[ D.L. Bullock wrote in 040220 MMDigest:

> Durrell, Organ Supply and Schaff are all in the driver's seat.  They
> must have enough made at one time to fulfill the minimum orders, but
> other than that they are in Complete Control of the item being made.

Indeed; and my experience has been that any of us, with some effort,
can find small-run manufacturers who will make to order.  However, more
germane to the point of some of the natural rubber cloths not lasting
is the presence of sulfur in the air which at temperature in the high
70's F and up can cause the rubber to continue to vulcanize (become
brittle) and this can cause the cloth to fail early.

We first became aware of this through the photo-chemical smog of
Southern California and on at least one project it led to using leather
where cloth was the first choice.  So, it is possible to help the
product to age just by having it near an ignition source, like a
furnace, that churns out sulfur as a combustion byproduct.

W.G. Chapman
West Point, New York