@@heirmedia2918 nah. This got posted in a Facebook group and everyone said the same thing. Other than for Sonic reasons, how tough the grille is doesn't matter. Don't drop the mic and it'll never come into play.
Are you 100% certain it is not a counterfeit microphone? The shockmount does not look quite like a genuine Neumann. There should be "slots" in the middle position where the rubber bands meet -- you should be able to remove them without cutting them.
