My new knives

I had hoped to write a proper entry today but I've been in rehearsal all morning, and spent the last 3 hours researching and sending emails to 30-odd vocal ensembles in Italy asking for assistance with our European tour next year. Now I can't wait to get away from the computer!
So, today I'm posting some photos of my new knives I received from my mum for my birthday. Aren't they wonderful? I only wanted 1 Global knife, and I received 6!

Global is the brand of knife I've wanted for quite a while. I've tried other brands, and had always assumed that European-made knives were superior, but as soon as I tried these Japanese knives I knew they were perfect for me. They're made of one piece of steel (the knife and handle) and perfectly weighted. They look pretty funky as well, don't you think!
What we have l to r: paring knife; vegetable knife; 20cm cook's knife; bread knife; petty knife; utility knife.

I can also confirm how bloody sharp they are; one of the first times I used the vegetable knife I sliced my finger open, on the back corner (where it has a 90 degree angle). I didn't feel any pain, which indicates a really sharp knife has gone through your flesh but I suddenly noticed blood flooding around my hand. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around, expecting it to stop bleeding in a minute or so, but an hour later there was still blood! Still no pain, but one hell of an annoying cut finger.
But I'm having great fun using these knives. Surprisingly, I haven't even yet used the larger ones; the vegetable knife and petty knife are getting the best daily workout, which is not really what I expected; I think they're just more useful and easier to use for a relative novice.