You may be forgiven for thinking that there really is no need for a review of a sticky tape, it's a relatively cheap item which most people will have in their homes and, if not there, then in their offices. However, there are some important differences with this tape that might just make you go and look out for it when you are next in need of a roll of the sticky stuff.

What makes Scotch Magic Tape different from most other tapes is, well, almost everything.

For a start it's a matt tape, not shiney and it blends into the background very well. It claims to be invisible, a claim that I would dispute, but, on all but the shiniest of wrapping papers it is fairly unobtrusive and certainly more unobtrusive than regular sellotape. Aside from looking good when used to wrap presents this makes it the ideal tape for mending books and, like professional book tape and unlike regular sellotape the tape will not discolour or decay leaving marks on your books. If you need to stick something to photocopy it, the tape will not ghost and show up on the copy.

For me, the other star quality of this tape is the fact that it can be repositioned. We all know how frustrating it is when you catch regular sellotape against the paper and it's in slightly the wrong place. We've all, I'm sure, agonised, tongue poking out of the corner of our mouths, trying to remove the tape with varying degrees of success. No more a problem. Magic Tape can be repositioned and restuck multiple times. This makes it ideal for craft works, particularly mounting, where precision matters.

Another feature of the tape is that you can write on it with a standard pencil or biro. Not something you'd want to do everyday, granted, but useful if, say, you want to write a note on something without marking it but want a little more permanance than, say, a post-it-note.

I have found the hold on this tape to be excellent and certainly comparable to regular sellotape. You do have to ensure that the tape is sealed firmly to the paper to acheive this hold as it is less sticky than regular tape but that's just a matter of running your fingers across the tape.

Dispensing the tape can be a bit of an issue and, if you can get a dispenser I would recommend it. The tape is thinner than regular tape and has a tendency to split when you pick it from the reel. It's easy to break the tape when you have the required amount although again, if you want a straight edge then use scissors as it may well tear.

I would heartily recommend this tape and use it in preference to regular tape for most uses. It can be found in most stationers and post offices and the last pack I bought (in June 07) retailed at £1.99 with a dispenser. It compares favourably to branded tapes and has many advantages. It's obviously not as cheap as non-branded tapes (of the 5 reels for £1) type) but is far superior in my opinion.