My s/o is a professional cook.

The best knife is one that you can keep sharp and know how to use.

Those $25 Victorinox Forschner knives are just fine.

I foolishly spent a fortune on kitchen knives (hand forged Japanese steel, custom made s30v blades, an so forth) before I learned this.

Go to a quality store where they will actually let you try out the knives cutting some carrots or something and see what feels best in your hand. I'm fond of the Wusthof grand prix series.