Hi!

I need the 1/4" flute & bead bits, aka 'canoe' bits, well, for
building a canoe in fact.
Woodcraft has the freud router bits for the standard retail, just over
$100 for the pair.

However, I can order similar bits from many companies, lee valley,
grizzly, mlcs, a couple others for as little as $20 for the pair and
more generally $50.
The design seems the same, though most have 1/4" shanks and not 1/2".
The cut depth limiting taper is now pretty universal and not just for
freud.

So, does the fit & finish, and quality of the carbide, justify the
cost versus let's just say the grizzly-brand router bits? If you
haven't observed significant quality/lifespan differences, I'll
probably go with the cheaper bits. They certainly look the same as
the freuds.
I need to mill around 4000 linear feet on each bit. A 20' canoe ends
up using an awful lot of these thin little cedar strips!


thanks for the advice!
-Bernard