I also cut most smaller ie < 1/2" or 12mm threads with taps and dies. I started as a young bloke with a small metric set (6,8,10 fine and coarse) but relentlessly bought extras whenever I encountered the thread. 40 years later I have everything covered from 2 - 20mm plus similar sizes in Whitworth and SAE. I have always bought good quality HSS items and hate to think how much it would cost to replace this lot at today's prices...