Robert,
My only problem with that is that for some people, a little patience and breaking in does reward them with a very comfortable saddle. I understand that most of us are accustomed to instant gratification and that taking the time to work with something to make it function properly is not desirable, especially since there is no guarantee that it will work. It takes patience and some luck to reap the reward of Brooks bliss. Many will never attain it.

Personally, I would not endure 500 to 1000 miles of real discomfort before trying something else. There are many other choices. Fortunately, that was not necessary for me. I have never ridden on a Brooks saddle that was severely uncomfortable. All three of mine were at least pretty good from the first ride and were very good within a few hundred miles. Still hard as a rock, mind you, but very comfortable. After thousands of miles they just keep getting better and better. Some people have to work with them for a while to get comfortable. Others never get there no matter what they do and for how long. It is up to each individual to decide whether they want to try one and how much effort they are willing to put into trying to make it work.