reubin that doesn't sound normal. I've never had any premature fraying and my pieces go through a lot of abuse. When the front starts to fray a little I just trim a little off and it's ok again.

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As for longevity I don't expect more than 3 months out of a piece. Having said that, when I change to a new one the old one is still perfectly usable as a spare if I need it. But I love the feeling of getting new piece on and cutting it in for the first time with the opportunity to change the style a bit.