be 1/2" in width in the photos) may or may not have started out that wide.
I realize that the tape's width might be difficult to determine if gaffer tape is stretchy like electrical tape, but I'm completely unfamiliar with gaffer tape having never used or seen it in person. I'd love to hear your recollections on whether the tape had two smooth, straight edges, or one smooth straight edge and one frayed edge (like it'd been torn in half lengthwise), or maybe even one smooth, straight edge and one smooth but crooked edge (like it'd been cut in half lengthwise with scissors or a sharp knife).
The second question I have about the tape is its texture. Was the visible cloth of the tape very tightly woven? Did it look like smooth fabric like a bed sheet, or was the texture more pronounced like on a knitted blanket? Some of the online closeup photos of modern gaffer's tapes make the product look almost like a thin strip of asphalt, some look like duct tape or reinforced packing tape, and others look more like Gummed Linen Tape, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on which would be more accurate to the vintage original V2 tape.
The final question I have for you guys would be about the number of turns of the tape around the neck. Does the tape barely make one revolution around the neck, or is it several wrappings? Is the number of tape layers visible? If yes, how many?
I'm eager to begin collecting the odds and ends bits and materials for my V2 and this seems to be the only part not currently on backorder.:wacko HA!:lol Again, I'd love to hear all you can share about the tape in hopes of being better able to select an appropriate option for my replica. Anything and everything you can think to share, from "it looks like the finest Egyptian Cotton sheets at Bed Bath and Beyond" to "it has golden sand stuck underneath the loose end" and "grey clay-like smugdges of dirt" or whatever else is present on the real V2's tape that you remember and can pass along about it will be greatly appreciated!