Bolstered French chef's knives, carbon steel?  I don't think it gets
better than this.  Best all around kitchen knife there is in my book.
It's the first knife I reach for for almost everything.  Good story,
too.

Don't get too fussy about cleaning them up.  No use to make a carbon
steel blade look like stainless -- they'll darken with use and so
what?  A terry-cloth rag and some pumice will do all you need. If
you can get some Bar Keeper's Friend even better.

If they're dull, set the edge with a saw file and then hone it with
a steel.  I got my first French chef's knife 40 years ago, and nothing
but a steel has touched the edge since.  I cook a lot, and I've probably
used it three times a week (I have two others) since then.

Good score on three great tools!

Mike in Sacto