Trustone Price Increase

[Smitty37]

I recently saw a thread somewhere that said the price of Trustone blanks was about to double from the supplier. Now I don't sell Trustone blanks and judging from the current price, I probably never will so I don't have a dog in this hunt one way or the other. I am just curious.

First, is this true that the price is doubling?

Second, has the manufacturer shared their reason?

Third, do you think it permenant or a "cabbage patch kids" increase?

 

[Smitty37]

I guess nobody knows

As unlikely as it seems it looks like either nobody knows or nobody wants to share the information. Highly unusual for IAP.

 

[jttheclockman]

It is true. As far as being a flash in the pan I do not know if anyone can tell you how long it will last. There is problems where these are made labor wise. Dealers have cut back on orders because they were not being filled.

 

[ed4copies]

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"!!

Momma's advice applies here.

 

[Smitty37]

Well someone called them and they said the price is going up $7.50 per pound for the 8 - 12 pound full blocks. And, it sounds like it is permanent, so I guess I have the information I was curious about. I figured that retailers who don't cut their own blanks would have to go up about $3.50 to $5.00 per blank (assuming the cutter uses a normal mark up for his pricing) to make money. I guess that while they seem like nice blanks (I have a couple of pens done in TruStone so I do know how it looks) I'd be hard pressed to see any big advantage over acrylics selling for a lot less.

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

Just figure on one reality as I understand From Multiple sellers like Barry Gross, Ernie of Bear Tooth Woods. Prices per blank are to Double. Not a big issue for me as I will figure to increase my costs per as well. Price of doing business.

 

[SSGMEADER]

I had heard it wasn't about labor but more about new mining regulations. This blog post from late January supports that rumor.

Gemstone / Tru-Stone Prices Double! | Barry Gross

 

[mark james]

Just an opinion!

I have turned... 22-25 pens in trustone; and I like the stuff! I am not a seller, so just family/friends.

But... I have 9 more blanks in various colors, but would not hesitate to pay 2-3$ more/blank when I need more. I like the material, and what it costs, is what it costs! I like the gold matrix!

Mark

 

[ed4copies]

I BELIEVE you will find the gold matrix will be over $20 for a 3/4 inch blank. Possibly over $25.

Yes, it IS pretty. Yes it CAN break while drilling. No that is NOT a defect, it is poor drilling technique. But, at that price, I can foresee a lot of discontent. Why put ourselves in that position when the profit margin sucks! Freight eats up the margin they "allow".

 

[jttheclockman]

The problem is you can not duplicate the look you get with Truestone blanks at least some of them. No acrylic out there and some of the best casters couldn't come close. Just have to use those blanks for those real special pens. Mexican Agate is one of those. When their sales suffer maybe they will reconsider. Not knowing all the facts who knows what the future holds.

 

[ed4copies]

Mexican Agate will be interesting. It is NOT a tru-stone, it is an acrylic that they market (they MAY make it, too). If the problem is mining cost, it should not effect this blank. It WILL be interesting.

 

[Smitty37]

I just stated a fact or one could say an opinion...I have a TruStone pen right in front of me and I have some acrylics along side it that to my old eyes look just as good and cost a whole lot less. That might not be the case for every color/material they have available. And, that isn't to say the pen I am looking at isn't a darn nice pen -- it is.

I have no idea as to the per blank pricing I just used a figure of 4 1/2 blanks per pound (that number came from someone who figured out what $7.50 per pound translated to per blank he said $1.70 I also understand from the manufacturer's website that cutting the blocks to blanks is not easy and requires some special handling, but they do have a version of some blanks specifically aimed at penturners, that can be cut with a band saw - I wouldn't have any idea if the final pens from them look as good or not.

As I said, I'll pass on handling the blanks

 

[Smitty37]

The problem is you can not duplicate the look you get with Truestone blanks at least some of them. No acrylic out there and some of the best casters couldn't come close. Just have to use those blanks for those real special pens. Mexican Agate is one of those. When their sales suffer maybe they will reconsider. Not knowing all the facts who knows what the future holds.

See Ed Brown's post -- I think you are making my point....

 

[Rick_G]

The only truestone pens I have done are ones I have given away. ie young women from our church or relatives getting married, if the price goes up like that it looks like I will be looking for a new material. $20 to $30 on a decent kit and then another $20 or more on a blank gets a little expensive for something I am giving away.

 

[jttheclockman]

Mexican Agate will be interesting. It is NOT a tru-stone, it is an acrylic that they market (they MAY make it, too). If the problem is mining cost, it should not effect this blank. It WILL be interesting.

Banded Malachite
Black and Gold Matrix
Banded Black and White
Blue River Agate
White and Gold Matrix

Along with Mexican Agate are some of the others that I have come to love to work with. If they are not true true-stone material then maybe that is false advertising where they get listed on some dealers sites!!!

Maybe there should be a note in the discriptions.

But whatever they are you will not find acrylic blanks that look like any of the ones I mentioned. I have not seen them and those that cast blanks do not have the machinery to do those.

 

[Smitty37]

Mexican Agate will be interesting. It is NOT a tru-stone, it is an acrylic that they market (they MAY make it, too). If the problem is mining cost, it should not effect this blank. It WILL be interesting.

Banded Malachite
Black and Gold Matrix
Banded Black and White
Blue River Agate
White and Gold Matrix

Along with Mexican Agate are some of the others that I have come to love to work with. If they are not true true-stone material then maybe that is false advertising where they get listed on some dealers sites!!!

Maybe there should be a note in the discriptions.

But whatever they are you will not find acrylic blanks that look like any of the ones I mentioned. I have not seen them and those that cast blanks do not have the machinery to do those.

I did not say they looke "like" TruStone I said "I'd be hard pressed to see any big advantage over acrylics selling for a lot less" which is not saying they look alike.
.

 

[jttheclockman]

I will disagree with you. To me and I have said it over and over and over again here, it is the blank that should sell a pen and not the kit. You get a certain look with those type blanks. I don't expect you to understand because you do not make pens for sale. Weather you agree with my assessment or not Have a great day.

Mexican Agate will be interesting. It is NOT a tru-stone, it is an acrylic that they market (they MAY make it, too). If the problem is mining cost, it should not effect this blank. It WILL be interesting.

Banded Malachite
Black and Gold Matrix
Banded Black and White
Blue River Agate
White and Gold Matrix

Along with Mexican Agate are some of the others that I have come to love to work with. If they are not true true-stone material then maybe that is false advertising where they get listed on some dealers sites!!!

Maybe there should be a note in the discriptions.

But whatever they are you will not find acrylic blanks that look like any of the ones I mentioned. I have not seen them and those that cast blanks do not have the machinery to do those.

I did not say they looke "like" TruStone I said "I'd be hard pressed to see any big advantage over acrylics selling for a lot less" which is not saying they look alike.
.

 

[Ironwood]

I have made some true-stone pens, they are put in the racks for sale beside my PR and timber pens. PR is my best seller then wood, for some reason the True-stone pens aren't good sellers in my market.
I can't work it out, there are 2 green banded Malachite pens in there that are as well made as any other pen in the rack, but they always choose another pen. I have even dropped them to the same price and they still sit there .

So if the price goes up, I definitely won't be buying any more of it.

 

[Lenny]

I really like the heft of a pen made from trustone. When a potential customer picks up the pen they are immediately struck with a "feel of quality". However, for as many Black with gold matrix and banded malachite, which I really like, there have been several others that I have found to be quite uninteresting. With these price increases I probably won't be making many more varieties but just the occasional favorites.

 

[Smitty37]

I will disagree with you. To me and I have said it over and over and over again here, it is the blank that should sell a pen and not the kit. You get a certain look with those type blanks. I don't expect you to understand because you do not make pens for sale. Weather you agree with my assessment or not Have a great day.

Mexican Agate will be interesting. It is NOT a tru-stone, it is an acrylic that they market (they MAY make it, too). If the problem is mining cost, it should not effect this blank. It WILL be interesting.

Banded Malachite
Black and Gold Matrix
Banded Black and White
Blue River Agate
White and Gold Matrix

Along with Mexican Agate are some of the others that I have come to love to work with. If they are not true true-stone material then maybe that is false advertising where they get listed on some dealers sites!!!

Maybe there should be a note in the discriptions.

But whatever they are you will not find acrylic blanks that look like any of the ones I mentioned. I have not seen them and those that cast blanks do not have the machinery to do those.

I did not say they looke "like" TruStone I said "I'd be hard pressed to see any big advantage over acrylics selling for a lot less" which is not saying they look alike.
.

What part of what I said can be disagreed with John? The part where I wrote "I didn't say they (meaning acrylics) look like TruStone"? Or the part where I wrote what I did say in the earlier post?

I wasn't disagreeing with you on your opinion that some of the TruStones don't look like and look better to you than any acrylic, and that you think they are worth the price. You are perfectly free to have that opinion and to make the pens you sell out of whatever you and your customers like.

Now - What I meant when I said I don't see any big advantage to TruStone over acrylics is: I have a couple of TruStone Pens in my collection among acrylics, resins, metal and wood. To me they do not pop out as being more eye catching or looking any better than pens made of other materials. But, that is to my eye.

 

[Smitty37]

Just to make it clear...I opened this thread to get some information. I really didn't want a discussion on the relative merits of TruStone blanks. You either like them or you don't and that's up to you. My only opinion on that (which I should never have stated) is that I don't see any advantage to them over some acrylics. That was not intended to say that acrylics look like them, heck acrylics don't even all look like each other or like resins. The blanks people use is entirely their choice and I don't recommend one material over another.

I have expressed my personal preference is wood but that's just me.

 

[MikeinSC]

Smitty,
I just ordered a block of the stuff and paid $22.50/lb for it. So it is an increase of $7.50 over the advertised/last known rate. As for being double as mentioned in recent threads, my math says its a 50% increase. Still expensive but as others have said, some things can't be duplicated.

I didn't pry into why the price increase exists, it's not really my concern. Either people will continue to buy it at increased prices or they won't. The free market will correct any mistakes.

Cigarette prices are sky high in NYC yet people still pay for it because its something they want and those that don't want to will find an alternative.

I like the material and think some are worth it to me.

 

[Boss302]

The $15/lb. Tru-Stone is the non-pliable product. The pliable, which is what most of us use, is more expensive. The last time I bought in bulk from Research the pliable was a little under $20/lb. so even at $22.50/lb. it has gone up some but so has everything else.

 

[jttheclockman]

What's not to love about true-stone

Banded Malachite

One of my favorite materials. One of my best sellers too.