I'm very happy and busy with the block of forged German knives I got at a steal of a deal - gift is a good option too 
The best to look for in that set-up would be Kai Shun, now available in a Ken Onion version, but it's hard to get really good bargains there.
A bargain block of decent mid-range knives is a useful platform from which to start looking for more individual, expensive, non-stainless, custom or Japanese-style knives like Masamoto...
Apart from the latter, which are a world unto themselves and hard to compare, the Western-style Japanese blades are the ultimate combination of performance and ease of maintenance, I guess. And from what I hear the Cowry-X Hattori must be a strong contender for 'best'.
The best to look for in that set-up would be Kai Shun, now available in a Ken Onion version, but it's hard to get really good bargains there.
A bargain block of decent mid-range knives is a useful platform from which to start looking for more individual, expensive, non-stainless, custom or Japanese-style knives like Masamoto...
Apart from the latter, which are a world unto themselves and hard to compare, the Western-style Japanese blades are the ultimate combination of performance and ease of maintenance, I guess. And from what I hear the Cowry-X Hattori must be a strong contender for 'best'.