Arnotts do blocks of kitchen knives and also sell them separately. For quality you have to pay. And sharpen them like Purple says. I use Stellar and find them good.
I bought a very expensive one recently, a Global (it was 85 quid - yikes!!!).
Its brilliant, but you DO have to keep sharpening it. The big difference I find with it compared to ordinary knives is that it really does sharpen up well - I use a sharpening stone as opposed to a steel, as the packaging of the expensive knife said a steel could damage the blade.
Tk Maxx often have good value on knives. Agree with buying a good knife and then keeping it sharpened. We have some very shap knives but as we have young kids keep them on the top of the press which I need a stool to reach so often end up using the not so sharp ones instead
all good knives need to be sharpened /think g ramsay in hell's kitchen/
ilove my set of sabatier knives i bought half price in debenhams, they sit perfectly well in your hand