A while back, I saw some instructions to make a watch band out of 550 paracord, which is a military specification parachute cord. I always thought it looked cool, and I wanted to try it myself.
The one thing I didn’t like was the plastic clip. Too cheap looking and frankly, I don’t trust a $150+ watch on a clip like that. So, it turns out I had an extra diver’s deployant clasp. I went off to an army surplus store and picked up 20′ of cord for about $3.00. Following the instructions here (with my modification) I went about weaving my own band. The instructions are very complete and easy to follow. It was a little harder due to the metal clasp, but here is how it turned out:
The metal clasp was worth the effort. It looks much more professional and I hate how those plastic buckles can pinch.
The whole process took about 45 minutes, so less time than I thought it would. Luckily, I didn’t have to re-size and reweave it. Plus, the deployant clasp has 3 micro adjustment holes, so if it is a little loose, I can adjust it. It is surprisingly comfortable and looks pretty darn cool on the wrist. The cord does come in 4 colors (Grey, Tan, Green, and Black ) so I may try another.
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