Don't have either but was planning on trying to obtain and root a RdB cutting this winter primarily because it is an early producer.

Beautiful pic there Jason. Also it looks like your trees are going to town up there in Saratoga Springs Scot. I have seen the Foxfarm Ocean Forest around here at a few nurseries. Are you using it straight out of the bag Scot? At this time I am using a 50/50 mix of Promix HP and pine bark fines with just a bit of worm castings and touch of dolomite lime for good measure.

Johnnie, I used the Foxfarm straight out if the bag, with a touch of Espoma garden-tone organic fertilizer mixed in with the soil.

Black Madeira is free. just keep ordering from USDA/UCA until you get one. like someone said when i first join the fourm, you just need one tree to make 100 out of it. last two yrs, i had one good cutting from USDA/UCD. both yr, they rooted.

RdB... not sure why it's so hard to get, but it's hard to get. but this one is easy to root, and grows like a weed. once you have one cutting that strike, you will have 100 trees. i'll probably propagate few more just to be on safe side next spring. or give away both cuttings.

Well I feel blessed, got 2 Black Madeiria with fruit and a Preto loaded too. My Italian 258 probably a year away from producing, but I will be happy to wait for that one.  I've already had RDB this year and while it was good, I wouldn't consider it in the class of premium figs for taste. 

I don't know why some think RdB is hard to come by.  It is sold very commonly on eBay and prices often aren't very bad.  Black Madeira prices are almost higher than RdB (except from NCGR Davis).  Jason has a rooted tree for sale on eBay right now.

My two cents. I don't have RdB, but I really like Black Madeira. Productive, late, good tasting and stands up pretty well to rain. Needs a lot of sun and fertilizer. I haven't found fig mosaic to be a problem here. I can't wait for this year's...

And now Kerry (DrivewayFarmer) has a RdB for sale. No Black Madeira currently being offered.

Have eaten both pot grown.  No comparison in taste, madeira superior.  But rdb grows much much faster and I have no doubt is much more cold hardy.  RDB wins in every category but the most important, taste

Going by what I have sampled over the last 2 seasons, my RdB may have to go to another
home. I hope to sample B.Madeira this season as I had it in the greenhouse since June. It is
a slow grower for yrs. This yr, it put out the most growth, likely loving the heat in the GH.

NOTE : RdB growth is strong, too strong as if it is on steriods.

I can confirm that RDB is a fast grower. I got mine from Kerry (drivewayfarmer) and it grew like a weed. I'll finally get to taste it this year, it has at least a dozen figs that should ripen and a few that still need to be cut off. No Black Maderia so no comment on that one yet. Some day, hopefully soon.

there will be a two yr old Black Madeira in 1 gal with figs on it on F4FF auction in 1st week of sept or so :)

Do not count Ronde de Bordeaux ,out as an inferior fig,because it is ,a superior tasting cultivar.
The people that had ripe fruits in the Northeast,included me,and lived on the east coast,we had the most horrible Summers,in 2011,2012,and 2o13,with huge amounts of rains in July and August,and cold September,so in those conditions the Ronde did not shine.
But whenever there is a period,of 5 sunny days in a row ,here on east coast,in August,then Ronde de Bordeaux produces a batch of the most delicious fruits on the face of the earth.
Also this year,surprise,it was ripening fruits very early,only 4 days after Improved Celeste,which is the earliest to ripe here.
So now that it is established as an early ripening cultivar,Ronde is compitting against other early ripening cultivars like:
Improved Celeste,Malta Black,Florea,and Marseilles black vs,and Gino.
Out of them,I would choose ,with my taste buds,as Number one,for taste:
Ronde de Bordeaux
#1,For taste and size:Malta Black
and after these 2 come the rest
So downgrading Ronde de Bordeaux,will be a loss for the Gardener community,because ,every garden should have one,especially in cold climates.
Madeira black is wonderfull for the people that got the climate for it.
Most of us in cold climates,get only a couple of ripe fruits in a season,while Ronde de B,will give us a full harvest,like a few hundreds of fruits,and that makes the difference.

We, grow and sell both. But, like Herman said, for the Northeast I think Ronde de Bordeaux is the best.

However, Martin says that he is getting very good results growing Black Madeira in a pot on his drive way.

I have never been able to get a sizable harvest from pot grown figs, like Martin does. They always end up getting stressed from to much heat, not enough water, not enough nutrients, or all three.

Martin could you detail how you get such good results using pots verses in ground. Are you using self watering pots, and what type of potting mixture do you use to provide the plant with all of its nutrient requirements?

Bob @ T. Pine - Connecticut Zone 5b/6a 

And in order to show my conviction from previous post,I went outside and Harvested,my ripe Ronde de B,and Malta Black,and yes ,I checked my Madeira Black(6yers old,one foot high),but only a couple of green fruits on it,so here they are,pixies.
I tell you:they are as tasty as they can get,no tough skin,nothing wrong,just deliciouseness.

Herman, the last time I talked to you, you were trying to determine whether or not Danny's Delight and Malta Black were the same fig.

Have you been able to make a determination yet?

Bob @ T. Pine - Connecticut Zone 5b/6a

Robert I deleted response to your question as i do not want to change the subject matter.

Robert:So Far,It seem they are different,because:
Danny Delite is not close to ripening,while Malta black is ripening all over the place.
I have an extra 2 years old Malta B,in ground,younger than Danny Delite and is ripening a handful of fruits this moment,while Danny D,do not,and it is older plant.
So I have to conclude it is different tho,the fruits last October looked and tasted similar.