What would you say???

[jttheclockman]

What would you say is your best selling pen kits and where do you get them from??? Do you use more wood or acrylic??? Do you buy pen kits for their ease of making or for their looks or for some other reason???

 

[OldWrangler]

Interesting question. There are a couple of ways to answer it. My best selling pen in numbers is the Euro and the best seller in it is Antler followed by burl woods, plainer woods and lastly acrylics. My best selling pens by the money I make are the Barons but they are usually special pens like the Texas Flag, Flag of Isreal and the best of my burl woods. I don't ever waste one on acrylic. I don't make any Slimlines because I just don't like the kit. I hate making pencils and only make one when pushed by one of my dealers. I also make few fountain pens are they don't seem to sell. Oher pens I make are the Cigar, Ultra Cigar, Sedona and the Euro with a shell casing, antler and the rifle clip. I also sell quite a few pens of Alligator Jaw bone, corncob, Alabaster and a few Pinecones. The blanks of "worthless wood"(gnarley burls) with the defects filled with pearl acrylic are also selling great but I just started making them. Some great blanks can be had from Eugene Soto at esoto70431@aol.com. Ask to see his Cancun blanks they are spectacular. Find a happy medium between what sells and what you enjoy making and stay with that.

 

[ELCAMINO63]

awsome

keep up the great work

 

[TellicoTurning]

What would you say is your best selling pen kits and where do you get them from??? Do you use more wood or acrylic??? Do you buy pen kits for their ease of making or for their looks or for some other reason???

John,
I mostly make pens that I like to make and I think will sell well... so I make a lot of Cigars, Baron and slimlines... don't like making the SL's quite as much as the others, but have pretty good turn over, especially in antler and the acrylics. Cigars I alternate the wood and antler.. I like working with the antler. Barons sell well to women so I do a number of them in acryllics, as well as the nicer woods. As for Wood vs Acrylics... I prefer to work in wood, but because of sales, I do make a number of acrylics... maybe 60/40 wood/acrylics

I also like to make the Gent's and related higher end pen, but kit prices limit what I can do.