Quote Originally Posted by Marcus Ward View Post
The thing I'm reacting to isn't this thread, it's a bunch of diverse situations where someone is pushing the bling tools for no reason than they're blingy.
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Part of it is more than once having my intelligence questioned because I don't think a LN is 10x better than a tuned vintage stanley.
I know how you feel. I've been in a similar contrary position and had my intelligence called into question because I dared think that the less expensive planes are actually usable.

I've got a diverse collection of planes from Groz, Anant, Veritas/Lee Valley, Lie-Nielsen, Stanley, Craftsman, and a quite a few wooden planes I've made myself. I'm able to do something useful with all of them. I'm not saying they all work equally well. In fact I really hate the Anant plow plane I've got. I really love the ones I've made myself and those made by Lie-Nielsen and Veritas.

Lately, when someone asks me, "I'm interested in using hand planes, what should I start with?" I try and find out what sort of person they are, or have them ask themselves. If they've got plenty of disposable income and are looking for quick results--I will recommend they look into either Lie-Nielsen or Veritas and have a ball. Most of the time though, the person asking has a fixed/small budget, so it gets more complicated. This is where I try and find out how interested they really are. If the person has the personality to keep at it and not give up, then I'll suggest they look into a less expensive option like Groz and if they like that, then go look for some of the vintage stuff at flea markets, antique stores, or try their hand at making their own in the Krenov style. For the folks that have a small budget and no patience, I'll either suggest they probably won't like using hand planes or to save some money and then get something from Veritas.

I also suspect, when the more experienced out there are answering the question about what to get, and immediately suggest Lie-Nielsen or Veritas it's because they've come to appreciate how well these tools work and the fact they're pretty much ready to go out of the box, thus eliminating all the work and potential frustration that comes with fettling a vintage plane or the plane kits that come from Stanley, Groz, Anant, etc. It may also be a case of ennui that comes from having answered that question a number of times before, so the easy answer is to just suggest the very best.

So, to me, what to suggest a novice start with depends on who's asking and how much time and money they have to put into learning.