wondered what that was. nice post for beginners. :) i actually have a few knives -- a boning knife, breaking knife, skinning knife, vegetable cleaver, chopper, bread knife, chef's knife, turning knife and paring knife. home cooks should avoid buying knife blocks altogether. the knives are usually stamped in the old-school european style with the heavy blades and wide bolsters that make them a bitch to sharpen. if you have knives you should learn how to take care of them, that includes washing (never in the dishwasher!), sharpening and maintaining. a quick polish with a fine 3000 grade stone makes a world of difference when it comes to slicing fish or segmenting oranges. most "professional" knife sharpeners will take your knife out to the back and grind it down on a motorised stone. it will feel sharp when you get it back. heck it'll cut through tomatoes so aggressively that you'll wonder how you ever got by but the edge will be riddled with micro serrations. the more serrated your knife is and the more aggressive it feels when you cut with it, the faster your edge will wear down. after a proper sharpen the edge of your knife should be as smooth and as reflective as a mirror, and even from tip to heel. 800 is a useful stone to put an edge on a blunt knife, 1000 for general sharpening and 3000 for polishing. ey... I'm a botanist and more importantly, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer