I am no knife expert but these knives look lovely. If anyone is interested in Knifes, here is a fascinating article from New Yorker (2008): http://www.newyork

I am no knife expert but these knives look lovely. If anyone is interested in Knifes, here is a fascinating article from New Yorker (2008): http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/11/24/sharper http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/11/24/sharper I got one of the Japanese knives gifted to me. I think it is in the same price range as your lineup. I use a Kyocera Ceramic knife for about 10 years and they have a free sharpening service (which I used once). It has been chopping like a champ. What I found stunning was the metal knife was lighter (in a very good way) than the ceramic knife. I am a vegetarian and hence ceramic works better (no metallic tang), but I understand you buy lovely knives as the ones you carry for its epicurean value as much as its utilitarian value. Of all the formats of knives I have, I use the Santoku the most. It hits the sweet spot between a paring knife and Chef's knife. All the best.