May I offer some experience? : I'm quite interested in the use of Cordura as an external material for : boots.  Cordura is damned tough, more so in many cases than regular I've had the cordura _style_ boots (Rocky)with leather strips and so forth and I've had all-leather boots with sewn reinforcing strips just like the cordura ones (Meindle bought thru Cabela's). In both cases, the external strips provide catch points for obstructions which eventually leads to overstressing the stitching on the threads and rupture of the strip. I also find that the rubber toe bumpers quickly separate from the underlying material and that after a wetting event the leather strips on cordura try to curl. I do a LOT of off-trail travel and my boots show it. _base_d on the above experience I choose boots with a smooth leather exterior. I'm presently alternating trips between as-issued Army boots with my REI Vasque Superhikers. Considering that the Vasques are 4X the cost of army boots.... I'm tending to conserve them when I can. Ron Miller (Saturday was my 199th hiking outing since I've kept a journal and the find of the 19th airplane crash I've located.) http://coloradowreckchasing.com

May I offer some experience? : I'm quite interested in the use of Cordura as an external material for : boots.  Cordura is damned tough, more so in many cases than regular I've had the cordura _style_ boots (Rocky)with leather strips and so forth and I've had all-leather boots with sewn reinforcing strips just like the cordura ones (Meindle bought thru Cabela's). In both cases, the external strips provide catch points for obstructions which eventually leads to overstressing the stitching on the threads and rupture of the strip. I also find that the rubber toe bumpers quickly separate from the underlying material and that after a wetting event the leather strips on cordura try to curl. I do a LOT of off-trail travel and my boots show it. _base_d on the above experience I choose boots with a smooth leather exterior. I'm presently alternating trips between as-issued Army boots with my REI Vasque Superhikers. Considering that the Vasques are 4X the cost of army boots.... I'm tending to conserve them when I can. Ron Miller (Saturday was my 199th hiking outing since I've kept a journal and the find of the 19th airplane crash I've located.) http://coloradowreckchasing.com Just my $.02

What would I have to promise you to do a modern ASP conversion, if you still do such things? As you are probably aware, the real ASP hasn't been made in about 20 years... What did you have in mind for a modern conversion ?  The original was _base_d on the aluminum _frame_d S&W model 39 (the old standard sidearm of police).  Are we talking something with an AL _frame_, or steel? There are a lot of things I'd have to look into...  Licensing requirements/rules, etc (though historically the shop location was licensed, not the person doing the work