Yet another "looking for plane purchase advice". To recap the history (from this thread):
Anat planes get a pretty universal thumbs down.
Groz gets "ok as a beater plane" - some people are even pretty happy with 'em. Then again - alot of "save your money" comments.
LN and Lee Valley planes walk on water, occasionally walk above water.
Clifton (don't hear much about them), but a Bench Plane is like $300 (on par with LV and LN) - are those any good? For the price - I'd think LN or LV....
What about the Bailey planes at WoodCraft? The first thing I see wrong with them is the plastic handle (tendency to crack and break during use). It's not a fatal flaw, since someone (Highland? I think) carries replacement wood handles.
I'm looking to "get started" with planes. $300 for one is a bit steep (maybe I might get one plane every other year....) So far, I've had the (typical?) bad experiences with block planes (OLD WWII Stanley) - I can't seem to "make it work".
Right now, a "beater plane" sounds pretty good. I'm thinking about the Groz on sale at WoodCraft.