I think rebuilding and/or retipping may be a bit like plastic surgery; one is better off not knowing too much about it. Once you do gain the knowledge, the bloom is off the rose.
''Óriginal parts'', ''identity '' and ''retip'' conundrum
The ''identity enigma'' is easy to explain with ''ownership''. Not everyone is familiar with logic or philosophy but everyone owns something or other.
Ownership assume ''one to one relation'' between an person (legal
bodies included) and one object of ownership. Think of question how
you can prove to own some object. You can also think about question
how to prove to be owner of, say an part of your stolen car.
What the ''force'' of the expression ''original'' is , is an enigma.
However Americans are typical example of people who are very
fond of ''original parts'' and willing to pay huge amount of money
for the ''precious'' (grin). By the so called ''retips'' the assumption
is also ''original'' versus ''not original parts''. This means that
every manufacturer as well ''retiper'' uses his own styli and or
cantilevers. The fact however is that they all buy those ''parts''
by either by Namiki or Ogura. So, logicaly speaking, the origin
of those ''parts'' are either Namiki or Ogura. Is gluing an cantilever/
stylus combo in the ''joint pipe'' rocket science?