I recently made a switch from a Blade v8 98S to the v5 from 2015. I made the switch entirely based on reading these forums, as I was searching for a firmer feel and liked what I got from the nice second hand sticks I bought. But seeing how I never experienced the v5 Blades when they were new, I have no reference of what the last ten years have done to them. Do racquets turn softer or stiffer with time? Since I got 6 old Blades (for the same cost as 1 new) I might be playing with them for a while, unless they deteriorate and turn to dust sometime in the near future.