Originally Posted by
chephy
Some fabrics certainly fare better when rubbed on saddles than others; corduroy does tend wear really fast. Plain cotton is not all that durable either, based on my experience.
I know (too well) it is no longer PC to like and/or wear cotton... as advocates are pushing hemp. But:
Cotton is a natural fiber... which is not generic in quality. Back when I was a kid Levi's were made of high quality (XXX I believe) cotton. Those things wore like iron! Higher quality (long fiber) cotton still does. As a matter of fact... the whole back-story about "American jeans" is about how Mr Levi Strauss made really durable trousers out of (100% cotton) tent canvas... during the gold rush.
Previous to Mr Strauss's idea... men would pan and/or dig for gold wearing wool trousers with leather pants (AKA chaps) protecting their fronts.