Difference Between CORDURAⓇ Brand Nylon vs. Canvas

Does Red Oxx use Nylon or Canvas fabric to build bags and is there a difference? 

Most bags are hand crafted using CORDURAⓇ Brand Nylon Fabric, typically 1000 Denier weight for the bags, and 400 Denier weight for our red or black bag lining. Our Neon Colored Packing Cubes are built with 400 Denier weight Nylon PackCloth. 

Denier refers to the weave of the fabric. The higher the weight, the more fibers per inch are in the fabric. Thus 1000 weight is heavier than 400 weight because there are more fibers woven per inch. It's also stronger because of this feature. 

CORDURA vs CANVAS
The primary difference between CORDURAⓇ Brand Nylon Fabric and Canvas is that the former is man-made from petroleum products and the later is supplied by nature, usually cotton based. Man-made fabric allows certain performance characteristics to be achieved through extensive testing and chemical formulation as well as uniformity during manufacture. Factors such as resistance to fading from the sun and tearing make it a superior fabric for building long-lasting luggage. 

Canvas, on the other hand, being created by nature at it's core, isn't so uniform, but can be treated to offer certain benefits with chemicals but usually won't hold said benefits over time. Think wax or other water-proofing products. 

Canvas can be easy to tear if there is a wear point from abrasion, is also highly flammable, but will hold printed ink quite well, though is relatively easy to fade and breaks down fairly quickly under UV radiation. Canvas also tends to soak up and hold onto moisture and stains. 

Red Oxx owners Jim and Perry are former military parachute riggers and have used military grade (Mil-spec) fabrics to build all sorts of things, from "Rigger Wallets" originally built from used parachute silk, to large tents made from canvas. Over the years they determined that using CORDURAⓇ Brand Nylon Fabric gave the best performance specifications for the price, quality, overall reliability, water resistance characteristics, and ease of construction than any other fabric they've used. 

Obviously CORDURA Ⓡ Brand Nylon Fabric isn't perfect; as a petroleum based fabric, it's somewhat flammable and "melt-able". One benefit could also be seen as a detraction in that it won't hold printed ink for long. So branding or decorating the fabric with ink or paint won't give lasting results. This is why our monogramming is done with embroidery.

CORDURAⓇ Brand Nylon Fabric offers:

• Resistance to deterioration from the sun's UV rays.
• Resistance to tearing.
• Water resistant flexible polyvinyl interior coating (not waterproof).
• Dyed colors offer resistance to fading.
• Resistance to stains, oils, inks, paints, etc. 
• Excellent uniform dye holding properties.
• Easy to cut, sew and handle during production.
• Is fairly resistant to abrasion.
• Won't stretch, even when wet, nor shrink after drying.
• Easy to clean using mild soaps and water, no harsh chemical needed (or wanted).