Decent tools

I just acquired my first decent bench plane. I was making a Stanley #4 work for me (the new ones with plastic handles, not the sweethearts but the ones at the hardware store for $25) and what a dramatic difference. Now, I'm a believer that people made beatiful works with mich inferior tools than i have available to me now, so with practice and obsessive sharpening, I can learn to make these work. I learned that having a real tool sure makes this a lot more fun :) Another lesson: buy nice, or buy twice. Oh well. I will admit that I have not regretted spending the extra on a tool, but can recount multiple cheaper ones I regret...

All I did was to essentially pull it out of the box, wipe it down, polish the iron edge on a strop (back as well for a mirrored back surface) and... I could literally float some of the shavings in the air. Wow.
So I am slowly getting a few real tools which I am appreciating...