I did a lot of research on this.
I've owned Wusthof, and CutCo and Zwilling.
The best answer I could find is ZWILLING TWINS. The 'Twins' series is MADE IN GERMANY - not China, like the base level Wusthof and Zwilling knives. CutCo are good, but are serrated and I hate that. I want knives I can sharpen that I know will last a lifetime. The Zwilling Twins knives keep a great edge for a long time.
Of course there are better knives out there, but you wind up jumping WAY up in price. Not worth it IMHO unless you're a professional chef.
The Zwilling knives look nice and don't break the bank. Some posted Buck and Laguiole which look amazing but far more expensive. I'm not sure I need to be spending that kind of cash in this economy.
Just make sure you get the Twins series. That’s German and far superior to the Chinese stuff. I spent about $300 on a complete set which included steak knives. I also got the cleaver (sold separately but totally worth it).
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