Sterling Silver Baron

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gerryr

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For those who have been making these for some time, how does the plating hold up compared to Berea's Upgrade Gold? I've made one and really like how it looks, but wonder about the durability.
 
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Old Griz

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All of the Berea plating, except the upgrade gold, hold up fantastically... especially the Platinum and Sterling Silver, my two favorites...
Upgrade gold, 10K gold and 24K gold will eventually start to brass... the only gold that is permanent is the TN Gold platings..
 

Mikey

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I was told by BB "These sterling silver kits have a 20 micron plating as compared to 4 - 5 microns for other platings". The Sterling Silver ones that Berea Sells are supposedly silver all the way through, which is why they are like $20 each compared with the cheaper price of the Baron.
 

alamocdc

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Okay, now I'm confused, Mikey. The Baron is a Berea product... so why would one Sterling Silver version of the Baron (from BB) be "plated" and the other (from Berea) be solid silver? [?]
 
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Hi All,
I may be wrong,but I do not think that the Baron is a Berea Hardwoods kit. I think the only place to get a Baron is BB. Wood craft has a rip off of the Baron the Navagtor is the same fit with a differnt
name.Just like the Chirch Hill from Berea, from Rockler it is the ElGranda, same.So if I'm wrong let me know and I will except the corection.[:I][?]
Just Charlie & Betsy
 

alamocdc

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I suppose it's possible for the Baron to be a Jr. Gent knockoff. Woodturningz has SL knockoffs in different platings. Truth be known, their probably all coming from the same Chinese factory.
 

wdcav1952

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Charlie,

Are you sure about your Churchill and El Granda (sp?) comments? The El Grande is a Berea kit, and they introduced the Churchill as a somewhat retro kit. I do not see an El Granda (sp?) on the Rockler site. BTW, the Churchill and El Grande use the same bushings, which is nice.

You are right that ArizonaSilhouette.com is the only place to get the Baron. It is a Berea kit, and BB has exclusive rights to sell it as the Baron. I have no experience with the Navigator, but have heard that it is the same kit.
 
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Hi wdcav1952,
Well I'm perty sure they are the same.Cause when I called Rockler about bushings for the Church Hill they did not have that kit. When I told them about the kit they said that the ElGranda used the same drills,tubes,and bushings. Also they told me that they buy Berea kits
they are sent to Minasota some place,they are opened and repackaged
with another name and the Rockler name on the package.The only rip off I know of is for the Baron it is Navagoter from Wood Craft. So who knows what else is the sane with another name?????
Just Charlie & Betsy [:)]
 

gerryr

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Everything Woodcraft sells is some other company's kit repackaged for Woodcraft. If they want to buy a kit from Berea or CSUSA or PSI or whoever, repackage it and sell it at a higher price, that's their perogative. Same thing with Rockler. The only thing that makes it a rip off is the price they charge.
 

Old Griz

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The Baron is made by Berea and sold by Arizona Silhouette.... it is also sold by Woodcraft under the name Navigator (but only in 10K gold) and at a much higher price...

The El Grande and the Churchill are also both made by Berea, but are totally different pens... they may take the same bushings and tubes, but that does not make them the same pen...

Rockler, Woodcraft and some other companies that sell pen kits get them from one of 3 places, Berea, Hut or PSI... they are the only three companies in the US producing kits that resell to other dealers.
CSU is the other producer and designer of pen kits in the US and they only sell through their own company. There are no CSU resellers anymore.

Do not assume because a tubes and/or bushings are interchangeable on some kits that they are the same...
The only manufacturers kits I will purchase are those from Berea and CSU and only in the better platings.. I have found their platings and pen mechanisms to hold up to daily use and have never had a pen made from either company's kit come back to me from a customer. Now this is only my opinion on manufacturers, some of you may have had a different experience.
 
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