There are a plethora of kitchen knives floating around out there! Researching a top quality set of kitchen knives can be confusing, frustrating and not a lot of fun for someone who is not really into it.

Let me just throw this out here before discussing any one particular brand..... IMHO, I'd personally rather have a top notch, high quality set of 6 or so kitchen knives than a mediocre or cheap set of 30! Truth be told...... all you truly need in a kitchen is a small paring knife, a medium vegetable knife, a 8"-10" "Chef's Knife", a carving knife and a serrated bread knife. If you are really a Gourmet - maybe a Santoku knife also. If you have these and they are excellent quality - that is pretty much all you're gonna need unless you are really a true Chef or Baker.

When I purchased my 23 piece Wusthof Classic series block set (30 years ago) I was working, making a very nice income and price didn't concern me much. It came with a meat cleaver (which I only use on rare occasion), 8 steak knives which are fantastic but a set of steak knives don't need to be top top quality, two serrated bread knives (one would have done just fine), a carving fork (any carving fork would suffice), a fillet knife which I rarely use, and a few others that I do use but could live with out if cost was an object. Oh, it also came with a pair of Chef's shears which my wife uses to open sealed plastic packages in the kitchen.

If you are hindered by the cost, I would recommend buying a smaller quantity block set, the best quality you can afford and make SURE it is a name brand that has been around for a while and comes with a lifetime, no BS warranty. Within a brand also comes different quality. For instance, I am familiar with Wusthof since that is what I have. I have the Classic series which is full tang, drop forged blades and have triple riveted Delron handles I believe. I personally would not buy their less expensive sets made with stamped out blades or models with only a partial tang. Their "Ikon" line is their top of the line basically because they have fancy contoured handles - but same forged steel, full tank blades.

I have sharpened some Zwilling and Henckels brands and their top of the line is nice as well, but again, I would stick to the forged full tang versions and not the less expensive stamped out, partial tang versions made in Asia, Spain, etc. Once again, make sure they come with a no BS lifetime warranty!

About 5 years ago I sharpened a 10 year old full set of Wusthof's for a good friend and while the blades themselves were fine, I noticed every single rivet on every knife had split marks all around them on the handle material. He called Wustof and they replaced the entire set - no questions asked. Now that's service!

I have been sharpening more and more these days (with much appreciated help and advise from Strawhat here, I am thinking of doing it professionally on a part time level) and have done a bunch of Chicago Cutlery, Cutco, SAK, and a bunch of "el cheapo" Amazon, Flea Market and department store brands. It made me appreciate the top quality German and Japanese knives ever so much more. While I can get a good edge on less expensive knives, they never seem as sharp or to last as long. When I see a shinny high Chromium content blade I know it's gonna take a little extra.

So my point here is to not be dazzled by a huge 25 or 30 knife set, look at the quality over quantity. If you can afford 6 or 8 steak knives in the set - then go for it, but remember, steak knives can always be added later and they don't need to be of the highest quality - unless your steaks come out like rubber - lol!!

All my life (even as far as collecting os concerned) I have always gone for quality over quantity. You can always add-on as you go and money becomes available. I know this all seems like common sense, but I can not tell you how many just buy a large knife set because it comes with a gazillion knives and looks neat. I'd also stay away from buying knives sight unseen on the TV shopping channels - they make everything look and seem great - not! As long as you know exactly what you are buying and verify they are genuine (not Chinese knock-offs) I'd also shy away from Amazon until you do all the research.

So I wanted to post this in hopes I can help a few here. Like I said, I have been getting into sharpening lately(more than usual) and have learned a lot about knives. I'm sure there are other excellent brands out there, but for most of us the top quality German knives seem to be the best bang for the buck and their top tier lines come with a lifetime warranty should you ever need it. While there are some awesome Japanese knives available also, they are usually more costly, harder to find and warranty, and sometimes harder to sharpen due to their harder steel blades. BTW, high quality knives last pretty much forever with minimal care.