Hi, all. Been casually interested in knives for a long time, but have gotten more and more interested in well-made knives that are a pleasure to hold, to look at and to use. Been buying a few of the higher quality japanese knives as well as some German chefs knives and decided to learn more about the whole subject by reading in the forum. Lots of catching up reading to do... and thanks to all of you who share your experiences and expertise- remarkably valuable to a self-taught beginner.