Boswego, i also have two dealers i buy from almost exclusively (one more than the other), though i will, like you, take the "cheap-skate" special every now and then just on a lark. But i think it is most important to find someone you can really trust, especially when it comes to keris.
Rick is, of course, right, and to down-play the importance of educating oneself through reading on the subject would be a great mistake. No, you will not become an expert from reading books alone, but with guidance from others you can trust and looking at A LOT of keris, recognition of a good keris gets easier with time.
I think it would be inappropriate to make any dealer recommendations in this forum. Sorry.
