A knife that "never needs sharpening" is generally JUNK. While it will perhaps hold whatever edge it comes with for a while, an excessively "hard" edge is very difficult to re-sharpen. Unless the very best (expensive) steel is used, the "superhard" steels also have a tendency to "intergranular brittleness" that compounds the difficulty of sharpening. You might want a hard edge in a jungle survival knife, it you have to KILL your meat with your bare hands, but they're generally not the best for household use.

Wusthof, Henckel, and Trident are all very good knives, and are a real pleasure to use, assuming one has evolved to the "tool using stage." In addition to being good quality, and usable, they are also "sexy" in that "industrial grade" sense.

Somewhat cheaper, and of fairly equal utility, Chicago Cutlery or Kansas City Cutlery are very good quality, and are what most of the "professional meat cutters" I know tend to use around my area. One factor here is that both of these makers typically give very good discounts to "professional cutters" so they get a pretty good deal. If you flatter him/her on the "exquisite touch" on a nice set of chops, you might be able to persuade the "meat guy" at your market to pick up a piece (knife) or two and pass on the discount. Even at "store prices" these are not terribly expensive - although both have "deluxe" lines that can run into the "german" brand ranges. The "standard grade" Chicago and KC knives generally have wooden handles, which in my opinion are actually a little more "hand fitting" than the "modern" substitutes, but that is a matter of preference.

Most "department store" knives run to something like the "Flint" brand - just an example, there are MANY just as bad. These have a very hard, and usually brittle, edge. I've owned many, mainly as "gifts," and have never seen a "Flint" knife that was suitable for any use except as a screwdriver or perhaps a paint scraper. (I do use one for a letter opener, but I had to drastically rework it even for that.)

You may also occasionally see really cheap (a relative term) knives advertised as "genuine carbon steel" - i.e. not corrosion resistant. These sometimes can be given a "passable" edge, but will rust. The main objection is that the "free iron" (rust) that comes off them in the dishwasher can "break" the passivation on your good stainless cookware and cause it to rust. I keep these out of my kitchen entirely.

Sort of a "novelty act," but cheap and fairly usable is a brand called "Chuppa" that features cast-on aluminum handles. They advertise, but they lie, that they're "the sharpest knives you can buy." That's not true, but if you clean the edge "just a little" they do hold well, and are pretty much indestructible in kitchen use. Not too much selection in sizes and shapes though. Some people don't much like the "feel" of them, which comes mainly from the straight line shapes needed for the simple casting they do.

With most makers other than the "prestige" lines mentioned above, it's impossible to rely on brand name alone to get good quality. One maker that appears frequently in my area in hardware and discount stores is "Tramontina," mostly made in Brazil, and some of theirs are pretty good. Others are "Flint" quality. A problem with them is that most of their stuff has some kind of serrated or other "funky" edge - not a knife, but a "saw" of some description. (There are uses for saws, but only a few in the kitchen.) I have found a few that made excellent knives once I cut the teeth off. There's also a "knock off" brand called "Travotina" that rarely has good steel, but usually is something less suitable. An additional "weakness" with the dime-store knives is that they frequently have very hard and slick finishes on the handles, making them pretty in the store, but harder to hold on to in use.

The real secret to selecting good knives is to learn how to use them. It's a "skill" that takes some learning. Only then, should you invest in a "lifetime quality" selection. Wait until you're over 40 and have practiced cutting things for half a lifetime, then buy for your grandkids' lifetime. The only way to get good quality before that is to get them from your grandparents. (In the world as it should be.)

John