If we are talking about knives. I have the Old Homestead set of knives I swear up and down with. Made in the 70's out of Japan they just work.
Also you can keep a good edge on a set of the old Chicago Cutlery knives as well.
I sharpen my own knives but as far as buying something fancy, better think about it first. Unless you are going to be a professional cook/chef IMHO you don't need a top end knife.
As stated before I butcher my own meat and some of my best knives I got in a thrift store.
Finally it is just as important if a knife fits well in your hands as in my case It takes an hour or so to cut up 20 to 40 pounds of meat and get into storage. You want something that fits well in your hands so you won't tire you hands out.
As stated I sharpened my knives as well. You don't need anything fancy there too.
I use the Ruixin Pro III for 5 years now and it works fine for me. They are cheap if you can find them.
I get my sharpened angles with a mechanical angle finder instead of digital. Digital works great but you need batteries and I try to avoid that as possible.
I've also heard some good things about the newer model called the Ruixin Pro 008.
Learning how to sharpen your knives will not only save you time, a no so sharpened knife will increase your chances of an accident happening.
Rarely do I cut myself on a sharpened knife. 27 years ago was the last time I made that mistake.
Anyhow just like a mechanic in his workshop know your tools when you are in the kitchen. And just like mechanic's tools if you take care of them, they will take care of you for decades to come.
