I have a Global chef’s knife, and I love it. It happens to fit well in my hand, though; there are plenty of good knives out there.
IIRC (someone took my copy of KC), Bourdain recommended the Globals at least in part because they were not as expensive as the German counterparts. I don’t think that’s quite the case anymore, probably due in large part to Bourdain. In any event, the price difference is not enough to make you consider buying a knife you don’t like over one you do.
A good quality chef’s knife is an important a tool in a kitchen as the stove or the refrigerator. If I’m cooking at someone else’s house where they don’t have at least a decent one, I’m lost.