biscuitfarmer's Full Review: Alliance Pale Crepe Gold Rubber Bands
Normally when you think of rubber bands, you don't really think of an item that has all that many uses or even consider it an item that would have all that much to say about it. I however, beg to differ. Upon receiving my box of rubber bands from Office Max today, apparently size 10, whatever that means, I decided that I could figure out something to do with them above and beyond just normal uses. My actual purpose for purchasing them was for a rubber band gun that I have had since I was a young child. I realized that we have like four rubber bands in the entire house, and I just needed something to do while my son was sleeping.
Definition
An elastic loop of natural or synthetic rubber used to hold objects together. Also called Regional gum band.
NOUN
http://www.bartleby.com/61/25/R0332500.html
History
The rubber band actually has a pretty long history. While the process of using rubber in the current state rubber bands are in was developed by Charles Goodyear in 1844, rubber bands were first created by Stephen Perry of London on March 17, 1845. They were developed by the company, which Perry owned called the Messers, Perry and Co.
http://www.inventors.com
How Alliance Rubber Bands are Made
Rubber bands are made by mixing all of the ingredients together just like you would while cooking anything else. Once everything is added into the mix, such as the actual coloring for the rubber band, the rubber obviously, and other ingredients, sulfur is added to the fix. The sulfur is the active ingredient which causes the rubber molecules to bond together in a long chain. This chemical process is called Vulcanization.
The mixture is then poured into a large mixer that heats the bands up to 250 degrees during the mixing process. After they reach that temperature, they are rolled out, allowed to cool and cut into thin bands of rubber.
http://www.rubberband.com/about/how.asp
Texture of ALLIANCE RUBBER BANDS
I'm not sure why I noticed, but the rubber bands, created by the Alliance company happen to be some of the smoothest rubber bands I have ever had the pleasure of feeling. Looking at the packaging that comes with the rubber bands, they are softer, because of their "soft-stretch" technology. Not sure exactly what that means, however, these are by far the softest rubber bands on the market.
The Taste test of Alliance Rubber Bands
Unfortunately, the familiar problem with rubber bands is that after using them for a while, your hands begin to smell and taste like them. Unfortunately the rubber band taste isn't one that you can get rid of all that easily. Which would be so bad, as long as you avoid eating finger foods such as chips, where you are normally going to lick your fingers after eating them.
While the taste is somewhat milder than that, which I normally associate with other brands of rubber bands, it is still somewhat noticeable and still quite disgusting. My suggestion is to wear gloves if you plan on handling these bands on a regular basis or in numerous quantities.
Consistency of Size, Shape, and Stretch
I have noticed that there has obviously been a great deal of time taken in order to develop a manufacturing process that allows these rubber bands to be developed so that they are all virtually the same length, stretch the same, and are of the same shape and size. If you hold the rubber bands up to each other, everything from their color to their shape is an exact replica of one another. Even the distance that they will stretch is virtually identical. This just goes to show that the process developed for these rubber bands is extremely consistent and thorough.
Alliance Rubber Band Strength and Durability
While I haven't had the rubber bands all that long, I have found them to hold their stretch for long periods of time and return to their original shape, even with a lot of wear and tear. Even repeated use of them in a rubber band gun, doesn't seem to affect them and they are still essentially as strong as they were at time of purchase.
I would have to guestimate that these rubber bands could be used for quite some time before they would even start to show signs of wear. They are definitely well made, solid rubber bands. Not the cheap ones that you find around work or get with your newspaper. These are solid strips that hold together extremely well.
Product Uses
While I can't go into all of the details of uses for rubber bands, I will highlight some of the more exciting and uh useful uses for the product. If you have to know more, just email me and I'd be more than happy to discuss rubber band usage with you one on one.
Rolled up newspaper holder - If it wasn't for rubber bands, then you couldn't keep a newspaper rolled up quite so easily.
Rubber Band Gun - These traditional weapons, which all neighborhood cats fear, are always a lot of fun. I have found one that is much better than the standard rubber band gun however.... http://www.backyardartillery.com/machinegun/ This is a 12 barrel wooden rubber band terror, that holds 12 rubber bands per barrel for a total of 144 bands. These bands are shot off in such rapid succession, that by the time the handle is pulled all the way around, all 144 bands will be expelled.
Rubber Band Ball - Then there are the great rubber band balls, which can be a lot of fun and make rubber band collecting quite exciting. While I don't know or really care how big the largest is, I'd say that one the size of a http://rubberbandball.5u.com/ is pretty good.
Rubber band warfare - Now there are some things that take rubber bands just a little too far, for example, http://hometown.aol.com/morganbolt/index.html?f=fs. Maybe even websites devoted to rubber band warfare or groups that are dedicated to using a website for rubber band warfare.
Rubber Band Submarine - What was that song, "We all live in a Rubber Band Submarine?" Well, apparently, you could very well build a http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_build_a_submarine.htm
Rubber Bands in the News
Of course we can't forget that rubber bands are sometimes in the news. While we can't always have the best of news, I guess, sometimes an entire school can be held hostage by http://sptimes.com/2004/12/25/Floridian/Rubbery_weapons_stret.shtml
Sometimes of course, people even take the time to talk about rubber bands on http://boards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=75404493&replies=7&ui=cb_post_02
Overview
Rubber bands have a large variety of uses and have become an American business staple over the years. The Alliance brand however, seem to have some of the smoothest most durable rubber bands I have ever had the courtesy to fling around. These bands obviously created with quality in mind and serve their many purposes more than effectively.
Rubber bands offer extremely high crepe rubber content, ensuring maximum count per pound. High rubber content contributes to the excellent tensile str...More at Discount Office Items
DETAILS: The crepe rubber content is extremely high, ensuring maximum count per pound. High rubber content contributes to the excellent tensile streng...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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