At the California Culinary Academy, the tuition pays for a fairly extensive kit, the focus of which is a good range of Wusthof Classic knives. There are some folks in my class that have replaced some knives in their rolls with other knives they prefer - Global, Henckels, and others. Frankly, I really like the heft and feel of the Wusthof Classic line. The handles are nice and narrow, which lets me get a better grip on the blade (proper chef's grip, as they've taught us). I prefer a heavier knife, only because it reminds me that I am wielding a very sharp instrument and it demands my attention. And that 12" slicer went through that Thanksgiving turkey like it was butter. LIKE BUTTAH. Ahem. Basically the consensus is buy what feels right to you. The one suggestion I can make is that high-carbon stainless steel is probably the best choice for folks that are afraid of having difficulty sharpening something like the Global knives. HC stainless is easy to sharpen, and keeps an edge quite a while if you care for your tools properly.