Signguy
Member
If you are the kind of person who just wants to get to the conclusion, here it is:
Don't waste your money.
If you like to know the reasons why, please read on:
1) This may well be the ugliest kit ever made. It is a mish-mash of shapes with illogical faux engraving and looks extremely cheap when finished.
2) Berea has tried to invent a unique slide mechanism, but it is rough operating, not at all intuitive to use, very cheap feeling, length critical and limited to working only with a plain straight turned barrel.
3) The clip is made of such inexpensive material that even when it is installed in the slot designed into the cap which is meant to hold it straight it does not stay straight and it continues to bend sideways with the slightest pressure.
4) The actual turned portion of the pen (barrel) is minuscule and must be made as a plain, straight section so no room at all for any creativity. So your pens will look exactly like any other ones made/sold. It might as well be mass-produced already finished. (And if it was, it would probably be sold at Walmart for about $1.99.)
5) It feels awkward in the hand. The finished pen is not well balanced or solid feeling.
6) It has a very poorly designed trim ring with almost no mating surface and which will be constantly rubbing when the slide mechanism is used. Thus, even with Loctite on it, I doubt it's going to stay in place for long.
Sorry to say it is just not the quality we usually see from Berea, nor is it a kit that I believe it is likely you could ever sell a finished pen from for anywhere near what the materials and labor would be.
For the first time ever, I will probably send the kits I bought back for a refund - I just can't see even wanting to give these pens away with my name on it.
Don't waste your money.
If you like to know the reasons why, please read on:
1) This may well be the ugliest kit ever made. It is a mish-mash of shapes with illogical faux engraving and looks extremely cheap when finished.
2) Berea has tried to invent a unique slide mechanism, but it is rough operating, not at all intuitive to use, very cheap feeling, length critical and limited to working only with a plain straight turned barrel.
3) The clip is made of such inexpensive material that even when it is installed in the slot designed into the cap which is meant to hold it straight it does not stay straight and it continues to bend sideways with the slightest pressure.
4) The actual turned portion of the pen (barrel) is minuscule and must be made as a plain, straight section so no room at all for any creativity. So your pens will look exactly like any other ones made/sold. It might as well be mass-produced already finished. (And if it was, it would probably be sold at Walmart for about $1.99.)
5) It feels awkward in the hand. The finished pen is not well balanced or solid feeling.
6) It has a very poorly designed trim ring with almost no mating surface and which will be constantly rubbing when the slide mechanism is used. Thus, even with Loctite on it, I doubt it's going to stay in place for long.
Sorry to say it is just not the quality we usually see from Berea, nor is it a kit that I believe it is likely you could ever sell a finished pen from for anywhere near what the materials and labor would be.
For the first time ever, I will probably send the kits I bought back for a refund - I just can't see even wanting to give these pens away with my name on it.