@Horton I probably having an OCD, but my skis always look good under the plates. I never use pads (for preventing fogginess), my countersunks are perfect and I use sand paper to break the edges of the plate’s perimeter and inside the slots.
I also like d3’s plastic film that protects the ski and then after couple of years you remove it and the ski still looks new.
even my Goodes’ surfaces look good after years of use…
I only sell the skis I didn’t like and the ones I keep, I want them to look good on the shelf!
Im super OCD on this…😂
when someone is trying a ski that I’m selling, I too put duct tape to cover the plate screws and on the ski where the edges of the plate touching.
I don’t pay much attention at soft goods, the important things for my skiing are skis, bindings and ropes…