Sorry I'm not good at organizing bookmarks, so I rarely bother unless it's specific to something I'm working on. Trust me, if you look through any threads in recent years here on the subject (tip: try searching google for your query, and append "site:practicalmachinist.com" to the end of the search, minus quotes, to only show results for this forum.) you'll see his user pop up, and defer to what he says, even when blanket dissent follows, unless that dissent really resonates for you.
I haven't bought any of his tools, which are by all accounts, top notch (read: curated for quality, efficacy, at a good cost ratio), but by reading here, and on his site, I've been able to source various holders and tools, either cheapo's but decent, or surplus and premium, by considering said information, to pretty good personal success with them.
Since I've randomly acquired large handfuls of this or that premium insert when buying tools locally from retiring guys, I'm usually trying to figure out a way to utilize them, which is the only reason I haven't just tooled up directly from exkenna's site. However, I am planning to try a certain type of facemill he sells and his inserts for aluminum very soon, and I've sent other guys without much background his way, and they've had results far exceeding what could be expected from their experience level. I'd say it's a pretty sure bet if you want to be able to call, explain your needs, and get a good value great performing tool, without a bunch of research and high peace of mind factor.
It's getting easier now, some of the better youtubers have been putting out videos explaining insert nomenclature and what they use with manual machines, so it's not quite as daunting to learn enough about the murky world of indexables as it once was (which IMO just a few years ago, was nearly impossible for a layman to get a handle on all the random designations and acronyms, considering the volume of older proprietary geometries, coatings, coding systems, etc), especially now that labeling seems to be getting more standardized. Previously however, I'd given up entirely until I started seeing exkenna chime in, and like many others I'm sure, I just thought HSS was the only reasonable option with manual machines. Surely it still is the best option in some cases, but I've certainly found the same to be true of insert tooling, with, for example; stainless, for me, and my lathe, that is.
