JamesV...if not mistaken Cliff Zwickey made the Black Diamond broahdead back in the day and that is what Fred Bear shot until he started making his own broadheads....which were a copy of the Zwickey Black Diamond.
I believe anything worth shooting has been done in broadheads...the only difference being in metal selection, hardening, finishing, sharpening bevels, etc..... A lot of the olders were carbon steel...held edge good but rusted terribly....softer steel is easier to sharpen but harder to maintain an edge......harder steel holds an edge for long time and can get razor sharp but is hell to sharpen in the field. A good compromise on ease of sharpening, edge retention, durability.....in any design is a must.
Of the ones I see out there today and in recent past....I would say the Zwickey, Ribtek, Grizzly, TuffHead, STOS, ACE, Eclipse for 2-blades and Wensel Woodsman and Grizzly Instinct for 3 blade heads (Snuffers no longer made to where I would recommend though the original Rothaar 160 Snuffers were best 3 blade of the time).....other than deciding on double bevel or single bevel....I dont think a guy can really do better than these heads.
I pretty much think the Silver Flame and those high dollar heads are overkill and hype....that a fella with a Grizzly or Wensel or Tuffhead or similar...sharpened razor sharp on a heavy arrow shot by a proper bow would do the same thing as the German or Alaska Bowhunting $100 heads.
They say the height of custom bows was in the 80s and 90s.....and I think the height of high quality broadheads for glue on, cut on contact, robust designs is now!