I used to buy another popular brand and after a few uses the carbide tip quickly dulled. The first thing I saw and felt with Whiteside tools was that you have to be careful removing the protective case, you want sharpness - you get incredibly sharp tools. I've been a locksmith for 47 years so I know the tools and the quality. This knife could shave. I have previously purchased their 1/2" spiral cutter and have used it maybe 30 times and it is still incredibly sharp, I have cut soft and hard wood with it. I have a Yonico 1/4 that has been used twice on softwood, I did a comparison test Yonico vs Whiteside. I cut out a little template with my router table and the white side outperformed the Yonico by a large margin. The finish was noticeable using the same piece of wood and you could tell by the sound and the ease of cutting.The white side is more expensive but I would buy it again