Hi Don,
I have one of the multi speed Wilton saws. I just use the 3000 SFM for wood and plastics, and cut metals on the slower speeds. I use a Lenox blade. Tried one of the generic brand blades from Enco once, and it was a POS! I have not had any trouble sawing the CPM154 from AKS.
You might take a look at
http://www.alphaknifesupply.com/ They have several different blade steels on their site including CPM154. They also have a mammoth ivory sale going on right now, and you can see what you are buying.
David