I have big hands that don't mix with small knives. I prefer to keep two around; a 5" utility knife for precision work as paring knives are too small (Mercer makes a great one too), and a 7" Santoku. I prefer an offset handle for banging out fruit. It keeps the knuckles off the cutting surface. The Santoku is great, but any chef's-type knife would be just fine. Victorinox makes the best bang-for-the-buck knives available today, with Mercer Culinary just behind. We see these brands a lot in commercial kitchens.

The two Victorinox total <$60 and come with Prime shipping. A decent knife sharpener is essential. I've only ever cut myself using a dull knife. Something like this one, that takes care of both 15° Western blades and 20° Asian blades is ideal. The knife edge is much of what makes the Santoku so good. The total for all three is under $100 and money well-spent.