So I'm searching for a Christmas present befitting my mother who is one of the types who always says she wants nothing but the success and happiness of her children.

My mother is an epic cook. She is responsible for me loving food as much as I do today and knowing what good food is.

Now we have some knives in the house, but one by one they're meeting their demise, mostly at the hands of my father.
The good serrated was rendered toothless when he gave it to the landscapers to cut their sheets of sod with.
One of the good chef's knives snapped today when he dropped it on the floor.

I'd like to get my mom a good knife. One as trustworthy as those old ones that she's used for almost 30 years.

The criteria are that it must be easily managed. No fussy diva knives that have to be sent off to the special place to get sharped every few months.

As she is a petite woman who cooks everyday, I'd like to look into something lighter in weight. I could spend hundreds on a famous brand like Wusthof but those things feel like you could club a cat with them.

So tell me, SE, what knives have you used and what knives have served you best?