Contax shutter ribbons, how long have I got?

[Kevcaster]

I have stripped and serviced a '53 Contax lla with the help of people - Highway 61, pb908 - in this forum, Mike Elek's pages. Rik Oleson's site and Henry Sherers words of wisdom. After much 'one step forward, two-steps back' it is assembled and about to be tested again with film. All the speeds fire and there is no blanking or hesitancy. Speeds from 1 to 1/50th are within 15% of the marked value , a couple within 5-10% and one within 1%. Shelf test awaits.

On my journey I stripped the shutter box out and had a good look. The ribbons are frayed in four or five places with small tufts of material standing proud, they remain strong, of equal length within one or two mm. If anyone out there has experience with this situation I wonder if you could advise what might be the prognosis for these ribbons? I would expect to put 10 rolls of film through this camera a year, how long have I got?

Also, ribbons are available from Aki-Asahi in Japan. They are advertised as suitable for Contax and wondered if any one has a successful experience of fitting these as replacements?
Kevin

 

[Highway 61]

You can easily stop the fraying but carefully burning out the frayed fibers with a hot soldering iron pin. Yet, fraying is not a real problem on these ribbons, which doesn't receive the same wear on every shot as on the prewar shutter. Almost all postwar shutters which you will inspect may show the same fraying amount.

Aki-Asahi ribbons will fit the prewar shutter, not the postwar one.

 

[Kevcaster]

Great, ever useful stuff from you Highway 61. So are these ribbons a man made fiber? Where might they be sourced?

Kevin

 

[Highway 61]

I don't think you can source such narrow ribbons now. They were made on purpose for the postwar shutter, with what looks like mysterious synthetic material (not silk it seems).

If your IIa shutter now works - use it ! Once it's dead you'll buy a Nikon S2, like normal people. 😛

😉

 

[Kevcaster]

Ha ha ;-)
Yes i think you may be right. I have enjoyed this project, been totally impressed with the engineering and had a chance to learn something about the way the camera functions actually do their job. So a good experience and no further ambitions for now. I have an M6 and feel well served in the modern (modern?) rangefinder area. Still the Nikon is a handsome piece of machinery.....
Kevin