I have tried quite a few places, but the only one that gets a lot of repeat business from me is:
www.knifecenter.com
I have had a glitch or two from them, and their email responses can be a little terse, but I give them major credit for two things.
First, they do their best to keep their web site up-to-date with current inventory. If I can't see what's in stock and have to waste time waiting on the phone to find that information, what's the point of web shopping?
Second, they communicate with me at each step of the order process. They send an email when I purchase, another when the product ships, and if it is back-ordered, they give me estimated ship dates. This is very important to me. I don't get angry if something is delayed or backordered or goofed up, as long as I know what's going on. I do get angry when I place an order and it disappears into a black hole with no communication for weeks at a time. In that case, I again end up waiting on the phone.
There are some places that look tempting because they have good prices. I think that a few dollars aren't worth the aggravation. As usual, YMMV...
Oops, I guess you asked for short and sweet, but I felt this one needed more comment...
