I have some pretty great news for all you out there that have been hunting down quarter sawn beech for planemaking. Usually if you can even find QS beech it is usually sold in large quantities at some random sawyer that has no clue what you are wanting to do with it. When you tell you him you don't want 500-1000 bf of it in the green you can hear him rolling his eyes over the phone. He's too nice to just hang up but he's ready to get off the phone and get back to trying to make some money.
I know your pain. I spent a lot of time and energy getting what I work with. Maybe someday we'll all have a simpler source than practically going and cutting the tree down ourselves and drying it. Well that someday just got a little closer. Isaac Smith over at Blackburn Tools has just acquired a large section of QS beech that looks fantastic in the photos I've seen. He is guaranteeing the quality of the wood which is a plus. I consider his prices quite fair considering it is cut to rough size and you can purchase in such a small quantity. (as of 8/27/15)
On behalf of all the aspiring planemakers out there Isaac I say "thank you." Very nice to see you offering this and I hope you keep doing so. Spread the word so that Isaac makes this worth his time and will keep it up!