We used to use a plasticy kind of woven tape; most likely a knock-off of Benotto (I am sure it came from K-Mart). Slippery when wet, and hard as steel.... I bet it lasted forever though since it didn't absorb any sweat (being plastic and all LOL). My family was never one to splurge and replace items that wore out or got nasty as they aged, and periodic replacement of bar tape would have been high on the list as unnecessary expenditures.