Leather NATO straps

A word of caution about ´Nato´ straps.
This G10 design was intended for use in combination with fixed bars.
Therefor it is a pull-through design and the stress put on the bars is of no consequence as those are solidly attached to the lugs.
Springbars are not designed to cope with the stress this type of strap puts on them.
In leather the strap is thicker, making matters worse.

It is no coïncidance that many a G10 strap user comments that they were lucky to have the G10 desing as their ´Nato´ retained a dangling watch head; the strap was the cause that the springbar gave up in the first place.

So; be aware that the pull-through design is intended for fixed bars and that springbars are not meant to take the stress it puts on bars.

HansA. said:

What kind of stress do you mean that single piece type straps exerts on attachment bars/pins? I can think that the direction is more downwards with this type of straps than the more regular sideways stress that 2 pieces straps exert. I can imagine that a single piece strap that's too thick to be fitted can cause additional unnecessary pressure on the bars.

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The direction of the force makes no difference. The effect on the springbar is the same wether it is pulled down or outwards.
The way the G10 is designed, with one end ´floating´ on the strap itself the pull is mainly on óne bar whereas with a normal 2-piece strap the force would be devided over both.
There should be no marked difference with a simple non G10/Nato pull-through strap.

Indeed a thicker pull-through strap put more stress on the bar unlike a thicker 2-piece band in which case it has no effect.

This noted it should be observed that good quality springbars are pretty strong and should give little problems. Cheap ones should be avoided.
Also the springbar ends seat better in drilled through lug holes and are thus more resistant.

Yes, the nylon strands pulling at the shoulder are an issue. I did not mention is as the topic was about leather.

The drilled lugs in general do not limit the extention of the springbars to their max. wheras many closed ones do.

The G10 has one end of the stap ending in a ring trough which the strap is pulled. This is the end taking all the stress and because of this and the resulting steeper angle of the strap on the springbar that is loaded far more the springbar at that end is the most likey to be pulled from it´s hole especially if that seats the bar less than max. deep.

No reason not to use a G10 design strap WHEN in combination with good quality springbars AND provided those can extend well into the lug holes.