Just to be sure :

here is a picture of what has been sold for genuine 550 paracord, in a military surplus shop in Paris :


I was so sure it would be the real Mc Coy (?), that I didn't check until at home ....

Inside the sheath, there are 2 strands made of very thin (thiner than a hair...) and brittle threads.

I went back, but the saleclerck insists that this is 550 paracord.
AFAIR, genuine 550 paracord is supposed to be 7 strands.
Anybody can confirm ?

TIA

USGI parachute suspension line or 550 cord has 7 inner strands and a outer nylon covering. The picture does not look like the genuine stuff.

Alain, take that stuff, tie it to the clerks neck and throw them out a 2nd story window. I garantee it will break before strangling. As Dave said, real para has 7 strands encased in a very tight woven case. There are other diameters for cargo use etc. that will be constructed differently, but this is the standard. There are a few civilian versions that are not true 'MILSPEC' but virtually identical.

O.K., thanks.... that's what I thought ...
Next time, I will verify on the spot ....
But no longer in this shop (USMC - Paris XI°), because it's not the only pb I got.
Mainly, they don't have (and sometimes don't even know...) what they advertise in their catalog.

Frenchy,

If you do find some real 550 paracord somewhere within the EU, please let us know. I'll turn Belgium upside down in search of the genuine stuff.

BTW does anyone know if 550 paracord is used in civil parachutes? If so we could track down a "rigger" (sb who folds 2nd parachutes) and maybe such a person would know where to find these lines.

What diameter is normal 550 cord? Is it round or rather flat?

Luca

www.countycomm.com has REAL paracord, in several colors.

I actually tested it to breaking by hooking it to the trailer hitch of my Suburban and dragging a huge log out of the woods - with a SINGLE line, which did not break (but I threw out after such abuse).

I use the Orange paracod for tent lines and lanyards, it's great stuff.

Luca,

I don't know what the shipping costs might be, but ParaGear lists the slogan "Serving the world for over 44 years" on their web site. I know they have 'genuine' 550 cord because I just got some from them.

Dennis

Hi Martin

We know that countycom has real 550 Paracord. It just that countycom don't ship outside the USA.

We in europe find it difficult to source genuine gear here in europe our alternative is to source from the US ( those companies that do ship) and pay over the odds in shipping fees.

Please don't take this as a personal beef with you, my real ( yes I admit it personal) beef is with countycom. I like their stuff and would love to buy several things. But as they only ship US cont. I'm a bit <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />.

I thank you for the suggestion and the time you've taken to reply to the thread.

If you have a site that could help us poor europeans please, please, please send it.

I did a little more digging on ParaGear's web site. They definitely ship orders internationally. From the rate charts for "Global Express Mail" (airmail through the US Postal Service) it looks like a 5 pound package would cost $35 for shipping.

Dennis

Thanks for the research. Stokie is right I would also LOVE to order much more US stuff. If only we wouldn't get knocked over our heads with the surcharges. I don't think US sellers realise what it's like... <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I ordered a surefire flashlight once which was about 100 EUR +15 EUR shiping by USPC (BTW good and fast service).

The customs charged me with 3% import duties over the price of the torch, 21% VAT over the torch transport and duties and added an extra 8 EUR handling costs to that. Total real cost was sth like 150 EUR. while transport was only 15 EUR. That's why we don't buy US-goods.

So maybe if we could find somebody in the US who is willing to send us these things on a now and then basis -- as a private person and as a gift with a declared value of less than 45 EUR.... we wouldn't have to pay all these surcharges, be able to sponsor the US economy and indulge our geardo yearnings <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />.

Maybe we could start a group buy for our fellow Europeans?

Any candidates, please feel free to contact me, I'm willing to compensate your cost and effort. I&#8217;m also willing &#8211; provided we find someone to ship the items to me - to do the further distribution within the EU. (This is serious)

Luca