Nothing wrong with good knives, just a PITA when you need one and don't have one handy.

I think alot of people make the mistake of getting a whole set of knives when they only need two or three max for cooking ,debone, chef, parring.



He's a yard sale tip Old Hickory knives from about the mid 80 on back are great finds if it hasnt been
abused too badly. The newer ones just done cut it compared to the older models.

Quoted: Actually, Wustof/Henckles have harder steel than most Japanese knives-just ask any pro chef like myself who has tried to sharpen one! Getting a fine edge on a Wustof or Henckle can take some time. The steel in most Japanese(not all-most) knives is a bit softer than most high carbon stainless...

I just don't agree with this (unless your talking about older Jap knives, in which case you need to get with the program) and would challenge you to produce evidence to support this.  I have seen much evidence that tells me that it's wrong.  Here's just some evidence:

Europe's two finest knife lines are Messermeister and Eberhard Schaaf. Messermeister San Moritz and Meridian:  high carbon stainless steel (.5% carbon, 13% chromium) with a Rockwell hardness of 57. Messermeister San Moritz and Meridian are hand-crafted by skilled artisans in Solingen, Germany   MAC [knife] distinctives: Crafted by hand in Japan Like Chef's Choice, MAC knives have a high carbon content (.7%-.8%), 13%-14% chromium, and .1%-.3% molybdenum, with a Rockwell hardness of 60.

www.cookswares.com/discussions/choosingcutlery.asp

Henckels Fine Edge Pro 6 Piece Set 31420 000 Especially hardened, stainless steel blade: The blade is made of stainless steel with a special formula. It is hardened in a special hardening process with 56,5 Rockwell (HRC) which means the degree of hardness .

www.kitchenkapers.com/henfinedpro6.html

The stainless steel used in Global Japanese knives is harder than the steel used in traditional German cutlery, which gives Global knives a noticeably sharper edge.

www.metrokitchen.com/cutlery/

With the development of some of the high-tech stainless steels in Japan and elsewhere, the Japanese cutlers have been developing high quality Western style knives with thin, hard, stainless steel blades that cut better than ours do.... So are you ready to move from the heavy European knives made for durability to the newer Japanese knives made for performance? Let's discuss the downside before you make a decision. There are some issues involved in owning and using knives like these. The first is that acute bevel angle. The owner should understand that most commercial knife sharpening services are set up to grind 20 degree bevels to restore knife edges. This is appropriate for Western knives with softer steel but won't restore the original sharpness of the Japanese knives. They can handle angles of 15 degrees or even less. So if you can't or won't sharpen your own knives, you will need to find a sharpening service that can accommodate this type of edge. Sharpening the knives is really not a problem. Even though the edges are harder, they are thinner so maintenance is similar to what you might expect in a Western knife. You can steel them between sharpenings in the same manner as a Western knife. The ultra hardness of some of these blades makes the edges somewhat more brittle and delicate. That means you shouldn't throw these knives into a drawer with other knives. The result could be chipped edges. Knives like these should have proper storage like a wood block or magnetic storage strip or the use of some kind of cover over the edge. Every good quality knife should have good storage but it's more important with the newer Japanese products. The alloys used to make these harder blades are somewhat less stain resistant than those on Western knives. You must keep them out of the dishwasher or they will spot. No good quality knife should ever go into the dishwasher but it's doubly important with these. The author's website at www.thegoodgourmet.com also has a good selection of Japanese knives. Fred Whitlock has been a professional cutler and knife dealer for several years. He also owns and operates a gourmet kitchenware retail store and cooking school in the South Bend-Mishawaka, Indiana area called The Good Gourmet. He regularly teaches cooking classes there and lectures on kitchen cutlery and knife skills.

knifeoutlet.com/revolution.htm

The reason you feel it's more difficult to sharpen the German/European knives is because they have more alloying metals (e.g. chromium) and like all more stainless steels they don't sharpen as easily as a more carbon steel.  Plus the Euro knives have a blunter (20-degree) edge bevel, than the typical Japanese vegetable knife (e.g. a santuko with a 15-degree bevel, so you're also feeling more steel that your having to remove.  

Hang around a good knife forum for a while and you'll learn these things, like this one:  www.knifeforums.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=Kitchen
There are many chefs that hang around there as well as kitchen knife experts and there aren't many that recommend the German knives over the good Japanese knives.  Although I admit the hardness of the Euro knives is high than I initially thought and they have other redeeming features, but the trend amongst those in the know definately is Japanese.  Although I see some some of the Euro blades stating to follow.  Notice that they all produce santoku patterns.  Something you didn't see a few years ago, and I see that Messermeister's San Moritz and Meridian lines now use the thinner Japansese 15-degree bevel.  I'll bet we'll be seeing harder steels from them too soon, which will be a good thing.  Those in know just have to keep the pressure on.  

You can cut lobster with a Japanese knife, you just need the right one for the job, which would be one of the Deba knives which are made thicker and with blunter angles at the edge (like the European knives).  The Japanese love their fish and seefood, and Debas are made for cutting fish including the bones.  The santokus do have a very fine edge are are the cat's ass for cutting veggis and fruits and can be chipped if used to cut bone or shell that's true.  European knives are of softer more stainless steel which are more likely just to bend (which is easier to sharpen out) than chip.