Cigar Pen Kit Plating - Different from Others?

[JimGo]

I know the plating topic has been rehashed several times here, and I know that, in general, the Ti gold and chrome are the longer lasting of the platings, with the platinum a close third. However, I'm still a bit confused. I carried a Jr. Gent in 10K gold for a few months, and the plating wore off the finial very quickly. The other parts still look decent, but that part really looks junky now. By contrast, I've also carried a cigar pen for several weeks, and don't see any appreciable wear on the clip plating or on the finial. I can't remember whether mine is a 10K or 24K cigar, but it's probably one of the cheapies (24K).

I'm getting ready to order more kits and am now confused about what to order. I'd like to get some kits whose plating will be long lasting, but at the same time, I don't necessarily want to spend 2-5 times the price if I don't have to. I'd appreciate anyone else sharing their opinion.

FWIW, I'm leaning toward CSUSA kits this time, simply because I want to order a few other things that they carry for which Berea doesn't have a comparable kit (namely the Artist's pencil), and I want to save on shipping.

 

[Mikey]

I was under the impression that the Ti finishes and platinum finishes were more durable than the Chrome finishes. Maybe I got a bad batch, but I won't even touch the satin finishes anymore because I don't want anyone's pen wearing in 6 months like mine did when I used them as test subjects.

 

[nilsatcraft]

I've got a link that explains all about plating. See our Plating 101 page. I just saw that the chrome plating isn't listed- only the black chrome. The black chrome and the chrome wear about the same. If there are any questions that this page doesn't properly cover, I'd be happy to help. Thanks, Jim!

 

[JimGo]

Thanks Nils, that helps a lot.

 

[wayneis]

Jim If you want the finish to last and you want gold then you really have no choise but to get the Titanium Gold. The only other choise would be to buy a powder coat system and then maybe you could put a clear coat on top of the cheaper 24K or 10K platings. I only use Titanium or Platinum. I have had fair luck with some of the satin finishes but it seems to be dependant on where you purchase your kits from.

Wayne

 

[JimGo]

Thanks Wayne, that's basically what I thought. Unfortunately, CSUSA doesn't offer Ti gold cigar kits, so I settled for the 10K, which according to their site should at least give decent wear.

 

[mrcook4570]

My biggest problem with cigars isn't the gold plating, but it is the black painted parts. After a few months in my pocket, the black paint started wearing off.

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by mrcook4570
<br />My biggest problem with cigars isn't the gold plating, but it is the black painted parts. After a few months in my pocket, the black paint started wearing off.

I've had that same problem and touch up the little dings with a laundry marker every so often.