I've used a few kitchen knives over the years. My current favorite is an Akifusa (santoku blade) with Western-style handle. It has a San Mai blade (hard center steel sandwiched between softer outer layers). I agree that Mac is a good brand, as are Hattori, Korin, and Misono. These are not cheap, so you might want to look at Victorinox--they are used by a lot of professionals.