The shift in shutter curtain material requests over the past year

I've seen a clear change in the parts I order for older SLRs. This time last year, maybe one in ten jobs needed a new rubberized cloth shutter curtain. Now it's closer to four in ten. The heat this summer really sped up the drying and cracking process on cameras stored in attics or garages. A customer brought in a Pentax K1000 that had been fine in March but was totally stuck by August. Has anyone else noticed this jump, and what's your go-to source for good replacements that won't stiffen up again so fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

keithlane19d ago

Honestly, I haven't seen that same spike at all. My shop's work has been pretty steady for years on those old cloth curtains. Maybe it's a regional climate thing? I'm in the pacific northwest, so the heat hasn't been as brutal here. I wonder if the storage conditions are the bigger factor, not just the summer alone.

riley_taylor19d ago

That's a really good point from @keithlane about storage. Sunlight and humidity in an attic or garage will break down old fabrics way faster than just summer heat in a house. The climate difference probably explains the steady work you see. It's likely a mix of both factors.

sam_murphy398d ago

Doubt it's that big of a deal honestly. My grandma had those same curtains in her Florida room for like 20 years and they were fine, just faded. Maybe @riley_taylor is overthinking the storage thing. Most people just shove stuff in a closet, not a damp garage.