In the Middle East and Southern Asia, the firearm family of choice is without a doubt the AKM - and while decorating weapons of war is an absolutely ancient practice, the tape we're peddling allows you to carry out one of the most unique forms of firearms flair in history...
Taping a Kalashnikov with colorful PVC tape as a morale booster, personal identifier, and even heat dissipater has been a multi-decade-long tradition at the very least especially in parts of Afghanistan in Pakistan but has been seen in places like Yemen & Oman as well.
This newly-produced tape we sourced ourselves is completely authentic but may look or feel different than what you might have seen on the market before. We skipped the middleman and made a few tweaks: it's produced with a paper core to keep it from unraveling, has a slightly thicker & grippier texture that allows for ease of self-adhesion while wrapping, and like the originals it helps insulate against the notoriously hot Kalashnikov gas tubes. But of course, It still comes in all the classic colors and makes for an excellent "Sweetheart grip" overwrap.
Specs
Additional Notes:
To address the elephant in the room - we're avoiding using the original terminology for this tape on this page because our product, while authentic, is slightly improved in comparison to the other tape that's been widely available. We've chosen to remain neutral in the controversy attached to the original term used to describe this type of tape. The original term for this product, short for "Pakistani", was coined by US troops and others who saw the tape — unfortunately, in places like the UK and Sweden, the term is regarded as an offensive racial slur towards the people of Pakistan.
Always exercise caution around hot objects, even when using this tape. We use gloves while shooting to ensure our hands don't get burned by hot barrels or gas tubes. While the tape will insulate against heat, it's not a proven protective solution for fire retardancy or heat. We are not responsible for any burns caused by excessive heat or damage that the melting of the tape may cause.
Khyber Pass AK Tape
Whether it's decorating an AK for morale or for identification of a personal rifle in a pile of very similar rifles, the origin for how the tradition started is hazy, but it's been mostly seen in the middle east and parts of southern Asia.
Putting a personal artistic flair on your weapon has been a tradition as long as warfare has. Taping your firearm for utility or repair has been around as long as tape and firearms have been in the same place. Regardless, this tradition stands out both in practice and in looks.
Sanctioned military forces and guerilla units alike have wrapped their rifles with this tape as a means of identification, fixing cracked & broken wooden furniture, and to adhere the occasional "Sweetheart" to their magazine or grip.
It's now a beloved tradition by AK enthusiasts worldwide, even if its candied colors are a bit of an acquired taste...
Artistic expression in this way has always been a part of warfare, whether it's painting a beautiful lady on the side of a bomber or representing your unit with a badass patch.
We saw the appeal, rolled up our sleeves, and decided to get the authentic tape made for our store.
Many enthusiasts (us included) like to "clone" the builds by studying the few photos online of genuinely confiscated taped rifles, but the sky is truly the limit.
The tape has been seen on AKMs, Surplus Bolt-action rifles from the WW1, and even a fair share of weapons of the western world...
Before & after using our Khyber Tape on your favorite toy...
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St. Gosling
The "Babygirl" Buttstock
The Candied Krink
The PP-SH (Sweetie Heart)
Came as described, love how glossy the colors are, and glad I can now use it for decorating handles or for marking parts of home.
Just slap it on your tools. Now I’ve got a paki taped pipe wrench, hammer, vacuum, shovel…
nightmare flashbacks to where pakistani machine shops are just bead wielding axles together and it somehow fucking works
Got this for free with my order, thanks Kommando store! Unfortunately no idea what I'll do with it, but it seems like pretty good tape regardless. Very vibrant colours and plenty sticky, you'd almost think it was candy.
I will be using this for my work tools, pretty sturdy!
68, or whatever they said.
Very sticky and tape like
