For me a good 90% of it was actually realising my knives were pretty blunt. Or rather, realising just how sharp a knife could be. Once I had that sorted, everything just started going so much smoother as the blade wasn't getting stuck, being deflected on the way down or only cutting partially through.
Yes! It doesn't matter how expensive your wedding registry knives were, they will become dull. Once you have a sharpening kit, you realize that the difference in knives doesn't really matter that much -- you just have to sharpen softer steel more often (neglecting balance and preference). Sharpening my knives is my Zen activity.
Don't ever put knives in the dishwasher. Ever. I have proof after a visiting family member put one of my very sharp knives in the dishwasher and there are three visible nicks.
