You don't need to spend that kind of money on kitchen knives that will carve and slice with ease. You do need to know how to keep a basic set of knives sharp and in good working condition though.
Just get a short, medium, and long stainless with a decent handle, a whetstone, and teach her how to use the stone (preferably with a crazy eye leering at the beau).
A sharp knife is a good knife. An expensive knife that hasn't been maintained is a club.
