J.B., sorry for the late reply. If you like high-quality knives then Korin is DEFINITELY worth a visit. It's just about 4 blocks from the City Hall stop on the "R" train.
The first "quality" knife I got was a Misono "Handmade" 7" Santoku for about $70. This is from the cheapest line of Misono but it continues to serve me well. I've had it for about 6-7 years now. My 5" Petty knife is from Brieto. It was the only petty knife with a handle big enough to keep my hands from bumping into the heel of the knife. Some people love the look of the metal handle, I don't particularly like it. It stays and is easy to keep sharp and feels good in my hand; so function over form for me on this one. For a slicer, I have the black-handled 9" Nenox. Nice handle and balance, real thin and sharp blade. Pricey though (over $200) and I wish I had gotten the longer one.
When I wanted to get Western style chef's knife I narrowed it down to three: Nenox black-handle, Misono UX-10 and the Glestain. Although the Nenox was the most expensive of the three, the people at Korin advised me that the other two were superior knives. It was a coin toss and I went with the UX-10 thinking that since the lowest line of Misono had already given me two years of great service then I can expect even more from their top line.
I will cut this novel short and not bore you with my other knives. I have tried all 4 lines of Misonos and they are excellent knives. All but the UX-10 I would consider affordable(under $200). It is just like getting a Weber, you pay upfront for a superior product that will last you years if well taken care of. I would highly recommend the Glestain as well. Others on my list would include the Nenox black-handle, and the Suisin Special. On the more affordable side check out the Suisin Inox, Brieto and the "handmade" and 440 lines from Misono. At the end of the day though it's mostly a matter of what you're comfortable with--in your hand and on the pocket. They will let you try them out at Korin before purchase. And if you're not comfortable sharpening them yourself, they offer a mail-in sharpening service for knives purchased from them. They do give 10% discount to people in the restaurant industry. They just ask where you work. I'm pretty sure they'll give it to you. Hope this long post helps.
JP
