[djg]

Does it have to be a surprise? Various offerings feel different and the user might really prefer one style to another -- or not. If it needn't be a surprise, you could simply go to a kitchen store and let her try some. Somebody mentioned the Victorinox knives, some of which are a very good value. As with many things, the sky is the limit, but for 8" chef's knives there's a world of offerings in the 80 - 175 dollar range and it's easy to check them out.

My main chef's knife is Japanese but I still have my 30-plus year-old Wusthoff knives. They are very good examples of what they are -- symmetric German stainless knives that, with a modicum of care, will outlast you. They are, as has been pointed out, heavier than some other options, and your wife might like that or not (or not notice). There are other steels out there, other blade shapes, variations on the handle, etc., etc. Many folks don't care (or don't know and adapt to what they have). The main thing, with a 75 dollar knife or a 300 dollar knife (or a custom knife) is to keep it sharp. If she likes how the knife feels, and it's kept sharp, all will be well.

And there's no need to worry about building up a set of the same things, unless she really wants that -- a paring knife or petty needn't match the chef's knife and specialty knives can get pretty specialized.