Looks good. You started with a lot of questions, but in reality the choices are all yours. In terms of shape and hardness it really just depends on the end use. I got a forge (coal) before I started using a lathe, so I would also bash out a knife before machining one, if you have a heat treat oven you could probably get away with a simple gas set-up if you turned to forging. And I used to be a chef so edge geometry is really important, your knife appears to be right pretty in that regard.
