I still sharpen my knives on a whetstone, but given the general cost trajectory of most manufactured items, I've decided that I'm okay if I wear out my knives. Buying a new chef's knife in 10 years is basically free on a per-day-of-use basis.
(I say that, but I'm still using knives that mostly range from 25-50 years old, but some didn't get sharpened enough when they belonged to our parents and grandparents.)