softest ive found are the braided ones. if you want to soften the others up, try sticking them in the washing machine - attach them to a jeans belt loop or something so they dont get stuck in the machine
Hi mates,
I've got myself quite a few NATOs, however only a couple of them are really comfortable to wear (e.g. Eddie's SB3 strap is very soft).
Could you please recommend me some other choices and where to find them?
Cheers,
Wooster
softest ive found are the braided ones. if you want to soften the others up, try sticking them in the washing machine - attach them to a jeans belt loop or something so they dont get stuck in the machine
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
been looking for a braided 22-24mm one have you got a link :DOriginally Posted by seikopath
theres a swedish dealer, havnt got the link but im sure someone will be along shortly, also i think theres an ebay seller - maybe watchadoo from memory but i might be wrong
Good luck everybody. Have a good one.
There are a lot of cheap and nasty Natos out there. There are also problems with the stitching and gluing and heat sealing. And then there are problems with buckle quality, etc ... Stick to Eddie's. His Bond Nato is the best Nato on the planet.Originally Posted by Wooster
The problem with braided is that you don't want them too soft otherwise the watch is going to flop like a dead fish.
The Swedish braided ones are ok but the buckles are cheap.
john
Costume jewellery. Ouch!!!
This is the Swedish dealer that Mr 'Path was talking about:
http://www.singularstraps.se/shop/nato-flatat-svart-20/
I've come to the seemingly perverse conclusion that the hard MOD style NATOs are the most comfortable. Because they are so thin there is less of a lump unbalance things. They are also semi rigid so once they have moulded to your watch and your wrist the fit like a well broken in shoe. Soft NATOs seem to expand and contract with heat and moisture so can tighten or loosen noticeably over over the course of a day. For me not noticing your strap is the true sign of comfort.
They are round £6 on E-bay too so soft on your pocket as well.
I have to say that Time Factors are the best I've found. Repeated use in sea water is a tough test on NATOs, the exposure to salt hardens up most straps and the temperature variations I work in can cause significant changes: in both of these repeated conditions the TF ones have fared the best.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
That's an interesting observation, and I've noticed it myself. I have a couple of MoD natos that came in on trade watches. The rest of mine are TF natos, except for one from TSS that may be arriving today. The stiff ones aren't as comfy when you first put them on, and the buckle holes are a bit scratchy, but as you say they don't expand so if they're right to begin with they stay that way. Actually for my wrist, the TF Speedbird nato is the most comfy. It's stiffer than Eddie's current natos, but a lot better made, IMO, than the cheaper ones. I'm curious to see this TSS one when it comes in. I bought it because I like the dark shade of grey.Originally Posted by raysablade
Cheers,
Bruce
Well the TSS Nato arrived this morning. It's decidedly better quality than the cheap Natos I have. Looks pretty good on this Pulsar
It's stiffer than the TF Natos, but not as stiff and uncomfortable as the cheaper ones. Holes are a bit scratchy. HW is OK. Very good service from TSS. Bottom line, I think I'll stick with TF. :D
Sure wish TF made a darker grey though.
Cheers,
Bruce
Eddie will oblige if you commit to buy 5,000 straps from him. :wink:Originally Posted by BruceS
F.T.F.A.
LOL yep. :lol:Originally Posted by magirus
Sounds like Eddie's Natos are the best choice, so I think I might as well stick to them. I would have enjoyed to get them in a few more color choices and patterns... it's good though that he does not strictly share the Ford T philosophy :)
I have just ordered another 3 straps from the guy on ecrater who supplied my pink and black strap. Very good quality and a good alternative if you want different colours. I will update my comparitive NATO review in the reviews section when received if the quality is consistent.
Ditto.Originally Posted by raysablade
Eddie's first run of Speedbird straps were very tightly woven and hard wearing. I preferred those to the later batches.
Originally Posted by BruceS
Yeah - I found that out when I got a hankering for a burnt orange one.
Still, I'm sure that dark grey would be a huge hit. Maybe we could get everyone on the forum to agree to buy one to make it worth Eddie's while? A sort of forum-exclusive Ltd Edition job?!!