Prepping veg, meat, herbs, allium, etc for meal construction is one of my favorite things in the world. So when I get stuck with crappy knives, it seriously messes with my happiness. Shun knives are beautiful, hold their edge, and boast incredible balance and just enough heft. My only regret is that someone in my family bought me new knives recently, so I have to "sneak" the Shuns out of retirement now!