I need to break down and get mine sharpened locally. I’ve had them for 20 years without doing so, but it couldn’t hurt to re-edge them.
Never. I’m not such the chef to even notice when the knives are cutting less effectively.
More importantly I can’t stand the sound. Hearing metal scraping against metal makes my teeth hurt. And while I understand there are other implements to get the job done, the sound is too cringe-inducing to bear.
Get a pro to do it. It’s cheap. It’s $3.50 a blade here in Chicago at one of the most experienced places. Unless I had no other choice (or the curiosity to), I would never sharpen at home. Knives come back razor sharp and last at least a year for me with proper honing (or is this the sound that bugs you?). I’m a year and a half since my last sharpening, and my chef’s knife still passes the tomato test.