Where do you buy pen parts in Canada

[badwin]

Where do you guys in Canada buy your pen parts. I have been using leevalley but they are expensive. If you order from the US, how are Customs to deal with.
Thanks
Brian

 

[Vincent]

Hi Brian,

Lee Valley is pretty expensive, and there isn't a whole lot to choose from.

There are a few other places in Canada that sells pen parts. One is woodchuckers.com, which sell products from Craft Supplies UK. The website isn't great but they will send you a Craft Supplies UK catalog. The other is www.jacquescoulombe.com, which sells PSI products.

I've only bought a few things from woodchuckers, but I get most of my pen supplies from the states. There is just so much more selection, not only in terms of pen kits but also pen blanks.

In terms of customs, that's like a lottery. Recently, I received two packages. One I had to pay $40 in customs fees, the other I didn't have to pay anything.

Hope this helps.

Vincent

 

[wicook]

Hi Brian,

In my experience, the Canadian suppliers don't have much selection or particularly good prices. If you order from the US suppliers, make sure you don't order anything that can't be mailed...and make sure that you specifically ask them to send the order via US Postal Service. Otherwise some of them will send your order via UPS and then you incur brokerage fees and seem to be more likely to get hit with customs fees than if it comes through the post office. The last time I got an order (about $30 USD) from a supplier and had it shipped via UPS, the brokerage fee was about $30 CDN ... and they added a customs fee, too.

 

[DCBluesman]

I've done a fair amount of shipping to Canada over the past three years. In my experience, with UPS and Federal Express you are highly likely to incur a brokerage fee. The probabability of customs charges is also greater. If your supplier will use the US Postal Service and package items such that each parcel is valued at $60CA or less, you will not uncur brokerage or customs fees. Also, in some Provinces, you may incur PST on top of brokerage and customs fees. Seems like a never ending battle.

 

[dougle40]

I used to buy all my pen kits from LV but finally quit and now get all my pen supplies from the US , mostly from CSUSA , they seem to be the best in regards to extra charges to Canada . I also find that even the prices , when you figure in the exchange , taxes and other fees , still are much better than can be had right here . Jacques Colombe's prices are completely out of the picture and the products are about the same as from CSUSA . Another one that is way out of line is Kidder Clock , they deal with PSI and the rates that they charge are completely out in left field somewhere . For example . they send you a PSI catalogue and tell you to multiply all the prices by 1.65 to arrive at a Canadian price , the current rate of exchange is only around 1.23 -- $0.42 extra on the dollar , that can add up pretty quickly for a large order .
As for having things sent via UPS , DON'T !!!! They DO add brokerage fees which can end up costing you almost as much as the order . I always tell my US suppliers to send the package out via the USPS by the most economical method possible . I've gotten packages from the US that have been shipped Air Post and regular Ground Post and the delivery times don't seem to vary much at all .

 

[badwin]

Thanks for the anwers. Maybe someone will take the bull by the horn and open up shop with good prices and lots of selection. I tried dealing with Jacques Couloumbe. I emailed them twice with an order and asked them for shipping charges but they never sent a reply.
Brian