For gifts, I agree that Western is the way to go. I would recommend considering the Wusthof Classic, Mercer's forged lines, and Victorinox, depending on what you wanted to spend.

Mercer is quite a lot of knife for the money. The Genesis is good for bigger hands.

If you are looking to add a utility knife or two, the Spyderco Utility models with FRN handles are also great.