Yes, DM, you're thinking of the Maddox knife which is made to be used vertically by my stupid fingers. It's ideal for table use but not for prep work. I still use a 10' chef, just a little slower... well, maybe a lot slower. The trick is just using the right cutting pattern for each job.
There is also the Alaskan Ulu knife that is used by rocking the blade over the victim in a special, concave cutting board. I'm not a fan of it for prep because I like symmetry in my chopping. Yeah, yeah, it's a little **** but I don't like it when part comes out minced and part chunked. I need order!