What is your Opinion on OPW/Odis & Phoneco Cloth Covered Cords

[bingster]

I seem to agree with the majority here.  I have no problem using new straight cords, but dislike the new coiled cords.  And no, the straight ones aren't exactly like the old ones, but they're infinitely better than what was once available--brown cloth covered flat modular cordage. Remember that stuff?  I do think an easy improvement would be to use a better or smoother type of thread, thereby reducing the "fuzziness" of the cords. What I'd really like to find, though, is somebody who can supply a WE style cord in the old-style basketweave casing pattern.  Those were nifty.

I'm personally against using any original cloth cord which has rubber-covered conductors for heavy daily service.  Rubber deteriorates over time.  Nothing will stop it, and regular use speeds up the deterioration.  Why hasten the destruction of an original cord just because it's "age appropriate"?.  Cloth-covered conductors don't suffer the same problems as their rubber-wrapped brethren, but I generally don't use them, either, preferring to keep the originals protected.  So I label them as to precisely which phone they go to, and carefully store them, while their modern counterparts take the abuse.

But of course this is all for phones that are actually in daily household service.  Not shelf queens, or phones that only get used once in a blue moon.