Leather drag washers

[Tiddlerbasher]

Each to his own A smooth predictable drag is everything to me - so I go with  greased cf. A lightly used reel will go several seasons with cf - other drag materials I'm not so sure imho.

[Chuck750ss]

Ordering some carbonex drag washers. Leather washers are in very good condition. This reel will be used for catfishing. Instead of wearing out the originals, going to save them. Thanks for all the input!
BTW, IMO leather washers work pretty good. Not as good as greased carbonex, but not too bad either.

[mo65]

BTW, IMO leather washers work pretty good. Not as good as greased carbonex, but not too bad either.

   Exactly...I couldn't have said it better. There's a huge misconception that leather is horrible. They work good, carbon fiber just works a little better. I think the real advantage of carbon fiber is that it lasts longer, and it's easier maintained. Oil seems to wreck leather, and they're inside the main gear...how ya gonna keep oil off that?

[Gfish]

Yeah man, but leather is nnnaatural...Organic, man. Acourse, there's organic and inorganic forms of carbon, but c-tex has gotta be inorganic.

[oc1]

I've had leather get herky-jerky and I've had carbontex get herky-jerky.  Wouldn't get two years out of either one.  My most modern reel (shimano) with the one big carbon washer and concave pressure plate won't get a month of heavy use without needing some attention.  There is the age old debate about whether leather should be run dry or lubricated.  I've always put reel oil on them by letting it run down the side of the sleeve and into the main.
-steve

[handi2]

I've had leather get herky-jerky and I've had carbontex get herky-jerky.  Wouldn't get two years out of either one.  My most modern reel (shimano) with the one big carbon washer and concave pressure plate won't get a month of heavy use without needing some attention.  There is the age old debate about whether leather should be run dry or lubricated.  I've always put reel oil on them by letting it run down the side of the sleeve and into the main.
-steve

And why they use that concave metal washer is beyond me.

[oc1]

Yeah, it seems like the start-up pressure to get the drag moving would be higher with the larger diameter and narrow pressure point.  That would make it more jerky when getting over that start-up hump thing.
-steve

[exp2000]

And why they use that concave metal washer is beyond me.

If they used a regular flat washer, it would likely end up convex because of the very wide diameter pressure plate acting upon the perimeter narrow drag washer. Plus it would likely end up permanently deformed to some degree.

The large diameter concave washer should assume a near flat profile under pressure.

At least that was my take on it?
~