Ikeda 9tt retipping

I think you typoed/misspelled Ikeda, it's this cartridge, correct?

https://www.artisanfidelity.com/phonocartridges/ikeda-9tt

you might write Steve Leung owner of VAS and ask his advice, get price(s) even if you have someone else do the work.

https://vasnyinc.com/

"The cantilever is made of a double layered duralumin pipe in order to reduce its actual weight and any possible warping affecting the sound badly, in addition to gaining stiffness."

My instinct would be to use an advanced stylus on a boron rod rather than stick with two layers of duralumin which in effect is a thick aluminum tube, have a look at info and charts relating to light/hard found here 

https://orbray.com/en/product/jewel/product/cantilever.html

I recently re-discovered, Shure's MicrowallBe beryllium tube was .0005" thick.

Steve's Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/VASnyinc/

"Duralumin" is an aluminum/copper alloy. Not pure aluminum. Probably a step or two up from pure aluminum in cantilevers.

lewm,

thanks, I was too lazy to look it up because any clever name, if part aluminum, it isn’t high on the hardness chart, mixed with ....well, now that you tell me copper, it isn’t light/stiff either,

they talked about double wall duralumin tube to prevent possible warping, which is partly the benefit of tapered aluminum, correct?

I have seen bent and twisted aluminum cantilevers, I always assume from playing with serious under/over tracking force and anti-skate imbalances, (not warping like damp wood might warp all by itself).

with stiffer boron or sapphire ... i.e. materials that don’t bend, or warp, (they break, or like microwall beryllium tube, simply shatter), serious long term not enough or excessive anti-skate results in permanent sideways deformation of the softer suspension material, resulting in crooked cantilevers, too heavy tracking results in ’low rider’, the suspension has been mis-shaped so the cantilever angle is reduced, the bottom of the body of the cartridge getting closer to the lp surface, and the VTA no longer basically correct when the tonearm is parallel to the LP.

Some are ’low riders’ by design.

dynavector karat 17dx, 1.7mm short diamond cantilever

When I tried using Wayne’s perimeter ring, I realized, ’low riders need not apply’, the bottom of the cartridge is above the added thickness of the ring’s material on top of the LP when you start track 1.

In any event, I agree with you that Boron is probably superior. I think my Ortofon MC2000 cartridge, which is admittedly early 1990s state of the art, also has a duralumin(um?) cantilever, yet it sounds pretty great if you have enough gain.

FWIW - It appears that all of the more expensive Ikeda cartridges us a boron cantilever.

Thank you! I contacted with Steve Leung. Which courier service would you use to ship it from Norway to USA? Insurance? How would you pack it? I never shipped something so expense.

DHL.

To ship an expensive phonograph cartridge, the best method is to carefully remove it from the tonearm, place it in a small, sturdy, padded box (like a hard plastic case or pill bottle), and surround it with ample soft packing material to prevent movement during transit; consider adding insurance to your shipment due to the high value of the item. [1, 2, 3, 4] 

Key steps: [2, 3, 5] 

• Remove the cartridge: Carefully detach the cartridge from the tonearm of your turntable. [2, 3, 5] 
• Choose a suitable container: Find a small, rigid box or container that fits the cartridge snugly, like a plastic case or a sturdy cardboard box with added padding. [1, 2, 6] 
• Add padding: Fill the box with plenty of soft packing material such as bubble wrap, foam peanuts, or even tissue paper, ensuring the cartridge cannot move around inside. [1, 2, 3] 
• Secure the cartridge: If possible, gently secure the cartridge within the box using foam or other padding to minimize movement. [1, 2, 6] 
• Label clearly: Clearly label the package as "fragile" and mark the contents as a valuable item. [3, 5, 7] 
• Choose a reliable shipping service: Opt for a reputable shipping carrier with good tracking capabilities and consider purchasing additional insurance for the full value of the cartridge. [3, 5, 7] 

Do's and Don'ts: [5, 8] 

• Do: Use a double-boxed system for added protection, especially if shipping long distances. [5, 8] 
• Don't: Ship the cartridge loosely in a box without proper padding. [1, 2, 3] 

Generative AI is experimental.

[1] https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/packing-cartridge-stylus.833515/

[2] https://www.reddit.com/r/turntables/comments/147s1zx/moving_and_lost_cap_for_cartridge_how_best_to/

[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/audiorepair/comments/qhy97k/turntable_stylus_shipping/

[4] https://www.gearpatrol.com/audio/cheap-vs-expensive-record-player-phono-cartridge/

[5] https://www.reddit.com/r/turntables/comments/1c9ynij/anyone_in_here_shipped_a_turntable_before/

[6] https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/whats-the-best-way-to-pack-and-ship-a-high-end-turntable-for-ebay.171696/

[7] https://redstagfulfillment.com/ship-high-value-items/

[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPyxx-p3_AM

If Inwere in Europe my choice would be Expert Stylus. They will retain the stock cantilever and do a diamond only replacement. Company has an excellent reputation for quality work. Actually I am in the USA and choose either Expert or AllClear in Australia.