Source for shock cord

[draaven]

Hey guys... Anybody have a good source for shock chord? I pretty much need all military colors. It seems like desert sand or tan is the hardest to find. Thanks!

[TwoWayTrauma]

I'm assuming that you mean elastic cord.  I've heard people refer to 550 cord, or paracord, as shock cord, which is why I said that.

For 1/8th inch cord, I have bought this recently:
http://www.rockywoods.com/Hardware-Zippers/Cord-And-Cord-Locks/1-8-Elastic-Draw-Cord-Olive-Drab

Rockywoods website isn't the best, but their customer service is top notch.  They also have OD.  They also offer a good variety of sizes, here is their "cord" page:
http://www.rockywoods.com/Hardware-Zippers/Cord-And-Cord-Locks

Mil spec monkey appears to have some cheaper stuff at the moment:
http://milspecmonkey.com/store/hardware-diy/347-shock-cord.html

If you don't see what you need, just give them a call and ask.

Mil spec Monkey's shipping algorithm is kind of screwy.  I bought some positive locking cord from them a while ago, and I found out that it was cheaper to have packages of 20 yards shipped individually rather than shipping them all together, so you may want to experiment with the quantity and shipping estimate to save a few bucks.  I got some of their tan shock cord along as part of their ITW Web Dominator Kits (http://milspecmonkey.com/store/hardware-diy/127-itw-web-dominator.html), and actually used it for mag pouches instead of for the web dominator.  It seemed to be of decent quality.

Jonnty looks to have the least competitive pricing, while requiring the highest quantity.  I have never bought this shock cord, but have bought a ton of webbing from Jontay, and always been satisfied.

Here is their elastic cord page
http://store.jontay.com/18-inch_diameter_elastic_cord.aspx

In summary, Jontay looks to be the best option if you are needing 500 feet plus (around $0.14 per foot, plus 5% off and free shipping for orders over $100, coupon code is on their home page).  Their customer service is very good, and they have a decent selection of colors.  Milspec monkey seems to be the cheapest option ($0.133 per foot) for small quantities with the most colors, but worst customer service.  Rocky woods seems to be the most expensive ($0.263 per foot for 1/8 inch tan), but they have the most size options, and their customer service is great.

I guess it depends on what size you are looking for, how fast you need it, and how much you want to support businesses that respect their customers.

Chuck
www.twowaytrauma.com

[draaven]

Yes, shock cord/elastic cord; not para cord. I have found all the colors I need now except the light sand color. Thanks for all the info. Seems like everybody carries the main colors: black, OD green, foliage, and coyote brown, but no light sand color.

Any more ideas?

[TwoWayTrauma]

The whole "which tan is tan" thing has been a thorn in my side for while.  For most of my customers, if something looks tan, it's good, but there a lot of different types of tan.  There is desert sand, desert tan, coyote tan, coyote brown, taupe, beige, flat dark earth, marine coyote 499, something with a 498 designation, and probably 20 other ones.

It's difficult, because colors over a computer monitor are displayed differently based on different monitor settings, room lighting, etc.  Making it even more difficult is the fact that we are talking about textiles, and specifically narrow textiles which are very textured, leading people to perceive colors differently. 

If you send me a photo of what you are looking for, I will check out my local fabric shop, which is geared toward industrial manufacturing.  They have (non mil spec) elastic cord in the whole "ROYGBIV" spectrum, and I'll see if I can hook you up.  What quantities are you interested in?

Chuck
www.twowaytrauma.com

[Gear Dynamics]

I've got a roll of Tan 1/8" shock cord. If you want, I'd be happy to part with some. If I recall, it's a good match for Tan 499.

As far as colours go, Tan 499 is the current colour. It's the solid colour that was approved for use with MultiCam and is now an industry standard for hardware. I'd strive to match your materials to that colour.

[Globe]

The whole "which tan is tan" thing has been a thorn in my side for while.  For most of my customers, if something looks tan, it's good, but there a lot of different types of tan.  There is desert sand, desert tan, coyote tan, coyote brown, taupe, beige, flat dark earth, marine coyote 499, something with a 498 designation, and probably 20 other ones.

Totally agree.

Here's the breakdown of the current US military colors in a tan-ish shade.

Tan 499:
This is the current US Army solid color compliment for Multicam. It is a fairly true shade of tan, similar, but not exactly the same as tan's used with 3 and 6 color desert patterns.

498:
There are many names for this. Coyote Brown. Marine Coyote. M498 (Marine 498), etc...
This is the USMC's official solid compliment for both of their current pixillated patterns. It works extremely well with, and has been used by many companies as the solid color to compliment Multicam. It is more brown in appearance.

Coyote Tan:
This is where things get kind of tricky. Coyote Tan is often mistaken for Coyote Brown - because of name. It is most similar to Tan 499 though. It is a shade of tan with a hint of OD in it. I've heard that this is actually the official solid color compliment of Multicam for US Army equipment, where 499 is is the official solid color CLOTHING compliment.

Then there's still tan 500 and 501, which I'm pretty sure were used with the older 3 and 6 color desert patterns.

Just as a side note: I spoke with someone from Picatinny Arsenal - The number designation with each color is totally arbitrary - it's not like 14 shades of grey where it constantly gets darker.

Hope this helps. I'll try to post some pics soon. I had some posted on DIY Tactical of 499, 498, and CT next to each other on multicam. I can't find those pictures right now, I'll take some more soon though if I can't find them.

[Gear Dynamics]

Coyote Brown 498 shouldn't even be lumped in there. It is WAY too specicific a colour and it's very well defined in the industry. That's like comparing Ranger Green with Foliage Green 504.

Tan 499 is the colour that MultiCam and A-Tacs both recommend for use with their patterns. Since half the world uses MultiCam, I'd try and stick with the suggested colour. If you need more convincing, Tan 499 is also the current tan coloured hardware that ITW produces. The older stuff, Tan 500 which is more yellow in colour, has been phased out. Duraflex is in the same boat with their hardware.

So I guess, it depends on if you like your gear to match.

[draaven]

Coyote Brown 498 shouldn't even be lumped in there. It is WAY too specicific a colour and it's very well defined in the industry. That's like comparing Ranger Green with Foliage Green 504.

Tan 499 is the colour that MultiCam and A-Tacs both recommend for use with their patterns. Since half the world uses MultiCam, I'd try and stick with the suggested colour. If you need more convincing, Tan 499 is also the current tan coloured hardware that ITW produces. The older stuff, Tan 500 which is more yellow in colour, has been phased out. Duraflex is in the same boat with their hardware.

So I guess, it depends on if you like your gear to match.

Yeah, I guess it's the tan 501 and 500 I was looking for. I like the older desert styles and may do something with those. Any ideas on a source that carries the older styles?