I think the issue is kitchen knives can be artwork in addition to being tools. In fact, some are mainly artwork, and have poor tool-related utility. I think you should only exceed $500-700 for a handmade monosteel gyuto because you have chosen to add artistic elements. Maybe you could argue san mai construction is a performance enhancement that is worth some extra $$$ beyond that, but Damascus, mokume, carvings, exotic handle materials, etc. are extra $$$ items on top of the base "tool price" that should only be added because the buyer wants those additions of handmade art. Is the value of these items worth the extra cost? Hard to say, as each potential future buyer in the used market will put their own value on things like that.
