Bare cartridge design, Sumiko Blackbird Low Output

Would you like to try some rare NOS Vintage MM/MI cartridges, you will be surprised how good they can be, Sumiko design with that unprotected cantilever is awful in my opinion and stylus profile is mediocre elliptical.  

What do I need to know about this design

All you need to know about its "design" is that most likely you will destroy the cantilever accidentally before you stylus wears off. This mistake will cost a lot. Just look at this cartridge.


It looks like it was made to destroy it, really. Same with some VdH and Lyra cartridges.
Practically it is so inconvenient, you have to be extremely careful each time you unlock your tonearm.

On better cartridges a cantilever located under the cartridge body, not 100% safe too, but much better for safety reason.

@lewm you're professional and your experience with different cartridge must be great. I have stupidly destroyed one cartridge and another one has been destroyed by a visitor, s**t happens. Personally i would never buy such cartridges, i am more comfortable with traditional design when a cantilever located under the cartridge body. 

@tooblue yes, this is probably a benefit, but they can be destroyed during alignment process, we often read comments how difficult to setup a cartridge (for some people). It's about experience. 

Over 100 cartridges since the early 60's; many came with thrift store turntables which happened to have good cartridges on them, many purchased in the late 80's to mid 90's,by which time most everyone temporarily gave up on turntables.

Nice, 5-7 years ago i thought i could just buy "the best cartridge", later i realize there is no such thing as "best cartridge" and only trying many cartridges we can find what we really like, because they are all different. So i ended up with probably 60 different samples (99% are vintage, but many NOS or almost unused). It's fun, it was hard to imagine we will be locked at home, but with so many cartridges and tonearms, with nice record collection, it's time to audition them. 

For example, I purchased a Thorens TD 125 for $8.50 in 1989.

Great! I wish i could buy all the top cartridges from that era for nothing, i was too young for that. 

I gradually replaced the styli on most of these turntables for the most reasonable prices compared to todays: Shures, Stantons, ADC's,Pickerings,Micro Acoustics, and almost all MM brands.

There are all American brands, i would add Japanese high-end cartridges like JVC Victor (X1II series), Grace (F14 and LEVEL II), Pioneer (PC-1000 mkII), Audio-Technica (AT-ML170 and 180), ADC TRX series designed by Nakatsuka San in Japan (after Pritchard left the company), Technics (p205c mk4), Sony (XL-50) ....  all are MM, except one IM.   

This is how clever designer protect the cantilever, just one more element and the stylus does not look so dangerous like those Sumiko and VdH cartridges with "naked" cantilever in front of the cartridge body.