I dont know if they ship to the US but a stahlwerk welder is what i usually recommend for the budget conscious European.
So yes, you can get good TIC machines below 500$ especially when you get a used one.
3/10
Probably balanced OK and has a certain comfy weight in your hand.
But the shape is , all by very distinct, no good at differentiating between handle and fork head.
Function wise is the ability to poke food with the fork in question OK but could be improved.
But the ability to scoop things up is lost with this fork, the head is just to small and to thick.
And i personally hate the different dept oft cut in the forkhead.
Wait, my ponytail might be responsible for my headache?