Forrest Mfg. Co. Inc.

Are you one of those people that has to have a Lie-Nielsen plane when a very nice Record plane would do almost as well? Do your layout tools have to have Rosewood handles, or can you bet by with plastic? If spending a little extra money to have the best is worth the effort -- Forrest blades are for you. Don't get me wrong, the benefit is more than perceived -- these are excellent blades. But you have to ask yourself, at what price excellence? A quality blade for the Popular Woodworking shop will cost between $40 and $60. So when Jim Forrest of Forrest Manufacturing Co. offered us a $120 blade to test I was ready to shoot it down before making a single cut because of the premium price. Four years and a lot of board feet of lumber later I understand the difference, and yes, I'd spend the extra money.