Doc,
I think you are right, they are fragile and should not be over manipulated. Another issue that some speak of is the issue of insulation. There are those that believe insulating with plastic degrades the performance. I don’t know where I am on that one but, I did insulate these with a kraft paper tape, 2 layers. I also soldered on copper washers to terminate the foil which I slip over the binding posts, screwing down the binding post nut over those, to avoid marring the foil ( that way the foil is in direct contact with the post). I can say that,right out of the box, these things increase the transparency of the image, the complete opposite of muddy. If and when they wear out and work harden, they are so quick and easy to remake that they are well worth the effort. If anyone makes these don’t stack the foil on the run to the speaker. Keep the 2 conductors seperate to the extent that you can.
Jamie