"Sabatier" isn't a brand as such, it was originally a name used on knives from a couple of manufacturers in France but they didn't trademark it soon enough so every man and his dog can use it which means as you have found out there are cheap and nasty knives with the Sabatier name on them.
Does anyone remember the Kitchen Devil serrated eversharp knife?
I am still using one daily which dates from the 70s - never even tried to sharpen it - probably can't. Still slices through anything!
I bought some cheap knives from Lidl years ago, only about £5 for a set of 6 just as an experiment. It says 5Cr15MoV on the blades and they have been brilliant. Cheap rubber handles but they do the job, nice and grippy and the blades are thin but hold a good edge. The paring knife and the Chef knife get most use, there's a hardly used boning and a bread knife as well.
I bought a set of knives from Lidl a year or two ago. A couple of those got some right stick on site, (used them for trimming excess sealant on double glazing units, removing glazing tape etc.), and they've held an edge extremely well, for cheap knives. Ernesto is the brand.
+1 for Robert Welch the secret as Shox Dr. said is wash by hand and keep it away from other knives and never use on a glass surface I often wonder who had that daft idea. I always stick with wood cutting boards.
I was dragged into a TKMax the other day. They had a range of knives from a brand called "Viners" supposedly German, supposedly high carbon. I bought a 4" one for £7, carving knives were £10.
Used it a bit, seems fine so far, nice narrow blade with a decent edge. I don't expect a lot for £7 but it's streets ahead of the nasty ones that I have been putting up with.
not fpr donkeys years thoughViners made, or at least did make very good pans.