Rollerball pens

[Daddy1]

I took a break and I have got "the fever" again. I have started making roller ball pens and love it!! I got a few sets from a local store and they are great but EXPENSIVE. I then ordered some on line and the price was right but they were cheap. I would like some opinions on the best most cost effective rollerball pens.

Also isn't the pricing structue roughly 2.5x the materials?

 

[theartist07]

Rollerball

I usually order my from PSI, i've never had a problem with them.

Jim

 

[Russianwolf]

There are several good ones.

The Baron and Sedona from Arizona Silhouette
The Jr Gent, Jr. Statesman, Jr. Retro and the other high end pens from CSUSA
Aaron at LauLau Woodworks (member on the forum) has several.
And I'm sure there are others as well.

For good platings (platinum or titanium) they won't be cheap, Say $10 and up. The lower end plating I won't touch other than Chrome and the Chrome Baron can be had for $7.20 in a group buy.

Pricing. I stopped doing the straight formula. Now I use materials+(time*wage)= wholesale. wholesale*2=retail. Then I check it against price points and modify as needed. Wage is the kicker. How much do you want to make for your time? $10/hr? $20/hr? I don't charge as much for my time on this as I do for my day job, but I'm not giving my time away either.

 

[jkeithrussell]

In my opinion, the time/labor analysis is not the right way to price pens. Look around at other members' websites and see what the market price is. If it takes me 3 hours to make a pen that you can make in 45 minutes, my customer should not pay extra for my "labor" unless there is something special about my pen. The price depends on the type of plating, the type of material used, the pen maker's relative expertise, and what the market is willing to pay.

 

[mostangrypirate]

after I'm finished. if I like the pen , it is one price, if I love it,.. it is another. and if I just want to smell it and eat it and marry it....that I really charge for it!....not really, I love doing this, so labor is NEVER a factor. I would do this all day for nothing if I could afford it. when I started, I didn't want a business, so much as a self supporting hobby.

 

[Daddy1]

I actually ordered the pens I have now from Woodturningz/PSI which is usually great. I have order several times from Woodturningz and love them but the pen kits for the rollerball are "light weight". They are not as smooth and the pens tops don't go on as smooth.
I was looking at Arizona Sillohette and I think I might give them a try. One of these days I am gonna splurg and get a $30-50.00 kit and see how those are!!!!!!!!