Kit Quality

[GreggR]

How would you guys rate the various kit qualities? I've turned Berea, PSI and WoodCraft. I rate them in descending order of quality:

Berea
WoodCraft
PSI

I don't see much difference between the Berea and the WoodCraft, but the PSI plating and edges of the clips seems lowest quality. Just my opinion.

Anyone using other higher-quality kits? Have a personal favorite for quality? Care to share with us new guys?

 

[woodpens]

I agree with your assessment, but would add Craft Supplies USA to the top of the list.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

I seldom use anything but the top line rhodium quality hardware from CSUSA.

I sell most of my pens and these kits give me peace of mind knowing that they are the best I can offer a customer.

 

[mrcook4570]

Woodcraft is a Berea reseller, but usually only carry the 24k kits.

 

[ctEaglesc]

I don't turn many CSUSA kits because they evidently don't want to show exactly which kit I am interested in on their online catologue.
Look up Fountain pen and some idiot doesn;'t know the difference between a fountrain pen and a roller ball.
Look for titanium gold plating and it isn't available in most of the kits I would like.
They don''t offer much in Parker refill style pens but are the King of the slimlines with a high price.
Berea has a good selection but I like their Perfect fit.
I use a lot of PSI from Woodturningz because they are reasonabley priced, don't have a lot of unnecessary "dollar store" combination platings.
Most of what I buy from them is easily modifyable.
Don't sell PSI kits short.
All the Mfgrs sell to the masses that just want to drill a hole and turn a pen that looks like it came out of THEIR catologue.

 

[reef12]

Originally posted by mrcook4570
<br />Woodcraft is a Berea reseller, but usually only carry the 24k kits.

Was at one on Friday and low and behold a Chrome Cigar could not believe it.

I asked when did you all start carrying these, said as they were a new kit just started.

NEW KIT[B)]

Oh well so if you need one fast and have a local WC nearby check it out $5.99 for the chrome kit and same as Berea.

Cost a tad more then web but for one kit or two same price in the long run.

 

[redfishsc]

CSUSA as far as I can tell makes the most quality kits. I think HUT kits are basically Berea.

Anyhow, CSUSA is a great company but they have their very, very peculiar snafu's. Read up a tad on the thread about drill bit sizes and take it to heart.

I am very, very partial to their rollerball offerings like the Gent and Jr Gent. Very nice pens.


Aside from that, if I'm buying some old standby slimlines, or my personal favorite, the cigar, I buy from Woodturningz (PSI reseller, and a fantastic dealer).

 

[mdburn_em]

I guess I'm a little different.
I have found that I have more problems with Berea kits as far as press fitting. Not much quality control there.
Their upgrade gold plating leaves a lot to be desired over csusa's 10k. When I've had problems with mechanisms, it's usually a Berea kit.
PSI's stuff is mostly, um, cheaply made, poorly fitting...stuff. I've got a few of their kits I made with very nice wood. I won't even give them away because it takes extreme precision and sustained effort to make the caps screw on properly. They sit in my case and I wonder what I'm going to do with them.
I will say that PSI makes a combination pen/pencil that is wonderful. It has a contoured comfort grip which is very comfortable. They had to screw with it though and it now looks like cheap plastic rather than comfortable foam. The mechanism feels....cheap. I carry it though and like it.
If I decide to try something my first thought is CSUSA, then Berea (with glue bottle in hand) then PSI.
I will say I'm looking forward to the new pen from PSI that is their entry into the competition for the high end pen sales. It has a somewhat different look from CSUSA's which all tend to look the same.