I am surprised no one mentioned a Global knife. I have been a chef for 20 years now and it was my first serious knife. I still have it and put it through hell. Plain 9' global chef knife priced at $133 Canadian, got 10 years out of it so far, and I have killed a Shun in that time ( makes me very sad ). But for a good under 150 for a knife I would go for a Global or a cheap ass industrial .j-a-henckels those ugly ones with the yellow handles, but then again I look to use my knives in an industrial setting not at home.