I bought a chef's knife at Dollar Tree the other day. It was a 7" "Santoku" knife. I am STUNNED by how good it is! I left my outrageously expensive knives in Ohio, and just needed one to get by with. This one is (so far) as good as the fancy ones : )
(The one I bought has a black plastic handle, but otherwise is like this one I think. I regret that I threw the package away and cannot be sure:
https://www.dollartree.com/Royal-Norfolk-Cutlery-Santoku-Knives-with-Stainless-Steel-Blades-7-in-/p408067/index.pro
Now, I'm not saying the sharpness will last forever (especially since I don't have a steel here) but if you need a cheap but effective knife, try them : )
But wait, there's more!