The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
I like a good deal as much as the next guy, but it cost money to run a successful business. Like answering the phones during posted business hours, emails within 24 hours or less. Being there when things don't go right with an order. I read all the time about people complaining that they can never get in touch with the merchants with the lowest prices. Do you think there is a reason for this? Using the full service merchants for questions, and then buying from the no customer service low price guys will do nothing but force the good guys out of business. Then all you will have are stores like The Blade Shop and sites like them. Grant you there are not too many lower than The Blade Shop. My two cents worth.I have ordered things from them in the past. In regards to this, I would say that their service is good but their prices aren't as competitive, MOST OF THE TIME, as they otherwise could be.
Sometimes, they have some deals that are really nice and other times they have a price on a knife where you sit there and go, "Wtf?"
All in all, as far as online shops go, I would recommend them if you don't mind paying a fair margin more sometimes than you might at other websites in exchange for a reasonably nice website and service.