Can anyone teach me about nylon fabric?

[Ramblinrev]

Rev sums it up pretty well.

Generally speaking, these are common conversions when talking weights and denier:

200d = 4.0oz
70d = 1.9oz
30d = 1.1oz

Ripstop has the grids in it, to stop rips from continuing once they start. It does a fair job of it. Ripstop can be soft or firm, depending on many factors. Ripstop comes in many weights / deniers - but is most commonly found in 1.1 and 1.9oz.

Taffeta does not have grid pattern like ripstop. It tends to be a bit more abrasion resistant, where ripstop is more tear resistant. Taffeta does not do well with tears. It also can be soft or firm - generally it's softer than ripstop. Taffeta comes in many weights / deniers - also most commonly found in 1.1 and 1.9oz.

Oxford is like Taffeta on steroids. It's just a much more rugged cloth, and due to the higher denier, is not as comfortable against the skin. OWF says it well - Oxford is ideal where Packcloth would be used, but lighter weight is preferred. Oxford is almost always 200/210 denier.

Hope that helps a bit. Fabric is a confusing animal and all of this that I mentioned is usually the case - there are many many variations from the norm.

To tweak this just a bit... Ripstop, taffeta and oxford are weave patterns. Ripstop is usually nylon but I have heard tell of polyester ripstop. It has been highly sought after by some DIY folks because it does not have the stretch issues nylon does. Polyester ripstop seems to be a rare commodity but it does exist.

Taffeta is a weave pattern which has many possible material contents. Silk, nylon, rayon, polyester plus possibly others are available. It generally has a soft "hand" (feel) although the thickness and density of the fibers will affect that.

Oxford cloth is a weave pattern also found in many fibers including nylon, cotton, polyester and others. It is often the choice for fine men's shirts (think Brooks Brothers).

[jbryan]

Texlon is a company that makes nylon ripstop. More info can be found here. It comes in at .75oz and 1.5 oz. I would bet this weight is before coating.
I have not used this so I cannot contest to anything else about it.