[5String43]

It's past time for some serious upgrading at our house.

Our knife drawer contains a mix of Wusthof and Zwilling/Henckles knives. Had 'em all for probably 30 years. Sharpening them this morning to get ready for the day's festivities, I noticed that the paring knife is especially rough.

So I'm thinking of Japanese knives. Does the brain trust have a preference? Are they really that much better than the standard German/Swiss knives?

I'd like something that's readily available at Sur le Table or Williams Sonoma. I'll start with a 3.5-inch paring knife. As always, budget is important - just will not spring for a knife that costs $300; would like to balance quality with value. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.