Best all around plane and steel for plane blades?

I want to buy a Christmas present for someone who is a good woodworker that would be an upgrade to his Stanley in the $200 -250 range. Any suggestions?

Veritas for example has a really interesting jack plane and offers the blade in three steels A2, O1, and PM-V11 which seems to be their version of a powdered metal steel like ZDP-189 which is a steel I love in my Miyabi 7000MC but )1 is a pretty awesome steel as well.

TIA

There is a website just for you: http://www.japanwoodworker.com

Amusing I didn't think about them since I bought my shig from them!

If they're up for a project you could get them an infill kit, like the Norris 51 type

http://www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/smoothing.html

Lie Nielsen make high quality Stanley Bedrock type planes that are a step up from Stanley Bailey patterns.

Or you could opt for an aftermarket blade for his existing plane:
http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/bladetest.html

Has he spent time fettling his plane? Lapping the sole flat and trueing the mating surfaces of the frog can really improve a basic plane, and if I'd spent hours doing this I may not want to replace it.

I'm a professional woodworker. Lie Nielsen makes some very nice small palm planes that could be useful for most woodworkers but are not found in most people's tool cabinet. The Modelmaker's plane and Violin makers plane are two nice ones. The small block plane is also nice. Most woodworkers could also use (but likely don't have) a sweet Starrett bevel protractor or square. The 6" T-square and 4" smaller T-square are great tools. Lee Valley tools is another site to check out. A sweet 1.5" wide paring chisel, white steel, from the Japan woodworker would also be cool. So many toys - so little money!