"Andy" wrote in
oups.com:

you'll get improved performance with a good
aftermarket blade (i.e. Lee Valley/Veritas, Lie Nielsen, Ron Hock).
This might cost as much as the plane, but it'll probably be worth it.

I'll second that - a good thick blade makes a plane perform a
thousand times better, and it's a lot easier to sharpen to boot.
My user #5 is a "Revenoc" brand, with a massive tapered iron
that's nearly 1/4" thick at the business end.

John