Hi there,
I have used a Kirk BH-1 for the last 10 years or so, very solid and reliable. Used it with a Gitzo series 3 CF tripod, for my Canon EOS FF system.
However, I have recently sold the Canon stuff, and am using a lighter Pentax K5 system. So I have looked into a lighter tripod plus ball head combination, and ended up choosing a Gitzo series 2 basalt tripod (cheaper than CF and still light), plus the Acratech GP ball head. This is a very good ball head, and it weighs about 1/2 of the Kirk BH-1.
The GP can be mounted in a way as to be used as a panoramic head too, check Acratech website for demos.