Sierra click pen opinions?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

Haynie

Member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
3,516
Location
Page Arizona
I wanted to make some click pens. I like the Vertex style but, after three pens I have had 1 with wrong sized brass tube, a bad clicker and one success. I just don't have the money to waste on whether I will get a good quality kit.

I really like the looks and feel of the Sierra pens but not too hot on twist pens. Are the click mechanisms for the Sierra style pens reliable and do they last?
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

williamcr

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2011
Messages
73
Location
Utah
My wife does not like the twist pens but I wanted to do an inlay kit for a Christmas present for her so I did a Gatsby Rhodium clicker. The Gatsby is almost identical to a Sierra or Sienna or Monet but they all have a slight tube length difference. I really like how the Gatsby Rhodium twist pen holds up since I have used one for quite awhile but I have yet to see how the clicker holds up.
 
Joined
Feb 25, 2010
Messages
1,798
Location
webberville, mi
Haynie - I'm DEEPLY surprised you had troubles with the Vertex. It's right up at the top of my favorites list. I've made (and sold) a lot of them. Never had a tube problem and never had a bad click mechanism. I love the silky smooth mechanism and the "faceted" design. Maybe it's my Engineer's mentality. I keep one as my daily user - the only "failure" I had was dropping it on a hard surface. If it hits just right, the cap will shear off at the threads. All done, then. No fix.

Click mechanisms tend to be real sensitive to pressure, so it's real important to not apply pressure on the mechanism while you're assembling. Plastic parts and all. CSUSA's Clicker is another favorite - they supply a "tool" with each pen to prevent this. For the Vertex that means not putting the threaded cap on until the last step.

I'm a Gatsby click fan, also. From an appearance perspective, I prefer the double center band on the Gatsby over the "knurled" band on the Wall St. Haven't done others.
 

BSea

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Messages
4,628
Location
Little Rock, Arkansas
I've made several of the Sierra click pens. The thing I like most about them is that you can make them different lengths depending on how/if you want to trim the spacer that goes onto the end of the refill. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you will if you buy the kit. With no trimming, it's a pretty long pen. Longer than I like for a sierra. Without the spacer, you'll need to trim the tube, and then it's a pretty short pen. Lately when I've done these, I've trimmed the spacer and the tube so the tube length is the same as a sierra. I think there is a tutorial on this somewhere.

EDIT: I'm not as impressed with the elegant sierra click. I've done a few vertex, and they have all been functional, but I just don't like the kit much. The plating wasn't the best with some small pitting in the finish. My favorite click pen is the clicker or sometimes called the long clicker. Very beefy click mechanism. I've used one almost everyday for about a year with no problems at all.
 
Last edited:

ed4copies

Local Chapter Manager
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Messages
24,523
Location
Racine, WI, USA.
I've never found a click pen that works. So, I haven't made any for several years.

Last Summer a friend asked about click pens--so I made myself a sierra click. It is still going strong!!

So, I'm one for one.

Certainly NOT a scientific study, but it is encouraging!!
 

PenAddict

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
11
Location
Portland OR
Boy, am I sure glad I read this post. I have the habit of saving those blown out blanks and trimming errors but now I can still put them to use. Clickers here I come. Thanks Bob for that bit of info.
 

Jgrden

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
6,287
Location
hOUSTON, Texas
I am graduating toward a majority of pens being click in the future. May not look the best but are easier to sell. It is click or pull-off cap. My two cents.
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
119
Location
Forney, Texas
My favorite click is the Sierra click. Any of my customers who request a click I suggest the Sierra click. All of my personal clicks are Sierra click, and I'm hard on pens. they are strong.
 
Top Bottom