I really enjoy watching the cooking shows, especially the Bravo hit, Top Chef. I see that each chef carries around a satchel of preparing knives. This is comparable to a pro golfers bag of clubs, a pool shark's customized cue, a hair stylist's scissors, etc.
So for any pro chef/cook, what are the best pro knives to get, how many, how much do they cost and where do you buy them. What would be a good beginner's set of quality knives?