# What is this? Metal Strip with holes in it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238 "2017-05-10T00:16:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/21 "2017-05-10T14:40:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Hmm. I’ve only heard “plumber’s tape” in the context of TPFE thread sealing tape. Might be a regionalism. I believe what the OP is asking about I’ve heard of as plumber’s tape, what you’re talking about I’ve never heard called anything but teflon tape. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/22 "2017-05-10T15:27:07Z")
If you google-image search “plumber’s tape”, the results are about 50/50 pictures of teflon tape and hanger straps. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/23 "2017-05-11T18:31:06Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I believe what the OP is asking about I’ve heard of as plumber’s tape, what you’re talking about I’ve never heard called anything but teflon tape. To be pedantic (and legally correct), there’s no such thing as Teflon tape. Teflon is a trademark of Chemours (formerly DuPont), and there is no TPFE tape authorized to be sold under the Teflon name. Chemours [frowns on the use of the name Teflon tape](https://www.chemours.com/Teflon_Industrial/en_US/teflon_tape.html). ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/24 "2017-05-11T19:40:22Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > You should not have to worry much about water hammer from PEX > because it can flex, it tends to just absorb the jack hammering you might see loose copper pipes doing. Don’t plumbers install air dams anymore to prevent water hammers? ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/25 "2017-05-12T11:45:14Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Quick tip: they make it it copper as well as steel… That’s copper plated steel, not copper. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/26 "2017-05-12T12:57:22Z")
It’s not the sprocket edge from a super-heavy duty continuous feed dot matrix printer that uses metal paper? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/27 "2017-05-12T13:21:34Z")
> [@dcndc](#): > > it’s not the sprocket edge from a super-heavy duty continuous feed dot matrix printer that uses metal paper? **Bow down before Okidata Supreme!** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238/28 "2017-05-12T14:23:02Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Don’t plumbers install air dams anymore to prevent water hammers? Yes. But hammering can be unpredictable, especially over the years as the plumbing system is altered, repaired, pressure changes, etc. They have to be installed in the right place or they don’t do any good. Not that it matters for strap hangers, pipes still need to float, they should not be rigidly attached to the structure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-metal-strip-with-holes-in-it/786238.md?page=1)