I'm thinking of getting a Historic Rad (210 or 183) in the near future, and would like to get a headstart in ordering some custom straps. (My PAM experience has so far been limited to Luminors)
Is there a rule-of-thumb or common practice for selecting the strap size for a 45mm Rad? For instance, when is 27mm width better than 26mm? is it dependent on the strap thickness? or is it dependent on style or material (i.e., ammo vs croc, etc.)? And when is it appropriate to choose a "taper" vs. a straight length (i.e. 27/22 vs. 26/26)? Any thoughts?
Adding a Rad to your collection is a great idea...I cannot get enough of my 232 that I picked up recently. For strap sizing, it all depends on the look you want. I find that the 26/26 straps with a nice sewn in flat buckle will give the Rad a more historic/vintage look. If you want to dress it up...a 27/22 gator will do the trick nicely.
So far, my favorite is the OEM 26/26 JV gator strap. The 26/26 width is nice and meaty looking, but the sueded gator is still refined.
I also got a 27/26 vintage leather strap, and I think that is my favorite size option so far.
I just shot a bunch of different strap combos on the 232, I'll post a couple of them once I get them edited.
Initially I always went for the 26/26 since I could use those on my 285 as well...but with the 285 being gone, I'm pretty much buying straps for use on the 232 exclusively...and Micah was the one that turned me on to the 27/26 option. It's kind of weird that 1mm makes that much different, but the strap looks really good, and fills out the lugs very nicely.
I haven't tried a 27/26 on a 45mm rad, but I would imagine it would also look good on a 210/183 as well.
Really the choice between 26/26 and 27/26 comes down to personal taste. Either looks good. I'll try to post some shots of both so you can see the comparison.
