I've got some wooden handled knives, they're both ironwood and kept oiled.
Big problem is when people put them in the dishwasher, it's not good for the steel and it's terrible for the wood.
I'm not sure what the most popular professional knives are. Likely something like Forschner that are relatively inexpensive and can take the abuse of a real kitchen. Pro's tend to like knives that are light and won't get stolen
-spence