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Old 17 February 2018, 07:49 AM   #31
watchmavan
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I've bought, Toxic, Cindy, Omega, Strapcode, Watchgecko, Timfactors, Crown & Buckle, Phenome and others.

If thickness isn't an issue then ToxicNATO is the best. If thickness is an issue then Phenome Nato is the best.


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Old 17 February 2018, 05:04 PM   #32
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Exactly what I’m looking for, Eddie. Did that nato come with one keeper, or did you modify that too?


I snipped the keepers off with side cutters and cut off the piece that doubles under the case - again use a gas lighter the seal the cut
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Old 17 February 2018, 05:25 PM   #33
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I cut all my NATOs to make the tip just proud of the last keeper. I also cut off the bottom strap under the watch. I like it to sit lower on the wrist.

The best way to cut the strap...

- Mark the high spot where you want it to end.
- Use 2 quarters and a set of vice grips and clamp the strap between the quarters at the point you want to cut it.
- Use scissors to cut the strap as flush to the quarters as you can. Cut from one side, flip it over and cut some more. Get the fuzz off the end.
- While still clamped between the quarters, run a lighter along the edge and melt the end. You can use your finger to clean it up as it cools.

I found this gives a nice even curved end and the best 'melt' of the cut edge without over doing it.
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Old 17 February 2018, 05:42 PM   #34
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Omega and Tudor make the best Nato straps. For affordable great straps phoenix mod natos are very nice and tight weave.
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Old 17 February 2018, 06:37 PM   #35
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for those wanting a Nato with out the “Nato’ part, Timefactors makes an RAF spec strap.
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Old 18 February 2018, 03:24 PM   #36
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On Amazon they have a perlon nato made by Time+. This is probably the best of both worlds and although I have some extra perlon it folds easily into the metal buckle and doesn’t come out. It also doesn’t add any real bulk. I just wish it came in different colors
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Old 19 February 2018, 12:24 PM   #37
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Of all the different natos I’ve owned, I’ve never seen anything that comes close to Blu Shark
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Old 19 February 2018, 12:48 PM   #38
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$10 and works great if your toying around. I'd use the Rolex springbars on your watch. Depending on your wrist size, almost no excess.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LXOP6D3
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Old 19 February 2018, 01:29 PM   #39
RolexEDC
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Quote:
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Of all the different natos I’ve owned, I’ve never seen anything that comes close to Blu Shark
Blu shark makes a great NATO but the weak link is the buckle, it has spring bars on it, I took that off and purchase a cheap eBay NATO with a solid buckle.
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Old 19 February 2018, 01:42 PM   #40
enjoythemusic
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Why would a NATO use a buckle with springbars? Odd. Even the cheap $10 Amazon strap uses a secure solid buckle.
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Old 19 February 2018, 01:50 PM   #41
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I use a Maratac on my Casio Pathfinder, since I didn’t like the resin band it came on. It’s a great strap and a pretty decent buckle too.

Thank you for your service.
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Old 19 February 2018, 02:02 PM   #42
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I use 5 ring Zulu straps sold in Amazon by Strapcode. If you thread a 5 ring Zulu the”correct” way by locking the main strap in the double rings of the short strap, you will have very little extra strap left. This is also more secure than a regular Nato, because no stress is put on the spring bars, even if tension is put on the watch strap.
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Old 19 February 2018, 02:43 PM   #43
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This is prob what you are looking for. Use them on my seiko divers . Single pass, no end to be tucked


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+1 million.

These are the best.




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Old 19 February 2018, 02:45 PM   #44
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That’s good looking! Thanks for sharing but would you trust a $9 strap holding my $10,000 watch? I’m truly asking !


Yes. I've had them on $10k+ watches for years. No problems at all.



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Old 19 February 2018, 11:06 PM   #45
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That’s good looking! Thanks for sharing but would you trust a $9 strap holding my $10,000 watch? I’m truly asking !
Yes, any nato strap will be more secure than a bracelet. If either spring bar fails, you still have your watch. Many less potential failure points with a nato. Having said this, I have never had a strap OR bracelet failure with my dive watches that have seen lots of heavy use.
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Old 19 February 2018, 11:34 PM   #46
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Quote:
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If you thread a 5 ring Zulu the”correct” way by locking the main strap in the double rings of the short strap, you will have very little extra strap left.



Quote:
This is also more secure than a regular Nato, because no stress is put on the spring bars, even if tension is put on the watch strap.
Thank you for saying this! Yes, very true and feel an important point that may be missed from other 'designer' straps.
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Old 20 February 2018, 12:19 AM   #47
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Haveston Straps. End of story in my book.

Sliding keeper so you don’t have to fold. And not so long that you cut or tuck. Thick as hell and high quality buckles. Only ones I will wear now.


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Old 20 February 2018, 12:32 AM   #48
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Best Nato without excess fold on side

Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxglove View Post
+1 million.

These are the best.



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Indeed. It as strong as seatbelt fabric. Feels the same actually!! Mil spec


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Old 20 February 2018, 12:39 AM   #49
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Nothing beats the BB fabric straps imho!!!



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Old 20 February 2018, 06:32 AM   #50
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Yall are great! Thanks for the help
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Old 21 February 2018, 12:14 AM   #51
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Haveston Straps. End of story in my book.

Sliding keeper so you don’t have to fold. And not so long that you cut or tuck. Thick as hell and high quality buckles. Only ones I will wear now.


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I am glad you mentioned Haveston. They look great. Ordered a Navy Tri Color for my SDDS-DB. Will post a pic once I get it.


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Old 21 February 2018, 12:17 AM   #52
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I am glad you mentioned Haveston. They look great. Ordered a Navy Tri Color for my SDDS-DB. Will post a pic once I get it.


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You will not be disappointed. I promise.



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Old 23 February 2018, 01:51 PM   #53
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This is prob what you are looking for. Use them on my seiko divers . Single pass, no end to be tucked


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I second this brand. I have this exact brand, wore my SD for a year in AFG, daily, and still to this day, many moons after, with no issues. I would toss it in the wash every month, as sweaty wrists tend to funk after a while. I’d buy a few, to keep, because sometimes they won’t come back from the laundry point (they can get lost). I’d strap them to a belt loop and rarely had an issue. I think I lost one. Regarding security of the watch, never a concern. To be fair, I exclusively wear my SD on a NATO. I have a black, green, coyote, and gray. I wear the black the most. Amazon also sells a comparable brand, with the black clasp.
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Old 23 February 2018, 02:02 PM   #54
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I bought a regular strap and cut the strap on the back off .. works perfect ...
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Old 23 February 2018, 02:12 PM   #55
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Terry at ToxicNATOS, specifically the shiznit. Have it here on my ‘68 GMT and love it.
https://www.toxicnatos.com/products/toxic-herringbone




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Old 23 February 2018, 02:13 PM   #56
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Terry at ToxicNATOS, specifically the shiznit. Have it here on my ‘68 GMT and love it.
https://www.toxicnatos.com/products/toxic-herringbone




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Old 23 February 2018, 02:20 PM   #57
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First, thank you for your service. Stay safe out there.

Second, what's the motivation behind not wanting the foldover on the side? I've tried a few single pass NATOs (like the ones from Countycomm, which all appear to be sold out or unavailable at this time or from CheapestNATOstraps.com, which have comfort about par with their price) and I've always come back to my traditional Maratac NATOs (linked below). They're comfortable, they feel more secure than the single pass slip throughs, and they're well made--right in that comfort zone between "Is this too cheap to trust?" and "Is this too expensive for a piece of nylon?" I've tried going cheaper, I've tried going more expensive, I've tried BluShark, I've tried trimming, I've tried almost everything--but my Maratacs get more time than any other NATO. And, if I'm honest, the only one I've actually thought was better was the Tudor Black Bay NATO, and that won't fit the Submariner.

https://countycomm.com/collections/w...nt=27246282310

Here are the single pass CNS straps I mentioned as well:
https://www.cheapestnatostraps.com/c...al-nato-straps
(If you're under any kind of time constraint, don't bother; they take weeks and weeks to arrive in the States)
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Old 23 February 2018, 02:33 PM   #58
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The Eulit Palma above is a very good one - I have 3 of them. Also recommend Haveston NATO straps - they have a shorter overall length and a *sliding* end keeper that lets you wear the strap without tucking under, down to a wrist size of 16cm or so (mine is 17cm). Their best-looking models are the Carrier (an Instagram darling), the M-22, and the M1936.
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Old 23 February 2018, 02:53 PM   #59
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Hello group! I was wondering if yall could help me regarding a nato strap for my SubC.

I am about to deploy (again) with the Army and decided to bring a sub with me on the trip. I am hoping to pick up some nato straps similar to the "bond nato," except in 20mm. However, the issue I am having is the excess strap material that folds over on the side.

Are there any nato straps you would recommend that will secure my sub without the bulky fold over?

I appreciate the help!
Rangers Lead the Way!

Definitely look into Eriks’s Original straps ! The look of a cool nato and unmatched comfort.

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Old 23 February 2018, 09:21 PM   #60
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Definitely look into Eriks’s Original straps ! The look of a cool nato and unmatched comfort.





I have one of these for my Speedy Pro (I assume you mean Erika’s Original)... great strap but in the field I would be a tad worried about the stretchiness of the strap.


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