Hi All,
About 5 wks into str8s, with my imagination well hooked (line & sinker).

'Have the normal 5/8 round tips, one new production, one lovely plain jane Genco that is a pleasure, and a couple 1/2" vintage. All full hollow. I've searched & asked about bigger blades, stiffer grind profiles, and it seems too closely tied to personal subjective preference to know what will work without trying a decent example of each.

That being the case, are there any methods or strategies for trying or acquiring blades without going broke acquiring ones that won't be keepers? It's not aversion to paying for quality, but don't know how to try a blade type w/out dropping $500+ for one of each kind and taking a bath selling the ones you discover you don't like.

Ideally, if the community was large enough, it would be great to find local people who have blades that would be willing to let someone try them - maybe for the price of a dinner or something. Buying each style adds up quickly.

Is it better to by the cheap ugly ducklings that give a feel for their blade styles? or to drop more money into a better example on the basis that you can recover more of the investment? I'm not skilled at or interested becoming a great trader - always finding the lowest prices, getting the highest on sale. An example now is wanting to try a 6-7/8 in something closer to a wedge. 'Would love to support the Hart Steel entry - they seem well aimed & respectable quality. Even used, it's $200. At that price, some of the nicer Wackers could be had new. Better to chase the better known name? Is there a way to do this w/out sacrificing months of disposable funds?

Many Thx. for your thoughts.