Hey guys.
I am a Chef, based in Switzerland.
What I read here is great:
Solingen (Famous for Steel), Wüsthof, Dreizack, Zwilling...
German Steel.
I work with "Victorinox" (Brand of Switzerland which makes the famous Swiss military knifes), and "Global" (German Brand, more massive/heavy than Victorynox.
I have some Knifes since 2003 (a Dreizack) but most from 2008 (Victorinox, Global).
Great for allday working.
i used to work in the kitchens as well. I also used Global. Well balanced, easy to clean and good blades. They are Japanese though, not German