Reddit mentions of Tojiro DP Petty/Utility Knife

For $120 and two knives, there is the omnipresent starter option - the Tojiro DP line.

I'd start with the gyuto or the santoku. They overlap for the larger tasks and its really more preference on the shape. They both are too thin and the steel is too brittle to cut bones or hard vegetables (pumpkin/squash) with (which your Wusthof can take care of) but will go through veg and protein pretty easily.

Then you have budget left over for the petty, which is kind of like a long thin paring knife. Good for smaller tasks or things that need delicate tip work.

you might even have some budget left over to pick up a stone. This is a popular beginner option.

Edit: The other option is MAC knives. Same shapes apply

The Victorinox 8" Chefs Knife is the de facto standard high quality, cheap knife. I have the previous version (the one with Fibrox in the name). It's decently sharp, takes an edge well, cuts decently. That said, it's still my 2nd knife, relegated to cutting duties that might harm the blade of my nicer knife (cutting foods where the blade hits glass or metal, such as baking dishes, pans, etc).

My knife is a Shun branded Santoku, which I would highly recommend.

Edit: I also have a Tojiro Utility Knife. While I wouldn't worry about a utility knife if you aren't needing it, the Tojiro brand is pretty decent, so you may want to check out their Santoku blade as well.

I really like this knife, it's a great size/profile and I enjoy the handle. Gets way more use than most of my expensive stuff. Takes an edge pretty easily and holds it for months at a time with occasional honing.

($46 w/ prime)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UANWH8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's a lot of middle ground between Walmart knives and a $1500 set, and there is no such thing as a perfect knife. Everyone has their own preferences, which can only come from experience. Dropping four digits on knives without having this experience is a good way to waste a lot of money.

That is why for your first set of quality knives I recommend getting something middle-of-the-road and saving the rest of your money for later.

For example, you could go with this set: chef+paring, utility, serrated, ceramic hone, cutting board. Learn to use these knives and care for them, develop your own likes and dislikes, and then decide where you want to go next.

Tojiro petty. Best value in town. http://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Petty-Utility-Knife/dp/B000UANWH8

https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Petty-Utility-Knife/dp/B000UANWH8

I use these as both paring knives and steak knives. I got six of them. Super legit badass...Shun quality without Shun price.

well i cant help w a serrated recommendation, cause im not really a fan, unless for bread, and i just dont see any advantage and i dont think you will find anything of any quality in that price range. i would advise finding a 5-6" thin as a whisper petty/utility for the job and learn to keep it sharp enough you wont miss serrations. tojiro has a few in that price range https://www.amazon.com/Tojiro-DP-Petty-Utility-Knife/dp/B000UANWH8, http://www.chefknivestogo.com/topr15pe.htmlhttp://www.chefknivestogo.com/topr15pe.html

also you can keep a look out places like ebay or thrift stores for something that might suit.