I wasn't expecting this to be a fabulous plane for my first real plane at this price.  I was just looking for something that worked well and that's what I've gotten.  I'd been using some 5 dollar micro plane for a while for some small things and some things it was never meant to handle.  Just figured it was time to step into a real plane to properly handle larger jobs and to see if I really wanted to start going down the rabbit hole of plane ownership.  Keep in mind I did not go through the process many do of trying to make sure the plane was perfectly flat and and what not.  The sole seems to be flat to me.  no major problems with the machining.  I did give the blade a basic sharpening by hand and was making great shavings in no time.  This thing has found a permanent place in my regular tool tote.  I honestly can't believe I went as long as I did without a decent block plane.  I suppose the more I use it the more I will want to make sure it performs as well as it can so I will need to get some proper sharpening items and if i get really motivated I might see how flat the sole is and take care of that if it needs it.  Those seem like good skills to have for when a person steps up to a higher quality plane and they want their investment to perform at it's best.  The Stanley Sweetheart planes are looking nicer each day.