Lchvod Ramatshkolnik: I’m not here to say what the Minhag is or what people like to follow (in my opinion there is almost no such thing to day anyways and is probably impossible to find out see Sdey Chemed vol 4 #37, its also interisting that the OH writes a letter defending the Sdey Chemed). What I’m trying to point out is that the MB was alot more popular in Europe and I think the fact of how many he sold (which he has receipt’s in the KOl kisvey CC and its in the thousands and remember that Sefarim cost alot more then), combined with all of the Gedolim whom he correspondence with and how they honored him (see also he opened the Kneses Hagdelah and he was also the Machria in the case of Velozion’s closing where the OH happened to also live) it would seem logical that people used his sefarim more. The most compelling in my opinion is the fact that the OH was not printed until much later around 1910 while the MB was already out for almost 20 years, also the fact that I cant find any Gedolim of those times quoting an OH while the MB is commonly quoted (i.e Achiezer, Shol Meshiv…).
I appologize about the 2nd hand comment I just meant that I find that when one person says that this is how it was or this person told me this it holds less ground as opposed to finding documented evidence (its interesting to note how the students of the RamaBach and many other great Rabonim almost never (acctualy never) say that they heard Beshem their Rebbe, they always quote the Ksav, also the MB and OH say the words Beshem I think a total of 6 times feel free to Bar Ilan it). Either way this whole conversation is all theoretical and we all recognize that the CC or the MB has taken the main place in the world (over all). It would be an intiristing conversation of why (I think for example he had many more sefarim, Rishonim and Achronim and he was more mesudar and would not Pasken against the majority also it is interesting how he never quotes the KItzur (I think he quotes him a total of 4 or 5 times even though he argues on him many times) but mostly u will see that in Simin 36 he never quotes and that sound’s like he does not hold of him (p.s neither does the OH ever bring him, even though he was very popular and available as you can know from the Hakdama to the Kitzur).