> a chef's knife, which will blunder through most tasks at mostly the same speed even after you whack it against a brick.

What? this isn't true. a sharpened knife is a joy to work with and you can "feel" the difference.

It's true that a sharp knife feels great, but they said 'blunder' for a reason. A sharp knife will leave a clean cut on meat and not squish vegetables, but the question is if the average home cook cares enough about slightly squished vegs that he had to push through more than slice or a feathered meat cut when their goal is to put dinner on the table.

Yes. I think this is a distinction that might only be clear to people who have used woodworking chisels, which are simply useless when dull.