Cooks Illustrated does scientific testing of all sorts of kitchen equipment. They buy a whole bunch of knifes, for instance, and use them for a whole bunch of purposes and see which is the best and stays sharpest over time. Their first choice is this one .
I have one of these knives, and I would strongly encourage you to try it before you make a big investment. It’s a joy to use, and it’s stayed perfectly sharp for the year I’ve had it, and I use it for almost everything, every day. The only knife that beat it on every measure in their tests was a $475 custom-made chef’s knife. They also tested it against newer designs, including Japanese-style knifes like peedub linked to. It still was rated the best!
(If you want to read reviews of this knife and all sorts of other equipment, you can sign up for a free two-week trial of the Cook’s Illustrated website . It might be worth it while you outfit your kitchen!)