Original 40s era harnesses used what most call electrical tape (not the cheap hard/stiff plastic stuff.. more like but the better 3M stuff). Friction tape was supplied in the spare parts box/bag as an emergency repair tool. Harnesses evolved from all braided, to a mix of mostly taped with cloth sleeves as wear/exposed points.
Braiding a harness is a fairly slow process. Taping is much faster.
