Great thread. I cook a lot. (Dinner parties R'Us.)
Good knives are everything.
Here are my Germans (Wuesthof on top/Henckel on bottom):
Here are my Japanese (Shum and Global):
Here's how I keep them all razor sharp (Henckel sharpener and steel.):
Now I love my knives and have had them all for a long time. All of them have their own function, and all see constant use—with the exception of the Shum. I just don't like the way the handle sits in my hand. Can't get used to it. I've tried to get a handle on it (if you'll pardon the pun), but can't.
If I had to make do with just one of these knives it would be the large Wuesthof (top)—which is brilliant IMO for just about everything. My second favorite all around knife would be the Global because of it's incredibly light weight.
The Henckel sharpening combo is also brilliant. The sharpener is rough, but does the job, and all the slight imperfections it leaves are taken care of with the steel. I've tried a stone but don't have the patience for it.