Amazon sometimes has those on sale, especially Fridays. I'd check there first!

The best bang for the buck in kitchen knives is the Victorinox Forschner line, available at Amazon and elsewhere. These are high quality stainless steel knives with slim blades, good balance, and ergonomic Fibrox (non-slip black plastic) handles. Regularly top rated by Cooks Illustrated. They are made for professional cooks and you'll often see them in a restaurant or butcher. I've had some for 20 plus years and I like them better than my Henckels and similar. The blades are made in Switzerland and will hold a 20 degree per side edge. There are a couple of different sets, which are nicely selected because they include useful and decently large knives. Most sets have a bunch of useless little knives, paring knives and short slicers and so on. I helped a friend pick a set for his wife last Xmas, plus a block to fit, the whole thing cost about $140 and she loves them. We added a 10" chefs which is the most useful knife of the bunch, so make sure your block has enough large slots. Or you could get one of the roll sets and a magnetic holder. These are not the very best knives, but they are better than any knife for up to 3-4X their price. And far better than the knives sold by Wusthof, Henckels, etc (and certainly KitchenAid) for a similar price, which are made in China with clunky thick blades of indifferent steel. The exception to that last sentence is the Dexter Russell knives sold in restaurant supply stores, which are made in the USA and also intended for professionals. I prefer the Victorinox but the Dexters would be my second choice. Whatever knives you get, get a steel and learn how to use it, and get a sharpening machine or learn to use sharpening rods or stones. I'd personally go to a cutlery store and have them show you a rod system suitable for a 10" chefs knife.

or check overstock.com

Personally I love my Cutco knives I have had for over 20 years. Everytime my MIL visits she comments on how sharp they are.

The link below is the FAQ for the Victorinox Forschner knives.

Here is a link that might be useful: Victorinox Forschner FAQ

I often see Calphalon individual knives for sale in Ross/Marshalls/etc. for a good price. They are decent knives with a good feel in the hand and are far above the KitchenAid/Farberware crowd. You can buy a block separately.

Many people, including some pro chefs, swear by Forschners. I have two, purchased upon the recommendation of a friend who was a famous chef before his retirement, and have never liked using them. It would be great if you could test the knives that you're considering before deciding. Which knife is comfortable for you is a very personal decision.

Good point.

Most cutlery stores will have Victorinox Forschners as well as the usual German/Japanese brands. For the Dexter Russells, you have to go to a restaurant supply store.

My favorite, grab it first knife for everything, is a MAC 7 1/2" chef knife.
http://www.sonomacutlery.com/store/home.php?cat=252
I purchased my first one 38 years ago at the LA County Fair! Little did I know what a great knife I was buying. I also bought a 4 inch paring knife at the time. About three years ago my paring knife "disappeared", so googled MAC knives and to my delight found them. I purchased another paring knife (The Original series) and decided to order another 7 1/2" Chef knife, so I'd have two! I have "Chicago Cutlery" knives and "Cutco" knives, but favorite by far is my MAC knives. What I like most about the MAC knives, is that they have a thin blade, so they slice through everything with such ease.

DD2 asked for a knife set for her birthday. I rarely recommend sets and, as I know what she has in the house and how she cooks, I decided that she and SIL needed a great 10" chef's knife and a 3 1/2" OR 4" paring knife (they have a good 8" chef's that needs sharpening) more than they needed a matched set of knives. We'll probably add to her set over time and as she expresses specific needs. I know you want that matching look, but I just want to throw it out there that for many of us, it's about the sensual aspect of food preparation. It's more pleasurable over time to work with a couple or three perfect knives than a matched set of eight not-so-wonderful ones. OTOH, DS1 asked for a matched set of Henckels that he found on a closeout recently. He felt confident that he would like them because he has used some of my 30 year-old ones that are supposed to be the same series. We discovered that the knives are not as nicely made and not as nice to hold and use as mine. Henckels has changed the fit and finish, and probably the steel itself. Once again, testing knives in your own hand really is the way to go.

I'll add another recommendation for the Victorinox. Most of the knives in the block will never get used and it takes up counter space. A Chefs knife, paring knife, and maybe a bread knife and your good to go.

I like Victorinox,and I especially like their Bread Knife.

Other than the bread knife,to say they are actually better than Henckels or Wusthof is just plain silly.

Cutco DD is alot like Victorinox just much much more expensive.

If you want cheap block set get Ginsu.

I bought this set for my aunt. She loves them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginsu Block Set