thomd
>I agree with the shoulder plane also.

You can actually get by without either. A block plane is fine if you chisel by hand just the portion it can't cut. Since one is often in tight getting the crumbs out with a chisel it really doesn't slow the process down to use remove the slight amount of material required to make a passage for the shoulder plane. Something to try at least while you are waiting for the new plane to arrive.

You will probably be just as happy with either material in the blades, there are pros and cons to each. I think O1 is a better choice. It's easier to sharpen, but requires more re-sharpening. In professional blade use that has comonly been the best choice, and it happens to be better for beginers also. The only disadvantage is in magazine tests. The main places where high resistence to abrasion works out are:

1) The stuff it was designed for, machine tools, steel cutting steel, etc... Here the general issue i heat resistence not just harder wear.

2) People who can't sharpen. Some people send their tools back to the factory for sharpening.

3) Survival situations where the blade can't be resharpened.

4) Working in materials with an unusual amount of abrasive capacity, like wood with silica.

5) People who make such a big deal out of sharpening with so many jigs and so slow, and have planes that are so complicated to set that essentially it's like they can't actually sharpen.