Round laces or flat?

[MarkJ]

I've been going back and forth between each type of boot lace and can't make up my mind as to which is superior: flat or round laces.

What do you prefer and why?

Neil are there any top of the line flat or round Canadian laces avilable for me to experiment with?

 

[Neil]

Neil are there any top of the line flat or round Canadian laces avilable for me to experiment with?

Best in the business:

http://www.cheslow.ca/textilemfg/products-shoe_boot.html

One thing about laces that really irks me is the plastic tips usually break long before the laces are worn out. Then the end frays and if you let it get out of the eyelet you'll never get it back in again. You have to chuck the lace and get a new pair. I lay awake way into the night gnashing my teeth and thinking up revenge against the lace manufacturers for this.

Does anyone know whether flat tips outlast round tips?

 

[erugs]

JFBs knot works really well. I make a similar one using the "bunny ears" method. That web site is very helpful for knots and hitches. I've got it as one of my "favorites."

 

[Jean]

I'm impressed, Neil!
I never thought you'd get 22 replies on that thread.

P.S. I guess this makes #23

 

[MarkJ]

Best in the business:

http://www.cheslow.ca/textilemfg/products-shoe_boot.html

One thing about laces that really irks me is the plastic tips usually break long before the laces are worn out. Then the end frays and if you let it get out of the eyelet you'll never get it back in again. You have to chuck the lace and get a new pair. I lay awake way into the night gnashing my teeth and thinking up revenge against the lace manufacturers for this.

Does anyone know whether flat tips outlast round tips?

Good info.I might try the #1812 Camo Hockey lace on one boot and the checkered boot lace on the other and see which performs better.Although the #1810 flame hockey lace looks good too.Their Tex Style logo would make a great bumper sticker as well.Can't help you with the tips question though

 

[Stash]

One thing about laces that really irks me is the plastic tips usually break long before the laces are worn out. Then the end frays and if you let it get out of the eyelet you'll never get it back in again. You have to chuck the lace and get a new pair. I lay awake way into the night gnashing my teeth and thinking up revenge against the lace manufacturers for this.

Lay awake at night thinking about lace manufacturers?

If you go with the round laces they often have a synthetic base and you can just hit the tips of the lace its self with a flame before the plastic tip cover comes off. It then won't really matter if the covers come off.

If you've got the flat cotton ones you're out of luck 'cause the'll just burn. Of course if you're really patient (or increadibly environmentally conscious and don't want to fill landfills with tons of expended shoelaces) you can create new tip covers with duct tape before they fray.

 

[Little Rickie]

I prefer whichever comes with my boots.

Doug

I agree!

 

[Peakbagr]

With UAlbany the center of the nanotechnology universe, I'm picking up a pair of nano laces. Almost no weight, thin and almost invisible. I'm told that unless you use Spectra cloth gloves to lace them, they cut thru your hands like a meat saw. With the gloves,you can tighten them so tight they will cut your boots off.

Sort of like a flexible Chrysknife.

 

[Sasquatch]

The White Mountain Shoe company will offer triangular laces

 

[Paradox]

Best in the business:

http://www.cheslow.ca/textilemfg/products-shoe_boot.html

One thing about laces that really irks me is the plastic tips usually break long before the laces are worn out. Then the end frays and if you let it get out of the eyelet you'll never get it back in again. You have to chuck the lace and get a new pair. I lay awake way into the night gnashing my teeth and thinking up revenge against the lace manufacturers for this.

Does anyone know whether flat tips outlast round tips?

Having experienced your humor over the past few years, I honestly thought you were busting our collective balls with this thread. But since your last post reflects some real sincerity I feel I should respond in kind. Most modern threads are synthetic and melt with a tourch or even a butane lighter flame. Soften the ends and roll quickly into a point and they will go through a lace hole.

 

[DougPaul]

There are also rope whipping* solutions which might be used on shoelaces. eg http://www.westechrigging.com/rope-whip-dip.html (Climbing supply stores might carry something similar.) A thin liquid waterproof glue might also work.

* Whipping a line/rope is wrapping thread or very fine line around the end to keep it from fraying. One can find howto info in sailing manuals.

Doug

 

[Fisher Cat]

Flat or round, I run whatever laces I have through mink oil. I have found it lessens the abrasion and helps them to last longer.
Mink oil is great. Anyone else use it on their boots? Once you apply it you can "bake" your boots at a low temp for a short period of time to help it really get into your leather. Helps with seams and stuff.

 

[prino]

Although very temporary, I just wrap a piece of Scotch tape around the frayed ends to push the laces back thru the holes.

 

[cbcbd]

The only importance is...


Laces out!!!

 

[Drumhaggart]

You can purchase new aglets (possibly more costly than new laces):

Shoe Lace Tips (Aglets)


You could try this trick with heat-shrink tubing:

Frayed shoe lace fix


Steve

 

[Kevin Rooney]

...Mink oil is great. Anyone else use it on their boots? Once you apply it you can "bake" your boots at a low temp for a short period of time to help it really get into your leather. Helps with seams and stuff.

I'm very cautious of using mink oil on hiking boots and it tends to soften the leather and allow it to stretch. Have used it on my 30 y.o. Sorels, but not my boots.

 

[Little Rickie]

* Whipping a line/rope is wrapping thread or very fine line around the end to keep it from fraying. One can find howto info in sailing manuals.

Doug

or a Boy Scout manual.

 

[DougPaul]

I'm very cautious of using mink oil on hiking boots and it tends to soften the leather and allow it to stretch. Have used it on my 30 y.o. Sorels, but not my boots.

The animal oils can also cause some types of leather to rot.

Doug

 

[Fisher Cat]

I'm very cautious of using mink oil on hiking boots and it tends to soften the leather and allow it to stretch. Have used it on my 30 y.o. Sorels, but not my boots.

Thanks for the caution Kevin. I've used it once,maybe twice each, on three different pairs and have yet to experience a problem. Maybe not using it with great regularity has helped but I'll definitely heed the observation. Thanks!

 

[Rockledge]

I'm very cautious of using mink oil on hiking boots and it tends to soften the leather and allow it to stretch. Have used it on my 30 y.o. Sorels, but not my boots.

I agree. Mink oil was always the stuff of choice when I was a kid. My dad always used it. I went through Timberlands like crazy because the leather would soften and come apart at the rand. Same problem with "Bear Guard" which was supposedly made from bear fat. Switched to Snow-Seal (wax) and had much less of a problem. Now I use Nikwax.

As for laces coming apart if I can't burn the ends I just replace them. Way too much trouble to repair a $4.00 item. You'd need some real fine line to whip the end of a shoelace.