sorry for the life change. just happened to a buddy of mine too.
i LOVE my 10" wustof chef's knife. use it everyday. i have the wustof classic.
paid handsomely for it.
having said that, i used a friend's forschner 10" chefs..cheap stamped steel, boring handle. and sharp like a lazer!! easy to sharpen, and she said it cost $30 at a restaurant supply. today cooking, i used a cheap chinese carbon cleaver. i was rocking it. bonus is that i can use it to transfer chopped bits to the pan with an easy sweep.
i passed on two things i regret at a swap meet. one is a vintage griswald cast iron skillet and the second is a 10" high carbon steel vintage chef's blade. it was beautifully tarnished and patinaed. sharp as hell..$25..i should have bought it.