For a REAL insider's look at wonderful blades, check out: http://watanabeblade.com/english/special/index.htm.

They offer the niftiest ranges of knives for the outdoors as well as for the kitchen.

Be sure to also go to the main Japanese language homepage, as well as the English, and wander).

Here's a page showing their small-shop forging process: http://www.watanabeblade.com/english/pro/kuro.htm

I can't believe I haven't posted about these folks before. Their stuff is so sweet! It's pricey---but I've seen pricier---and I recall they have a more affordable range of kitchen knives somewhere on their site.

Here's a great quote:

"Hammer and hammer! To be an incredible strong sharp edge. Higher and higher, harder and harder by my soul!!" -- Shinichi Watanabe