What knives does a cook need?

[Anna N]

Studies of real cooks' behavior in real kitchens has shown that regardless of the number of knives any chef/cook owns, he/she tends to use one more than 90% of the time. 

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That's interesting. Can you give us the studies' sources?

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Hmmm - I consider myself to be a real cook (when I cut myself, I bleed) in a small but very real kitchen (I am sure it's real because I have to clean it every day) and I use many knives in the course of a day. I know that too because I handwash and dry every one of them.

[JimH]

I honestly have a very small kitchen too but am very organised when i'm doing my thing.  As there's only two of us it's really no big deal.  If there are more for dinner then it's definitely a military operation.

Okay to answer your question (finally!), personally i would manage easily with 2 knives - Chinese cleaver and a petty knife.  But hey i'd rather use this selection: 

I enjoy using all these knives regularly and see no reason why i should deprive myself.  Don't even get me started on the aesthetic qualities of great knives, that's a whole other topic!

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That cleaver on the left is carbon steel, yes? I can see that there is a cleaver gap, I'm going to have buy/make another.

[Prawncrackers]

That cleaver on the left is carbon steel, yes?  I can see that there is a cleaver gap, I'm going to have buy/make another.

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Yup a medium-heavy chopper is pretty much essential for serving up poultry on the bone Chinese style.