for ordinary kitchen use, the best knife i ever used was the one i bought from a peddler in banawe.. yari raw sa bulitas.
the blade is thick and doesn't bend easily.. doesn't rust.. holds its sharpness well.. and despite daily use and sharpening (using the sharpening stick and/or carborundum stone), hasn't turned concave yet.
"golden harvest USA" brand. heh heh.

gulok or itak naman... the ones in SM just don't hack it. too light. the one i bought in the palengke is better, despite its cheaper price.
i suppose if you go to batangas, you may encounter "pang-mana".... yung ok isabit sa dingding. complete with sungay handle and hardwood keeper.