Steve Laughlin
3T WIS
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Here is my Sea Devil on an "Italian Rubber" NBR Strap. This is a genuine vulcanized (NBR) rubber strap that is not made from Silicone and does not attract lint and dirt. It is ridgid when it is new, but it does break in over time and becomes very soft and flexible. I submerged mine in near boiling water to accelerate the break in and give it more curve. As far as rubber goes, NBR is the best. I wrote a long post a while back on another forum discussing the difference between Silicone, NBR, Natural Rubber, and Seiko's Urethane plastic straps, It is educational for those confused about rubber and I even got feedback from Bill Yao of MKII Watches on that post, but his comments have recently been removed... I think he was giving too many secrets away. I will post my research below the photos for anyone interested in what rubber straps are made of... Thanks, Steve
also the buckle is an upgrade, screw in 22mm from waccex in Germany. Very nice buckle that fits perfectly with the strap.
--RUBBER STRAPS RESEARCHED--
ok, I like you, are obsessive. I want a good rubber strap and will pay good money for one, but this is what I have discovered.
1. I don't like Silicone, it is sticky and picks up lint and dust... literally sucks it out of the air. It is sticky on the wrist and not very comfortable in my opinion.
2. I have a so-called Natural rubber strap from Marathon, and it does not pick up lint, and it is very comfortable. but try finding another manufacture that makes natural rubber!!! I found 1, MKII has natural rubber in 20mm and 22mm, great! but what about 24mm! no one.
3. I found this so-called Italian Rubber? which some sites call natural rubber, and some sites call Silicone. The price ranges from $10.00 - $30.00 and I don't trust that this is Natural Rubber, I believe it is Silicone with a marketing spin. I ordered a "Italian Rubber" from one site and got it last week and it is indeed Silicone, it looks good when you open it, but within seconds it is grey with lint and dust. unacceptable for me.
4. last night I found something called NBR Rubber / "Italian Rubber". This sounds more legitimate because they are not claiming natural rubber, and they say it is the best rubber available for straps and it is around $30.00, so I ordered it and am hoping this is what I am looking for.
I looked up NBR... Nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) is a family of unsaturated copolymers of 2-propenenitrile and various butadiene monomers (1,2-butadiene and 1,3-butadiene). There is no Silicone in the ingredient, but it is not called "Natural Rubber", which makes me wonder a few things...
A. Are the straps people claiming as "natural rubber" actually NBR Rubber?
B. Why aren't more manufactures using NBR instead of Silicone? if NBR is actually the best rubber available for straps (there is only 1 style I have found online for an NBR Rubber strap)
C. Should I get into the rubber business and manufacture my own dive straps to solve what I consider to be problems?
I will have my NBR Strap in a week or so and be selling of my Silicone straps at a very cheap price. I would like any insight into this if you have any. And I would really like to know where Bill Yao gets his "Natural Rubber" Straps from Switzerland. I wonder if they make a 24mm? Bill?
Steve Laughlin
Kansas USA
Bill's reply was basically that I was right, NBR is the best, it is also called "Vulcanized Rubber" and all rubber is treated or created some how, there is nothing "Natural" as far as pure rubber from the tree or anything. Also he would not tell me where he gets his awesome straps made... somewhere in Switzerland is all I know.
***also- don't be confused! this same strap mold is also made in Silicone and sold at a cheaper price. there is a way to tell the difference. The NBR strap has 1 strap keeper, the silicone version comes with 2 keepers. both are advertised as "Italian Rubber" on some websites, but only the NBR is Italian made, the silicone I believe is from China.Last edited on Thu Mar 26th, 2009 11:24 am by Steve Laughlin
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...the Devil looks great on the NBR and is cool that the supplier is a 3T friend as well hand6.gif
