There are 2 styles you should look at:
1. German
2. Japanese
Find a local shop where you can test out the knives in person. Find the handle style you like. Japanese knives are supposed to be nicer for people with smaller hands. Here are some top brands:
1. Wusthof
2. Shun
3. Global
You can get any of those knives for good prices on Amazon.com. My preference is Wusthof; I really like the ergonomic handles on them. I am building a collection in the Classic series, a good mid-range line of knives. These are the knives I would recommend starting out with:
1. 3.5" Paring Knife
2. 10" Chef's knife
3. 9" Bread knife
I would also recommend picking up:
1. Small non-skid plastic cutting board (has rubberized corners, dishwasher-safe, available at Walmart)
2. Large non-skid plastic cutting board
3. Oak block or Magnetic knife holder
4. Sharpening steel (to sharpen knives periodically)
5. Kitchen shears
6. Steak knives (4 or 8)
If you like to chop stuff up, get a 7" Santoku knife or a Chinese Chef's knife. The Santoku knife is typically smaller and lighter-weight than a Chef's knife, and also has hollowed-out ridges on the blade so that food won't stick to it when chopping. Check out YouTube for various videos on chopping. I use this Chinese Chef's, it's fantastic:
http://www.eleanorhoh.com/products-knife.htm
