My point is, the mark up is a lot more than double. My guess is, if a knife company wholesales it for $10, the retail price is more like $39.95, instead of $20. It is not exactly a high volume business.
One example is the knife I just bought after asking this forum about the knife. It was a Alpha Hunter, #277 with ATS-34 steel blade and leather sheath. List is $94 from Buck, the on-line store I bought it from lists it for $59.99 and I got a sale price of $38.99. Now I doubt the store selling me the item lost money, do you? Buck lists a high retail price to protect the retailer. Some small retailers will list their products at full list.
Don't worry, Buck knives are still expensive, even at the sale price. I belive they are worth every penny, especially in the long run.