Possible physical deterioration of stylii

[spiritofmusic]

Hiya all. I'm just about to compete a Straingauge cartridge and energizer overhaul from the Soundsmith main man Peter Lederman.
The Straingauge system works on "slot in" stylii, each spare one costing $750-950 to make up, which is one of the great VFM propositions in modern day hifi.
In normal circumstances I'd order my usual two spare stylii to give me 4000-6000 hours total use btwn the two, but on this occasion I'm minded to buy a shedload more, maybe 6-7 stylii.
I've saved additional funds on not spending my usual annual budget over Covid period, opening up possiblity of a bigger bulk purchase here, and I also realise that the pressures on Peter will only be more relentless over time (he's in his 70s, and exclusively attends alone to the top Soundsmith carts, Straingauge and Hyperion).
My idea is to "future proof" my analog for the next 20-25 years with this batch of 7 stylii.
My Q is primarily whether carts/stylii naturally physically deteriorate over such a long period.
If I have 4 or 5 stylii that sit in a box unused for a decade, maybe 1 unused for two decades, will it's structure fail...glue deterioration, other decrepitude?
Or are stylii "long life" components? Will behave perfectly fine after many many years minding their own business in a box on my shelf?

 

[dwhistance]

From my experience with MM cartridges with replaceable styli any problems are with the cantilever suspension/damping which can deteriorate over extended periods. It does seem to be somewhat random though as I have installed 40 year old stylus assemblies which have played perfectly and 10 year old ones which have clearly suffered in storage. On that basis I probably wouldn’t be inclined to store expensive stylus assemblies for 20 years though you may well get away with it. Perhaps ask Mr Lederman for his advice and how best to store his stylii.

Good luck

David Whistance

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hi David, Peter has just told me he is servicing carts that HE first worked on 40 years ago, and they're in better than expected shape.
That's like never seeing your kids after they leave home and bumping into them as successful citizens w grandkids of their own Lol.
He says he specifically chooses materials in the cantilever etc known for their longevity, this not necessarily an industry- wide practice.
I'm just really casting around for opinions.
All I know is that going for a big surplus of stylii at this point will keep my addiction going, the bill not much more than half the equivalent new cart and phono, and is insurance against Peter deciding to (deservedly, if you know what he's been thru over last 18 months) calling it a day.

 

[mtemur]

I wouldn’t do that cause cartridge suspension deteriorate over time, some in 4-5 years some longer. It’s not easy to tell by looking or listening. deterioration on suspension definitely has an impact on sound but in some cases you can only detect it by measuring.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Peter is standing by his product (as I'd expect him to), but I take on board your caution.

 

[Neil.Antin]

The secret to safe long term storage is avoid exposure to sunlight because of UV damage, avoid exposure to temperature extremes and high humidity because of accelerated aging and bacteria and avoid exposure to air because the oxygen degrades items.

So, store at room temp in an airtight fully stainless steel container which uses a silicone seal Amazon.com: Greenkeeps All Stainless Steel Storage Airtight Food Container with Lid (15.5L (524 Oz)) : Home & Kitche , and before sealing purge the container with an inert gas such as Argon Bloxygen Preserver. Spray, Seal, and Store. 1 can Pack. Inert Gas Preservation System. - - Amazon.com. A little bit of humidity in the container is fine.

Do not store in plastic - it can offgas plasticizer that can act as a solvent and damage the elastomer.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I love you guys on WBF...a simple Q on storage becomes What's Best Storage lol.
Neil, let me PM you closer to the time so you can guide me thru this.