Which programs are recommended for creating icons?

[BeLugh]

I didn't work with graphical programs for years, are there recommended ones i can use to create modified icons?
Also it would be great if you guys can post vanilla icons

[Hammish]

I just use an old copy of Paint Shop Pro 5 I happen to have; while the newer versions of most editors are nice for photo-quality work, I find the older stuff to be such a godsend when dealing with lower-resolution or non-aliased stuff.

If you like the look, though, feel free to glance through my BTC mod when I post a new version later today; if you like the new icons I did up, I can supply you with the stock versions for each, complete with layering for ease of editing.

[ai_enabled]

For the Windows 7/8 I prefer to use the Paint.NET 4.0 (http://www.getpaint.net) - very useful UI and fully opensource. For the Mac OS X I think the Pixelmator (http://www.pixelmator.com/) - is best for its price/performance ratio :-).
The last version of the Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/) is also good tool, especially if you setup it right way.

[BeLugh]

As i did not get a reply i started to search for one myself. I ended up with Gimp 2.8 and so far i am confident with that choice as i only need to edit icons