We have a set of ordinary knives. Nothing special. Don't keep their edge very well, so I have to sharpen them frequently.

I was wanting to get one really good knife. From my research thus far, the Japanese make some of the best. Especially their folded steel (Damascus). But then I started learning about VG1, VG10, AUS, and other types of steel. Which sort of muddies the water, but is still important.

dikristo.com - About steel

I was in Nagoya a few weeks ago, and found a knife shop (by accident...it was right next to the post office which is what I was looking for), but was unprepared to make an intelligent choice. I had heard of this knife shop, too, even before we went to Japan. Their knives are almost works of art:

miuraknives.com: 三浦刃物店 Miura Knives

I was following Kramer for a while, but he seems to have diverged from making high quality knives for utility to making works of art you want to hang on a wall (his knives are exquisite, and the imagery he creates is astounding...but I ain't paying $20K for a knife). He only produces a few now, and sells by auction.

kramerknives.com: Kramer Knives - The Official Bob Kramer Knives Website

I'm thinking Damascus SG-2 blades. I originally wanted one knife, and was going to go for a versatile style like santoku, but I think we should also get a second knife that is a smaller blade, like a paring knife. Those are the two styles we use most in our kitchen.