[Swedish Carpenter]

I disagree with most that entirely. Who doesn’t want to use quality tools? It’s not snobbery, it’s knowing a good tool will do better and make the work better, too. A person who maybe doesn’t have the funds/priorities/permission to obtain them may have a tinge of jealousy?

The fastest path to frustration and discouragement is a newbie trying to develop skills using cheap tools. Period!

I have a lot of Bedrock and Bailey planes, even a few Lie Nielsen. Yes, it is a joy to work with them. But, I picked up a Stanley handyman (#4) series plane for a couple of bucks; cleaned it real well, trued up the sides and the bottom, then stuck a Ron Hock iron and breaker in it. Works as nice as the others now. I guess what I am suggesting is that if you take a little time to fix up (tune) any plane and stick the right iron in it, you could end up with a really nice tool. For the beginner woodworker this is a good way to start to acquire some tools without the expense and start to develop skills.