I have cutco steak knives. Mine are at least 20 years old. I don’t like cutco prep or chef knives, but the steak knives have been serving us well.

I actually have Cutco as well (24 years) but I lost one and now only have 5 so was looking to see whether it made sense to try something else and build up to a set of 12.

We have Henckels and they are excellent

If you have a local store that specializes in knives/scissors, go there. They will truly know what they are selling and you can be sure of a good quality.

I personally prefer the old bone/stag handled knives. They feel great in ones hand and work with everything. You can pick these up for a song on eBay and Esty. Then take them to a knife store and have them sharpened.

Thanks for the tip about the blades. I'd be willing to spend around $300 for a set of 12.

Gerber. For a long time it was a standard wedding gift in our family.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/gerber-steak-knives

Cooks Illustrated recommends the Victorinox Swiss Army 6-piece Rosewood Steak Set, Spear Point, Straight Edge. It sells for around $170, (occasionally as little as $150), and so is a little over budget if you want 12 knives for $300, but not by much. Their second place recommendation is their Best Buy, Chicago Cutlery Walnut Tradition 4-Piece Steak Knife Set that sells for around $20. The only deficiency in these knives is a slight lack of sharpness right out of the box. I hope you find knives you like!