By the way -- never, never, never put a knife in the dishwasher. I shudder to think about it.

And you can do a wonderful job sharpening them yourself. A diamond stone is about USD 30.00 (or less, or more, whatever you want to pay) and will last a very long time. You clean it periodically with soap and water.

Learning how to sharpen a knife well is a technique everyone should know -- it's a safety lesson.