I've always loved the Classic knife line because they're as close as you can get to the knives made in Germany at a fraction of the cost.  They're forged knives made of German steel with a perfectly weighted blade and 3 rivet handle.  The addition of the self sharpening block makes keeping them "out of the box" sharp a simple task.  Pull a knife out and replace it...your knife is sharp.  German engineering has mastered this technique and packaged it in a beautiful, dark block.