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I am exactly the same... @JR Boucicaut got me to try FBV and profiling and now I'm hooked like a crack addict.

Like anything else I will reserve judgement until I get to feel it on the ice. The conjecture is kinda silly IMHO. Blackstone has a reputation as an industry leader and they are clearly aware that things are moving in the direction of being automated. I think this all bodes well for the product. I am intrigued.

I wonder if there's a characteristic that makes some players more adaptable and others more particular in what works. Some people just don't care, so when they hear there are different options available, where a different setup might be more suitable for them, they get a little tired looking having to consider something other than what they already don't know. It's not even that all of the don't care group are good players. For me, I started playing at 13, so it didn't seem realistic for me to go far with my abilities, but I was hooked on the equipment from day 1. Eventually I found things that worked, without understanding why they worked. It has taken a lot of trial and error, but I think I have narrowed down what the most influential elements of my equipment are, and some of them are really surprising. What's also surprising is the difference it can make. When I narrow in on a good setup, things just happen and it's almost like I'm a spectator enjoying the feeling of being able to skate and move the puck without focusing on it. It's one of the most enjoyable activities I can think of. That it has the personal history of the equipment search and development process involved is only a bonus, as it makes it intellectually stimulating as well.

When you heat the blade the glue and foam core get compromised and wont last long.

When I worked there, I did not have any 16 year old employees, nor did everyone in the store sharpened. The most I ever had was 6 sharpeners out of a staff of 25 - roughly 25% of the staff. It was the only way to maintain quality control. But I was the exception, not the rule. It’s truly a blessing that I’m no longer there. I can’t see myself still there if I had the opportunity to. My skill set wouldn’t have been appreciated. And from what I’ve been told, it’s a breeze to swap wheels/hollows on the FireBall.

Not a scientific option, but take it for what it's worth. Last time I got new skates, I dropped down a half a size, which dropped me down to a smaller runner. On of the things I noticed was I was a little less stable. At first, I thought was just new skate adjustment. I thought if I just did some edge work etc my feel for the skates would improve and that instability would go away. After about 6 months of working, things didn't improve much. In fact, it exasperated some of the flaws in my skating, one of which was getting on to my toes too much. I find it incredibly easy to get onto my toes, too easy. I think part of it is because I'm a 175 guy with size 4.5 feet. That's when I started to look into profiling and in my research, I came upon some things that might explain what was happening. From what I read, the middle part of the runner is pretty much the same on all size runners if they all have the same profile, but for obvious reason, with smaller runners, the transition curving up towards the toe is a more aggressive/steeper transition. So, with the smaller runner, when I shift weight and rock forward or backward, there's a steeper drop, so to speak, which makes things a bit more wobbly. To address this I went to a larger profile. I settled on a 13' profile for a while, and now, I'm on a 13/26' profile with a negative pitch. For many, that's incredibly flat, but I find these work great.for me. So going back to what some of the pros and cons are, from my experience, the smaller runner will make it easier to shift your weight onto your toes,with the opposite happening with the larger runner. Going to a larger runner, may allow you to go to a smaller profile and retain the same relative stability. Any ways, that's my experience.