Haveston canvas straps - long term durability test

[Eddiex]

Sorry, I don't have one of those straps. The stated thickness of these straps on the Haveston website is 1.5mm, but my 5 20mm versions range between 1.69mm and 1.89mm, so an actual 1.5mm might well fit on. These differences may seem small, but changing from 1.8mm springbars to 1.5mm meant the 22mm versions will fit on my 40mm Everest without resorting to curved bars. The 20mm Bakelite-F version is the thinnest of this size, yet is also noticeably stiffer, no two are exactly alike. The measurements were taken using a Mitutoyo digital instrument so I'm confident they are accurate.

Thanks - I'll give them I miss I think. I'm wearing my CWC Diver on a Zuludiver pull through strap which I prefer for comfort (compared to the double layer of strap that comes with wearing a NATO).

I might have a look at an Erika's or similar as you seem to be able to configure those so that you can avoid the 'double strap' situation under the head of the watch.

[magirus]

Thanks - I'll give them I miss I think. I'm wearing my CWC Diver on a Zuludiver pull through strap which I prefer for comfort (compared to the double layer of strap that comes with wearing a NATO).

I might have a look at an Erika's or similar as you seem to be able to configure those so that you can avoid the 'double strap' situation under the head of the watch.

You can always remove the "extra bit" from a standard Nato to convert it to single pass through style.







Then, with a dab or two of glue and couple of stitches, the bit you removed can be made into a matching accessory for the combo. ;-)



It's also easy to further alter your now pass through style Nato to the Haveston sliding keeper style. I use two pairs of pliers, jaws taped to avoid marking the metal. Gripping the sides of the keeper second from the buckle, as far down as as you can, carefully pull and spread the join in the keeper, which is hidden in it's stitched sleeve. Just do a little at a time until you have spread it enough to be able to remove it. Close the gap and refit. You need to take care when removing the strap from the watch as it can slide off and be lost. If it moves when being worn press the ends of the join in, and this will tighten the gap. The whole process can be reversed, although this is a little more difficult.

Before and after.



Fastened.

[Eddiex]

Good tip! I had read about cutting the extra piece off from the NATO strap but had not thought about making the second keeper into a sliding one. I'll give that a go on one of my old ones.

[magirus]

I've worn and washed the Bakelite-F enough now to be very happy with the canvas keepers. So happy in fact that I ordered another, along with another M-1944C, also with canvas keepers (although metal versions are still in stock until they are all gone). I got another one of each because I now can't decide which of these two colours I like best, so I thought a couple of spares would be handy to tuck away in case either is discontinued. ;-)



PS. Those keepers haven't faded as much as it appears, it's just the way the light caught them.

[magirus]

I just unpacked the new canvas keepered M-1944C to try on the DA37 I'm wearing at the moment, and it stuck out like a sore thumb that the keepers are wider than on the Bakelite-F that's coming off. A quick measurement with the trusty Mitutoyo shows a 1mm difference, 6mm vs 7mm. I also bought another Bakelite-F as a spare, so I'll unpack it tomorrow to measure it and take some shots in natural light. These straps do shrink a smidge with repeated wear and washing, but not that much. The strap width it'self is spot on 20mm. I think I'll mail Alex next week to ask about this. Apologies for the harsh light . . .

[barbusg60]

Same strap, different watch.

Hi all, just been reading this thread and I’m thinking of trying a couple of these, can anyone please tell me which colour this is?
Thanks in advance,
Rob

[magirus]

That's an M-1918C, albeit nicely faded.

Here not so faded . . .

[barbusg60]

That's an M-1918C, albeit nicely faded.

Here not so faded . . .

Thank you, I thought it was but it’s quite a bit lighter so was wondering if it was an older model no longer made.
Cheers,
Rob

[magirus]

Here's a look at how the straps have faded after a good bit of wear and washing. The top 2 are M-1944Cs, unworn and then faded, then a pair of Bakelite-Fs unworn/faded, followed by a Forecastle, M-1918C (a little lighter than it actually is) and A-12 (a little darker than it actually is). The Bakelite has hardly had time to fade as I haven't had it that long and not worn it as much as the others. What pleases me is that what I thought might be a weak point, ie. the stitching around the tang holes, has been no problem whatsoever. These are all 20mm, the 22mm versions which are older have fared the same.

[barbusg60]

Here's a look at how the straps have faded after a good bit of wear and washing. The top 2 are M-1944Cs, unworn and then faded, then a pair of Bakelite-Fs unworn/faded, followed by a Forecastle, M-1918C (a little lighter than it actually is) and A-12 (a little darker than it actually is). The Bakelite has hardly had time to fade as I haven't had it that long and not worn it as much as the others. What pleases me is that what I thought might be a weak point, ie. the stitching around the tang holes, has been no problem whatsoever. These are all 20mm, the 22mm versions which are older have fared the same.

Great pic, thanks.
I’ve just sold the watch I was interested in these for but when I find the next one I will definitely be getting a selection.
They’re a fair price too

[magirus]

Great pic, thanks.
I’ve just sold the watch I was interested in these for but when I find the next one I will definitely be getting a selection.
They’re a fair price too

Trust me, the price belies their quality, and that goes for the nylon Havestons too . . .

[MurrayMint]

Based on this thread I bought a couple of Haveston straps. I have looked at them previously but because of all the US military references and the fact that the website was in dollars, I didn't realise they were based in the UK.

I went for the M-1944 green canvas, with canvas keepers and an M-1936 single pass layout.

I had a canvas strap a long time ago from Eddie, but that was fairly cheap and had a cardboard structure if I recall correctly. The Haveston one seems much better quality, and I assume it is canvas all the way down. I've not had any problems fitting the canvas strap through the spring bar gap on my CWC. It's tighter than a regular NATO, but not unduly so.

I like the floating keeper on the canvas, although less so on the nylon strap, which has metal keepers and it tends to slip more easily. Also because my wrists are relatively small, I have a long tail, which the floating metal keeper doesn't quite reach.

I've been alternating, but I think I like the canvas one the most, and I will probably be ordering the black canvas at some point soon as well.

As we all like photos

[MurrayMint]

For those of you that have a canvas Forecastle, is it grey or is blue-grey?

[Eddiex]

I went for the M-1944 green canvas, with canvas keepers and an M-1936 single pass layout.

I have a M-1936 single pass which I use on my CWC Divers and I agree - it looks good on the watch but the metal keeper does move about a bit.

Does the canvas strap make the watch wear too high on your wrist?

[brummie64]

For those of you that have a canvas Forecastle, is it grey or is blue-grey?

Grey.

[magirus]

For those of you that have a canvas Forecastle, is it grey or is blue-grey?

As stated, grey, but the stitching has a blueish tint which becomes more apparent and contrasted as the strap fades.

Here for comparison faded 20mm and much less faded 22mm (although it's catching up now).

I have a M-1936 single pass which I use on my CWC Divers and I agree - it looks good on the watch but the metal keeper does move about a bit.

Does the canvas strap make the watch wear too high on your wrist?

To stop the keeper moving bend in the two ends where the metal meets in between the two layers of canvas. Just a touch with needle pliers, do each end individually and put something flat across the outside of the keeper to stop the pliers bowing it in. The canvas is nicely pliable, and this along with the single pass style keeps the watch low to the wrist.

[MurrayMint]

Does the canvas strap make the watch wear too high on your wrist?

No. The canvas is thicker than a NATO, but it isn't noticeable on the wrist.

Grey.

As stated, grey, but the stitching has a blueish tint which becomes more apparent and contrasted as the strap fades.

Thanks. Probably grey and black for my next order. Although the bakelite is tempting.

[magirus]

Whilst washing these straps regularly will cause them to fade nicely, exposure to light also has a pronounced effect. Look at this just taken picture of my M-1918C. Moving down from the buckle there's @ 5cm of a darker shade, which changes to lighter for @ 3cm (bisected by the line of stitching) then another 5cm of darker (the part that sits under the watch head) then the rest is light again. All corresponding with what's covered/exposed when the strap is worn. So it seems that exposure to sunlight has a fair effect on fading this material. The fade pattern is just the same on my others but not as apparent, this strap on my DA37 is my light coloured "sunny day" combo! It's also worth noting that my main concern about canvas straps, ie. the longevity of the tang hole stitching, has been a complete non-issue. I've had this strap for 11 months now and worn it a fair bit.

[magirus]

The black example was a bit softer than the rest from new, and is really soft and comfy now. However black doesn't fade as gracefully as the other shades IMHO, so I'm going to get hold of a fabric dye and see what can be done.

[crazyp]

The black example was a bit softer than the rest from new, and is really soft and comfy now. However black doesn't fade as gracefully as the other shades IMHO, so I'm going to get hold of a fabric dye and see what can be done.

This unfortunately does not surprise me - black dyes are in my opinion usually naff on most things. Good luck with the re-dye!

[magirus]

Well, got the A-12 dyed. The cost was £3 for the dye as shown in post #119. I used the lot in a much greater concentration than the instructions called for, with hindsight I'll probably use a quarter of the contents (it's a powder), I had to rinse and wash it quite a few times before the water ran clear. Next attempt will be the M-1918C going brown once a replacement arrives. Any road up, it did the trick. Let's see how long the colour lasts.

Before . . .





After . . .

[worldwidewebs]

Thanks for posting up your experiences - I've just placed an order for an A-12 :)

[magirus]

Thanks for posting up your experiences - I've just placed an order for an A-12 :)

Look forward to your thoughts as it wears, more info for potential owners.

[magirus]

Just gave the A-12 a good hot wash after sitting for a couple of days, just to make sure there's no chance of any colour bleeding out when it gets hot and sweaty, and no problems.

[magirus]

Nice and dry and back on a watch . . .

[magirus]

The recently dyed A-12 has been worn and washed a couple of times with zero colour leaking when washed, still looking nice and black.

[magirus]

Well, it's been all 18mm for quite a few weeks as the new PRS-68 has been such a lovely thing to wear, along with the Haveston storage and 18mm canvas splurge.



















Before that I was wearing the Damaskos so it was all 20mm for a long time. Now that the 40mm Everest has gone I only have the one watch to use my 22mm straps on, so time for a change for at least a couple of days as the PRS-68 winds down to see how it's power reserve measures up to the claimed 50hrs.

[tvralan]

Still going strong. And softening up nicely

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[magirus]

Still going strong. And softening up nicely

Thanks for contributing Alan, looking good there! My 20mm Forecastle is looking very faded now, in a nice way, as you can see in this comparison shot with a much less used 22mm, from last October.

[magirus]

Thus inspired, I got out the DA37, set it and fitted the Forecastle.

[magirus]

Just changed the Forecastle for an M-1918C, I'm using a fresh strap each day in these warm conditions. Here's a quicky of it alongside the spare I received last week to show how nicely faded these straps become. That said, I'd be equally happy if they didn't fade! ;-)

[gerrudd]

Both look great.

[tvralan]

Flightdeck works well with the blue dial?

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[magirus]

Flightdeck works well with the blue dial?

Matches it beautifully Alan. I've been considering the 2 blue shades recently, and whilst the 4 colours I have could be dubbed the "Fab Four" perhaps it's time for the "Famous Five"? ;-)

[tvralan]

Freshly washed and fitted to the watch that started this crazy hobby.

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[magirus]

Freshly washed and fitted to the watch that started this crazy hobby.

By chance it was also a CWC that brought me to this place! Any chance of a picture taken off the wrist to show more of the strap Alan? It'll show the fading better.

[tvralan]

Very difficult to photograph Bob.
Hopefully this gives you an idea

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[magirus]

Thank you Alan. I agree that it's not easy to get the shades just right in these shots, but your images are just what I wanted.

[magirus]

I've been wearing the 18mm straps almost exclusively for weeks since the PRS-68 arrived, and the 20mm versions before that, so high time to extract some 22mm from the vault! Only one to wear them on now that the 40mm Everest has gone to a new home locally . . .


The very first I bought, unused from a WTB here, now buttery soft. The stitching around the tang holes is still perfect . . .

[magirus]

Well, that soon became all sweated up pottering about outside in the hot sun today. Time to wash it and all change . . .





Edited to change picture from older shot to one showing a more accurate colour for the well laundered strap.

[magirus]

Just changed the A12 I had on the DC56 for the Flight Deck that arrived earlier. Gave the A12 a wash and it's still as black as tar, that Dylon dye works very well. It'll be interesting to see how the two shades of blue age, especially the darker navy blue of the Flight Deck. Not a problem of course because if either go the same way as the A12 I'll just re-dye them.

[magirus]

That's the A12 well washed 4 days in a row and still holding the colour from the Dylon with no leeching in fairly hot soapy water, dye with confidence!

[magirus]

The Flight Deck had it's first wash earlier. I've already had a look at the available dye colours from Dylon and unsurprisingly the Navy Blue they do looks good. I'm not sure if I'll also use that on the Quarter Deck if it needs re-dying, there's an Ocean Blue that looks good. The Flight Deck was really sweaty after a walk into town yesterday, the humidity was really high.

[magirus]

Another couple of washes for the A12 this week and still no sign of any colour fading. These Dylon dyes really are good.

[magirus]

A sweaty hour on the turbo earlier, so stuck the A12 on the DC56 for the duration. It's drying right now, but I've come to expect no fading now.

[tvralan]

Had the sub on a sail cloth all week.
Very uncomfortable.
Put back on the Haveston - aka a pair of slippers!

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[magirus]

Had the sub on a sail cloth all week. Very uncomfortable.
Put back on the Haveston - aka a pair of slippers!

A good looking combination Alan. Interesting that you fit the strap the "other way around".

[magirus]

First wash for the 22mm Flight Deck earlier after a longish sweaty ramble. Dried and back on the Voyager (the only 22mm lugged watch I have now) . . .

[xxnick1975]

Some great pics on this thread

[Dave E]

Two new arrivals today: 22mm Forecastle with PVD fittings on my Casioak (with Jay and Kay adaptors) and a Flight Deck on my white-dialled Everest.



Quite happy with both looks. The Forecastle with PVD suits the Casio exactly how I wanted it to, and I quite like a blue strap on the Everest (I've worn it a fair bit with one of Eddie's blue canvas straps that he used to do).