Just wanted to throw a update out there and maybe inquire about the best places to get the items from.
I went to a local place and found Sur La Table. Pretty cool place. Anyways, they had Shun, Global, Henkels, and Wusthof. I held pretty much all of them, and my least fav was prolly the wusthof classic..they were close to the Henkel (pro S I think it was) except that the Henkels seemed a tad better on the handle feel---it was more rounded where the Wusthof's have sharper lines on the handle. I tried the Shun classic, and the Ken Onion and that pretty much was what I expected..I liked the Ken Onion. I also tried the Global Knives just to give them a fair shot..but again, it was about as expected--not a big fan of all steel knives. So what were my final choices?
I am basically at a coin flip with the Ken Onion and the Wusthof Classic Ikon series. Pros about each one IMO: Ikon: Nicely balanced, look very durable, and natural in my hand. Ken Onion: very natural ergo's, lighter, and cosmetically pleasing.(note: I didn't actually cut anything Since I know I would be happy with either...I am now looking to see where the best deal to be had from both of them and pick from there. Looking at the 5" utility, 6"(for wife) or 8" (for me---insert Tim Allen macho sound--)Chef or both, and a 3.5" paring knife...that should get me started until I feel I need/want more.