I don't think the steel is all that important for a home cook. HT is at least as important as the steel but I've prepared quite a few meals at my siblings and parents homes with just whatever junk knives they had in the block. There are a few things that are very difficult to do without the right knife (or the right tool in general) but mostly having a better knife just makes it faster and easier.

A good ceramic hone (such as an Idahone) is ideal for keeping a kitchen knife in good shape. With reasonable care you can keep a working edge on a blade for a long time with just periodic honing on a rod. A leather strop is also good. Both are fairly forgiving of lackluster technique, too.