I just went to Amazon.com and saw lots of empty blocks, as well as filled ones, on sale. Use the search term, "knife block."

Well, you're right. I've only tried the Shuns and a Kuhn Japanese style (Swiss?) and those were testers. Didn't like 'em. Didn't like the way they felt in my hand. Didn't like the way they felt when they hit the board. Didn't have a problem with the edge. Didn't find it particularly more impressive than anything I own. For me, an edge on my chef's knife that's sharp enough to slice through anything without pressure is really sharp. Really sharp as opposed to not sharp (which I abhor). I don't doubt that the knife you suggested may be sharper than mine, but mine are sharp enough for all tasks, so they're really sharp, not sort of sharp. I even cut up some veg with my old butcher knife because it was out, and it did just fine because it's been honed within an inch of its life. :) I don't have to have surgical blades, but I really really really hate nicks and chips and don't mind having to straighten my edge occasionally. I don't know why so many of y'all are so pulled out of shape when someone has a differing opinion. I never said the Japanese blades weren't good. Just that I prefer my German one. I didn't even say anyone else should join me in that preference, just explained why I liked what I liked to provide information. There isn't a single right answer folks, and errant snobbery isn't useful. On the market are some really bad knives that won't hold an edge and which are too flimsy to steel because the steel itself will push them out of true. Those are the blades y'all should be condemning.

Thanks, Lars. The description makes it sound easy to position the knife, but I had a CC sharpener 25? years ago and found that there was wiggle room and it wasn't always easy to just drop the knife into the slot. I notice that in the webstaurantstore site, there is a sharpener (~$198) by another company (for commercial use) and the magnet can be removed for cleaning and getting rid of the filings or swarf. The description for the sharpeners fails to mention the bevel angle. Ever heard of Mercer sharpeners? It is the same essential design as the CC and would pose the same positioning issue. https://www.webstaurantstore.com/mercer-culinary-m10000-triple-diamond-3-stage-professional-electric-knife-sharpener/470M10000.html Lars, did you find that the 2nd slot then the stropping slot got your knives sharp? I like a very sharp knife. I have some water stones (as well as oil stones). IIRC, the finest water stone is maybe 4,000, maybe 5,000. But then I have to use a hone and it still doesn't keenly chop/slice (parsley, onion). I'm wondering if I should get an 8000 stone, or mess with angle guides. I often do use the Black sharpie technique (dcarch above). When I bought my 8" Victorinox chef's knife, it was super sharp right out of the packaging. I could nearly give myself a cut (not my objective) just by looking at it. I want most of my knives sharp like THAT! A local guy has a pricy Edge Pro system. That takes time and has a learning curve. $$$. He charges about $1/inch. Either I am not getting the angle right or sharpening long enough, or or or. I don't think I can ever detect a blasted 'burr.' I slice (some fine chop) and cook a lot. I'm trying to heel a sore, problematic shoulder and arm. I've even fantasized about buying a crate of new knives.... Pone thing that did work for a long while, before it wore out, was a thin round, no-name "sharpening" rod coated with very fine diamond powder. $4.50! I recently bought a diamond rod, but it's not as fine a grit, doesn't get the edge all that keen with just a couple light strokes. I have a fine Arkansas stone (white-gray), albeit an oil stone (inherited). Maybe I should use that after the 5,000 water stone. I've watched many YouTube videos. I move the knife edge away, not into the stone (I don't lead with the knife edge). And, I think I understand that very keenly sharpened edges don't last well, particularly on the sort of so-so steel that's in most of my knives -- like that in the Victotinox. I'll look at this video again: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=te1KIpGyz-4#fauxfullscreen ed-- typos

Yes, I'd love to see this particular birthday gift. Happy Birthday, John, I like it better than the pulse oximeter, LOL. I don't have a Shun, but I do have a "special occasion" knife. Nancy (wizardnm) and her SO, Kim, gave it to Elery and I as a wedding gift, it's a Wusthof serrated utility knife, I use it for slicing tomatoes and for nothing else, it's perfect. I also have a set of Gerber steak knives, sharp as scalpels, a gift from Peppi that I liked so well I bought a second set. They are no longer made, of course, so I had to search for them, but they're amazing. So, yeah, I get the premise of a "special occasion knife". Annie