I wonder if the current wisdom of selecting blades 1/4" shorter than the sole has changed over the years? How critical is it really? So many questions!
I remember comparing sole lengths on two different models. One of them was "undercut," meaning the boot upper hung over the front of the sole more than the other, like a shelf. Someone (maybe the late Don Klingbeil) had said that it affects blade length and mounting techniques, to ensure that the bottom toepick is in the exact correct position.
(a) I never tracked down any rationale for the 1/4” shorter guideline for traditional boots. One advantage I've found is if you want to move the blades back a bit, you can do so without the heel plate overhanging the boot. How much a problem this would be in practice, I don’t know. But I’m concerned about mounting plates (toe or heel) overhanging the side of the boot, should I fall and strike the protruding side of the mounting plate.
(b) Since blades come in 1/4” (or 1/3" in some instances) increments and boots come in finer increments, you can’t always meet your target length. Some techs want
at least 1/4” gap and will leave a larger gap if needed (e.g., they will go down a size to a 3/8” gap, rather than leaving only a 1/8” gap). Other techs will be happy with an 1/8” gap (rather than going down a size to a 3/8” gap). How much all this translates to in practice ... beats me. You don’t know unless you do an A-B comparison (which in practice nobody does).
(c) Edea has a non-traditional design, with a shorter sole length (relative to traditional boots for a given shoe size) due to higher heel pitch and other design features. They specifically say not to follow the traditional guideline, and to aim for a target blade length equal to the full sole length. [It will be interesting whether Riedell uses new guidelines for the Elara and Vega boots.]
(d) Boot designs are getting more diversified, and it’s becoming confusing what “sole length” is in relation to the foot. As FigureSpins mentioned, in some boots, the front of the uppers overhangs the front of the sole. Similarly, in some boots, the back of the uppers overhangs the back of the heel. Adding to the mess, some heels are tapered from the top (where it joins the sole) to the bottom (where it joins the blade): the total sole length measured from front tip of sole to back tip of heel is longer measured at the top of the heel than at the bottom of the heel. The relationship of the foot to the blade gets all wacky.
(e) If you haven’t sharpened the blades, and if you really prefer a longer blade, you should be able to exchange them. Since Tony left, and you are handling your own mounting and sharpening, the shop should be agreeable to do this without charge. [As an added plus, you can take measurements and see how blade features vary with length.] This assumes you’re willing to wait another week or so before trying out your new toys.
(f) I’ve also had an issue in the past with the tech supplying me with a blade that I thought was too short (though he did follow Jackson’s guidelines). In the future, I’m going to wait for the boots to arrive first, and then specify the blade length I want (rather than leaving it up to the tech).