From your description of your mother, I would also recommend Global. They are a good knife, and although most of my own knives are other brands, I almost always give Globals for wedding presents, etc. because they are lightweight yet more durable than most other knives. In the kitchen of someone who does not do regular knife care, they will stay sharper longer than a W�sthof, etc.

Also, Global sells a line of "Minosharp" sharpeners that are basically mini-whetstone wheels set into a housing at the proper angle. Throw in one of these and your mother can do periodic sharpening herself very easily, even with no knowledge of proper sharpening techniques.
example sharpener 1
example sharpener 2

I own Wusthof Classics but my two favorite knives that I regularly reach for were purchased in Tokyo at a small knife shop in Tokyo off Kappabashi-dori (in the neighborhood aka "Kitchen Town"). Carbon steel, hand made and signed by the knife maker. Not cheap but the best "souvenirs" I picked up in Japan.

My butcher sharpens my knifes for free; might be worth checking into for your mom if she has a butcher near by.

I have spent a ton of cash over the years on knives. Most of it wasted. Most cooks possibly use 4 or 5 knives. I'd be very clear about exactly what knives - it will most probably will not be 12 - and spend more on a smaller number of much better quality knives. Also the knives you might choose will probably never be in a set. For example a slicing - not chopping - cleaver. This is worth spending a lot of cash on perhaps a hand laminated Chinese or Japanese cleaver.

Also bread knives needn't be expensive brand names, What is more important is that they are extra long blade as this makes all the difference when cutting bread and they normally seem only to be available from catering suppliers. I'd also learn to use a stone for sharpening as more people find that easier to use than a steel.

Good advice.

I've been gifted some knives in the past and I hated the feel of them so they went in the bin.

I personally think there is a lot of snobbery involved when it comes to choosing kitchen knives as well as pots and pans. I use a common brand of knife made here in Argentina which come with plastic handles. Nothing fancy or too expensive but they get the job done.

I love my Global knives, and they are unique and very clean looking. Seeing as your mom isn't a serious cook, I'd forgo an expensive set and just get a few key knives or a smaller basic set.

They have a 3-piece set with an 8" chef knife, 5" utility knife, and 3.5" paring knife which you could suppliment with a knife or two. They also have a 5 piece set which includes the above 3, plus a slicing knife and the knife block. Probably all she would need and you'd stay below $400.

Hi Mike-

Global, W�sthof, or R�sle come to mind. Some helpful tips:

1. ) BUILD a set of your own preferences, but never BUY a set as chococat states. It's also OK to build a set of both Japanese and German knives in your collection.

2.) Keep you knives sharp, and remember that different knives use different techniques and tools to keep sharp. When knives are dull it takes more pressure or force to cut, and that is where the knife slips and you get cut instead of the meat, vegetables, or fish. A big deep cut can ruin your day, not to mention your meal.

3.) If you want knives to last, and perhaps pass on to others in the family, never use a dishwasher. Always clean by hand, and do not then throw them into a drawer, where they will bang around and dull. 1st choice Global and 2nd choice R�sle have two of the best knife blocks for any collection of 6 or more commonly used kitchen knives.

4.) Install and use a magnetic knife bar over the sink, for washed knives handle side up. You can use, wash, rinse, and dry fast that way, or just hang them there for daily use.

5.) Cutting, chopping, and slicing fast is for television show artists and celebrities. Take your time, be safe, and learn the correct techniques to do it right. Today, Youtube is better than learning knife technique than from any cookbook.

6.) I doubt if Mom is looking forward to gutting a whole pig, so that usually leaves a cleaver, and an axe off the list. A good forceful European Chef's knife will handle most large cuts of meat.

If you do gift Mom a cleaver, then you better be real nice to her, continually, 24 x 7.

I am always nice to her, and I guess I am safe as I live far away. My father might have to watch out though!

I really appreciate all of the responses I have gotten, and have decided against a set. I will take mom shopping, and also send W-S gift cards for her to just get whatever she wants.

As I continue to equip my own kitchen I will also avoid sets. As with all brands of consumer products, hotels, airlines, car companies, etc. certain products from any one brand are much better than others. By buying everything piece by piece I will get exactly what I want, and nothing I don't want or need that might be included if I were to buy sets.

Also, as others have pointed out in some cases an inexpensive product - like a bread knife - might do the job perfectly well, while in other cases it makes sense to invest in a top quality product.

I bought a set of Global knives based on Tony Bourdain's recommendation many years ago. While I like the steel and the blades, I never found the handles all the comfortable. I didn't buy as set -- I just picked up a chef's knife, paring knife, vegetable knife, and a filleting knife open stock. The handles are pretty narrow and rounded; I would have preferred they were wider so they would press into a larger surface area on my hand. Less fatiguing that way.

Agree with everything you said except I don't understand "handle side up." I wash my knives by hand, dry them with a kitchen towel, and then then go on my bar handle down. I've never had any problems.

+1 on Global. I bought She Who Must Be Obeyed a Global paring knife to replace a knife I'd broken. It became an instant favorite, so I got her several more.

+1 on the magnetic knife bar. Handy access plus keeps knives clean and dry. Who knows what evil lurks in those knife blocks?

I do the sharpening, because she does not. She'd let them get dull as a butter knife left to her own.

Hi milepig-

The reason for the handle side up when washing knives is your safety.

A wet, or semi-wet knife, when pulled off a mag bar, can slip down in your hand from the handle, with the sharp knife blade sliding down into your palm. Water or moisture being the best lubricant, it can compound the effect of a knife cut.

If the knife is not fully dry, or fully clean, it can happen. Bear in mind that the knife blade will dry downwards onto the handle, if the blade is stored on the rack pointing up. The blade may be dry, but not the handle, resulting in a possible cut, or laceration. With a very sharp and heavy knife, and perhaps in a rush in the kitchen, that could be severe, with a trip possibly to the emergency department for suturing.

Does this happen ? Yes, more often than you think.

A knife handle vertically up, or horizontal, is better as it reduces that risk: if it slips there is no problem, as the knife just falls down, blade first. A little sharpening and you are back in business. If you get cut, you're not.

Up to you of course, on how you hang your knives to dry.

You can also look at a "universal" knife block, which is a cylinder or box filled with thin plastic tines. Any size knife just slides in and is held securely upright. The whole thing can go into the dishwasher if you are concerned things are lurking within. The downside is that you have to be able to recognize your knife by the handle otherwise it's a bit of a hunting expedition the find the right one.

I'm going to buck the trend here. I have a huge knife collection, everything from a skinning knife I picked up from someone who worked in a meatpacking facility to high carbon steel knives that I have picked up in various ethnic markets to classic Henkels chef knives to a Shun Santoku. I've never spent more than a few hundred dollars on a single knife, so I can't comment on the really top-end stuff. Anyways, someone decided to get me a knife set (not realizing that I have a huge block of mixed knives that I have chosen over time? maybe just thinking I like kitchen stuff?):

http://www.amazon.com/Kai-Komachi-6-...komachi+knives

And I have to say I love them. Very sharp, I have never had to get them sharpened. I do occasionally give them a few swipes on my steel before I put them up, just a habit, but completely not necessary. I had to do some cooking at my SIL's house, and all her knives were crap, so I had my husband pick up the same 6-piece set at Costco for $30 while he was shopping for the vegetables I was going to chop with the knives. She uses them all the time, throws them in the dishwasher, never sharpens them, stores them in a random drawer in their protective sleeves, and they are still fit for use when I visit. Sometimes I give them a few licks with a steel before I use them.

If your mother is not a serious cook, but just needs some sharp, easy to maintain knives that are convenient, I would highly recommend this set. They are also lightweight and fit smaller hands well. Honestly, for an occasional chef, how many times is she ever going to do more than chop a few onions or cut up a chicken? Get her something that's easy to take care of, inexpensive, and cute. And if she happens to damage one, you can replace the whole set for less than the cost of a 'good' steak knife.

FWIW, I tried some of the global knives and the metal grip was extremely uncomfortable, so a big 'no' vote from me.

Hi milepig -

Having attended Waseda University in Tokyo for graduate levels, I recall that on one reunion, my wife and I later went to a wholesale market where large sections of meat were being cut up. One butcher was using a large, heavy weight Japanese knife, very similar to a German Chef's knife, only twice a big and heavy.

I asked about the knife and was told it was " on sale " for 15,000 JPY, or around $ 145.00 USD., and having a few hundred knives in our kitchen, the wife said a firm NO THANK YOU before I could utter a reply. In hindsight, I believe that was the regular price.

I'm not suggesting that this would be an appropriate gift for your mother, but on thinking about it, there are good individual knives available in Japan that might be hard to find later when you depart. This is a good way to see another side of Japan, and pick up techniques and perhaps a few unique kitchen tools at the same time.

I've found that as long as one has a good set of knives you're ok. The key is getting them sharpened regularly. For the longest time I didn't sharpen them b/c I wasn't sure where to go. Then one day Mrs. Mapletree took it upon her self to get them done. Some mom and pop shop nearby...made a WORLD of difference.

For the record, we have Henckels.