10K or 24K kits

[Old Griz]

What do you find to be more durable.. the 10K kits or the 24K kits...
I have found a supplier of 10K slimlines for $1.65 ea and another with 24K for $1.70 ea. The prices are right, but I want to buy the more durable of the two... even though these will be on the low end of my inventory, price wise, I still want to give the customer something decent..

 

[RussFairfield]

Regardless of what the manufacturers say, there isn't enough difference between 10k and 24k plating to worry about it. When we are measuring the life of the plating in weeks, a few days difference doesnt matter. There are more than enouigh differences in how we use our pens and our personal body chemistry to make up any real difference.

If you want a plating that lasts, spend the extra dollar (or whatever it is) and buy the Ti-Gold plating. That will last many times longer than either of them. You are looking at months to years of life.

If cost is important, use the Chrome plating. It is usually the same cost as the cheap gold, and it is the most durable plating we can get on pen fittings. Its life expectancy would be measured in years.

 

[timdaleiden]

I must admit that I have never used anything but 24 kt kits. I have heard many of the advanced penturners degrade, denounce, and snicker about this plating. I am quite certain that TI, Chrome, Platinum/rhodium are better than Gold. Gold is a soft metal, and will show wear eventually. I think that sometimes this wear is exaggerated. I have read some people say they wiped the plating with a diaper, and it wiped off. Russ, who I deeply respect as a penturner, just claimed that it will last for weeks.

I made a keychain pen with 24 kt plating back in December. A keychain suffers abuses that most pens will never see. It is constantly being rubbed by metal. I have my ATV key attached to this pen, and used my ATV for doing countless hours of snowplowing this year, sometimes at subzero temps. I have hit the trails, with this thing bouncing around. This pen has been run through the mill.

It shows some wear on the key ring itself, and to a lesser extent, the cap that the ring runs through. It still looks quite nice though. The gold plating covers a shiny silver metal. Even with the wear, when compared side by side to just silver colored metal, it is easy to tell which is gold.

I will eventually try some of the other platings, but I don't see anything wrong with using the economical platings.