I respect the point and would like to be able to embrace it, as it would save me a great deal of money. Your assessment would mean there is no point in marrying a beautiful woman, as the roughest will bear a family and function in the technical and biblical senses the same as a lithesome example.
I’ve owned a Baikal alongside an H&H Royal, with a Merkel in between them. I spoke fondly of the Baikal and still do, but what it’s missing is the pointing, handling, and refinement... the art and beauty, that make a double such a pleasure to use. A best made double is functional art, and that’s an extraordinary thing.
Smirnoff gets you drunk but I do enjoy myself more sipping a really nice single malt. Maybe that’s vanity, but I think it’s just slowing down to enjoy nuances and effort and time invested in a craft you appreciate. I also appreciate being married to a beautiful woman and wouldn’t trade for a rougher Russian even if it was cheaper.
Finally, what made me sell my Baikal was a broken one on the EE, and the grittiness of my example. I didn’t trust it, or the limited chamberings available for backing grizzly hunters. The Merkel was the perfect compromise in the end, for me. And again for me personally, the cost increase over the Baikal was justifiable for what I received from Merkel in return.