That criticism does apply to most Euro style knives, that's true- and they should be avoided if you know what you're doing. Well, my normal recommendation it to get a Japanese knife, that's wafer thin with no bolster!
But until you've seen that knife I don't thing you really "get" just how fat the handle is. All "traditional" Euro-style knives with a bolster are fatally flawed
re sharpening the 1/4" in front of the bolster. But the Sanellis (unless the newer ones are different) it's almost impossible to the last 1/2" of the heel. We're talking almost 1" thick vs the 1/4" that you can't effectively sharpen on a traditional German boat anchor. Obviously you're better off letting the Germans build your car and the Japanese build your knives. But if you have to cut corners you can at least get the best of an inferior breed.
If you're not willing to get serious than a Forschner Fibrox might be your best bet.
If you're a little bit more serious than most, but don't want to spend enough to get a Japanese knife, get a Sab. But be advised that many companies use the name...