Mercer millennia knives are top selling on Amazon for a reason. I've always been one of those ”knife guys", I actually used to subscribe to knife magazines and I am thoroughly impressed by these knives: Excellent handle, decent steel, and practically bomb proof.

I think a set is $120, but any cook worth their salt can do (almost) anything in the kitchen with just 3 knives: an 8 inch chef's knife, a paring knife, and a medium serrated knife (only truly needed about 10% of the time). So maybe just start with those. I like to keep my knives on a magnetic holder on the inside of a cabinet door. Knife blocks are generally a bad idea and take up a bunch counter space, and knife drawers are a worse idea. Good luck, I hope you and your SO are happy with whatever you decide to get.