Also look at how rugged the knife is. There are knives that have excellent sharpness that don't require any edge maintanance for years. These are ceramic. They are lightweight, but extremely fragile. And they are very pricey. Japanese steel holds and edge very well, and are generally lighter in weight than are their German cousins. Brands such as Shun, Global, and Croma are examples of these knives. They each have their own strenths. For controlability, and a center-aligned drop-point Chef's knife, I like the Croma line, designed by German Engineer - F.A. Porsce. The Global sport an equally good steel, with a straight grind edge, like Croma, and have more curving handles that are hollow and weighted with sand to create a very well ballanced knive. The Shun use an aloy of steel that is folded to resemble true damascus steel. They are hard and sharp.
For blade quality, all of these knives excell.
German and French steel are known to be quality products. The most famous of these, Wusthoff Trident, and Henckles make both very high quality forged steel blades and the cheaper stamped steel blades. The forged steel product holds and edge better and requires less maintainance. They are ballanced well and are fitted with ergonomic handles with full tine construction and three rivets to secure the tine to the handle material.
Then, there is a company called Bokker that sells a full line of knives that are of very good quality and have everything from Sintered Titanium/Steel alloy blades to full Damascuss steel blades that cost in excess of $300.00 apiece. They also carry both white and black ceramic blades, and a cheaper ceramic/metalic aloy blade that is supposed to give equal performance, but that are more rugged than the pur ceramic blade.
But like was stated by the two august posters before me, it's not so much about how much a blade costs, or it's stylishness, but how well it fits your hand, how ballanced it is, and how it performs for you. I know people who swear by German steel. It is great stuff. But for some people, the weight can be cumbersome for large cutting chores. The Japanese steel is lighter in weight, and is equally stain-free and sharp, but may not give the heft for someone trying to chop through an acorn squash.
I own a Croma 10" chef's knife and love it. My sone has a Santoku style blade from the same company. He too loves it. But then again, I have a high-carbon butcher's knife, made in the U.S.A. that performs very well. It keeps it's edge forever and is strong enough to pry apart frozen pork chops. And the cost, dirt cheap when it was purchaced, and inherited by me when my Grandfather passed from this world. But it needs to be cleaned and oiled imediately after each use to prevent rust.
Tips about what to look for:
Avoid a hollow-ground edge. Over time, due to the expontential thickening of the blade, it becomes significantly harder to sharpen over time, and tends to split hard veggies and fruits, or pry them apart, rather than slicing through them. In other words, it's harder to shove that knife through a watermellon!
A straight grind slices more cleanly. The bottom curve of the knife is called its belly. Less belly is better for chopping, while more belly is better for slicing. If you like to move your hand straight up and down, like a piston, then a santoku style knife, with its extreme drop-point (almost a sheepsfoot blade design) is better for you. If on the other hand you like to use a forward motion combined with rocking the blade up and down, then a chef's knife is better. Also, the chef's knife design is more versatile. You can chop, slice, and detail with it.
There is no "best knife". There is a "best" knife for you. But the only way to find it is to try out a few if you can, then make your decision. It's like purchasing a motor cycle. Do you want a dirt-bike or a cruiser, or a sport touring machine. Or maybe you want the monster frame built around a 426 Hemi, the bike that will outrun anything with wheels on the planet, but doesnt' corner worth spit. It's all in what you want to do with the thing.
Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North