I have some Chinese knifes that I still use. I also have some They get sharp but don't hold and edge well at all. They are fine for low production home work and need a touch up every time you use them. The sharpmaker would be fine for that but that is about all. I use an Idahone ceramic steel on these knives. The diamond stone or some other means of more aggressive metal removal is needed to start with as previously stated. These knives are good to practice sharpening on. These knives are typically in the low 50's on the Rockwell hardness scale.
The next step up IMO would be something like the Forshners. They hold an edge a little better and are nice thin blades that get sharp easily and cut well. The still don't hold an edge very well but are also soft enough that frequent steeling (preferably a ceramic steel or your Sharpmaker) yields good results. These are roughly in the mid 50's on the Rockwell scale.
The German knives like Henkel and Wusthof are usualy heavier, thicker blade designs with bolsters and I like them for some things although I don't like blosters and usualy grind them off or reduce them. I like to chop with a heavy Wusthof Chef's knife. They are still soft steel that requires frequent touch-up with every use, but also accepts sharpening very well. These knives are in the low to upper 50's on the Rockwell scale.
The harder Japanese steel knives (Western style as opposed to traditional Japanese) are harder and thinner and cut like a laser. They hold an edge much better but may require some retraining on usage technique and are more specialized. They are usualy more sensitive to things like hard cheap cutting boards, poor technique like chopping and twisting on a cutting board, dropping, etc. They tend to chip the edges if abused where the softer knives tend to dent or roll the edge and can be straightened to some extent with a steel. These knives still respond to a ceramic or diamond steel but a smooth steel has little effect. A serrated steel shouldn't be used on any knife IMO but is devastating to these knifes. Some of the more comercially available western style Japanese kinves are Shun (by Kershaw), MAC, and Global, but there are a lot more that don't make the headlines. These knives are a lot of fun, get razor sharp, but need a little bit of special care. I wouldn't go here unless you really appreciate a sharp knife, are willing to take a little extra care of it and learn how to use it or how not to use it. These knives are usualy in the high 50's (58-60 Rc) on the Rockwell scale. I love these knives. I have a MAC 8" Chef's knife that will blow you away especialy when coming form Chinese knives. The Shun and Global's will do the same.
The hardest knives are usually traditional Japanese knives, many of which are single bevel and other complex blade and edge designs. These knives are often very specialized and delicate but very sharp (think Sushi knife). They often range in hardness form the low to high 60's on the Rockwell and some will break almost like glass if dropped or used as a pry bar. Obviously the edges may chip easily.
When you get tired of constant sharpening or feel you are wasting your talent on cheap soft knives, a step or two up the hardness scale might be refreshing.
Gary
