All kitchen knives worth anything require maintenance. Really good knives (i.e. usually made with good steel) will hold an edge, and require less sharpening be

All kitchen knives worth anything require maintenance. Really good knives (i.e. usually made with good steel) will hold an edge, and require less sharpening before each use. Instead you can just hit them weekly or so with a sharpening ceramic. Cheaper knives need constant sharpening, and or don't hold an edge for anything, and require you to do all the work. Regardless, always wash and dry your knives by hand, and always cut on a cutting board. Me personally, I love Shun knives. Not cheap, but the time and effort saved when cooking make it worth the investment. My first shun is over 10 years old, and I have never sharpened it with a stone, just a sharpening ceramic.