[Superman]

Without going over a litany of brand names, I'll give my generic input:

Knives: It's all about the steel. Germany used to make the best, and now perhaps Japan does. When you have obtained the knife (knives) that you need, have them professionally sharpened. There is one fellow in the Seattle area that all the major chefs send their knives to. This is not for amateurs. Once a good edge has been put on a good knife, you shouldn't need to sharpen it for a long time. And cutting grizzly things with embedded reinforcing steel in them will be like cutting warm butter. No kidding.

For pots and pans, I'm still a steel guy. Copper clad steel. Transfers heat well, lasts forever. Cast iron for some stuff, but certainly copper clad steel for sauce pans. I plan to never ever cook on Teflon again in my life.