WHirsch

As a professional instrument builder, I depend on my hand tools a lot. Without a doubt, one of the best purchases I've ever made was a Lie-Nielson block plane. While it is small, it fits the hand perfectly and is really hefty. I get zero chatter on end grain. The speed with which I can accomplish planing tasks with this tool more than offsets the initially high price. I don't look at it as a cost, I look at it as an investment. I know that the tool was made with pride and that if anything ever goes wrong, I'll be able to get it serviced by people who actually give a damn about what they make and not just profit. I don't think the same can be said for the WR planes. I also get a kick out of knowing that this is a tool that will probably be given to a grandchild at some point.