Any chefs around? Need chef's knives set recommendations!

[Flufflelump]

My DH has expressed a wish to have a 'proper' set of chef's knives as a gift. He's an incredible cook, knows his stuff and can do his own sharpening etc, so I'd like to get him something really special. (It's a significant anniversary)

Have been looking at the likes of Zwilling & Wusthof - am I looking in the right places?

Budget is no more than £400 - would love some recommendations 🙏

Following as also looking x

Pro cook have a variety of knives at different price points, I have their own brand cooks knife and it’s very good

Thank you! We already have some Pro-Cook that he uses - I'm now looking for something with more of a name and a reputation if poss. Hope that doesn't sound too snobby though!

Width of are great although I did manage to chop the edge of my finger off using them!

Wustof

I’ve had my globals five years now and I’m still incredibly happy with them

Sabatier do a good chefs range

When my son joined the Navy as a trainee cook I wanted to buy him a good set of knives..(chef is a french word and because of the history between us and the French navy for over 500 yrs they don't want to be known as chefs! Something he told me)..
He told me that you have to handle them to get the right feel in your hand and the balance.
Maybe a voucher and then a shopping trip?
As an aside because he was only 17 we weren't even allowed to handle the knives in any shop so his Chief Cook took him shopping and pretended to buy them himself!

Global are up there with the best professional knives on the market

We have 5 Global knives, the eldest of which is 18 years old and still going strong. Costco do a full set that I spotted the other day for a great price if you have a store near you?

All the chefs I've worked with have used Victorinox, Global, Sabatier Pro, Wustof or Sakuto. The first 2 are the most commonly used and chefs often have different knives from different brands - all to do with balance and how they feel in the hand.

I personally like wusthof classics and victorinox (the ones with wooden handles) but consider not buying one of those sets. You only really need a paring knife, chefs knife, serrated maybe and then I also have a big wusthof classic cleaver. All the other knives got lost / given away and the only one I miss is my boning knife. I personally prefer a heavier knife and find globals too light and hard to keep sharp.

I've been disappointed by the Global set from Costco and suspect that it might have been manufactured especially for them, as the one I bought in Spain decades ago is much weightier and of a better quality.

I'd have a look at Japanese knives

Oh also, for a ‘set’ maybe add in one of those cool new knife sharpeners and don’t bother with a steel https://www.boroughkitchen.com/products/horl-3-sharpener-walnut?variant=44578722906244 and maybe a mandolin and a decent peeler or two instead of loads of knives that you never use