Do some kits go by different names?

[Quality Pen]

I'm just wondering how the whole naming thing goes... maybe some kits are exclusive to certain merchants?

The reason I'm wondering is because today this happened again: I was looking for a popular pen kit - Sierra - and checked PSI to see what it looked like but they didn't have any.

Just the other day this happened with the Gentlemen pens as well as another. PSI just flat out did not carry it. I ended up finding it easily on other sites though. I'm led to believe the sierra and gent styles are quite popular.

It's not that I am brand loyal to PSI, it's just that I pretty much have been using them as a reference point. Oddly though, their selection of certain pen kits appear to be smaller than I imagined, or perhaps people on IAP simply avoid the PSI styles. I'm not totally certain what to make of it being as how I am a relative newb. :bulgy-eyes:

 

[buttonsHT]

Pretty sure Sierra is similar to a Wall Street and a gatsby.

 

[Cmiles1985]

Wall Street, Gatsby, Mesa, LeRoi are all similar (some have a wider selection). I would highly recommend Woodturningz over PSI due to pricing/service/shipping. I ordered from PSI a time or two in my beginning month, then I switched to Woodturningz and have been very happy.

 

[toddlajoie]

Yes, as stated before, many of exactly the same kits are sold by different people under different names. In my experience, mostly Berea kits seem to be renamed by many people who sell them, but at the same time, several manufacturers make pens that are all very similar to the "Sierra" pens we are all familiar with. You will see differences in the bands on either side of the blank area, slightly different clips/finials, different finishes, etc. Some kits are only sold by certain manufacturers (i.e. the Gentleman's Pen you mentioned is MAINLY sold by Craft Supply, so PSI won't likely sell it, but others like Exotics who carry products from several vendors will carry it)

Making things even more confusing, there are some kits that LOOK the same at first but end up not being the same. Craft Supply's Aero pen kits LOOK very similar to the Elegant Sierra line, but their tube/pen diameter is not the same (Aero is smaller). There is also a larger version of the Sierra (called the Wall St 3 at Woodcraft, not sure what Berea's name for it is) that uses the same tube as the standard Sierras, but the pen has a larger final diameter, so the material is thicker in the end. It is often used for cast blanks like the Circuit boards that need thicker materials. There is also a click version of the Sierra line that uses a significantly shorter tube.

Some pens use the same diameter tubes and look similar but the tube lengths can be significantly different (i.e. the Jr. Gent series versus the Triton Series. And some different looking kits use nearly exactly the same tubes, like the Jr. Gent, Jr Statesman, etc.

Cigar pens (Big Ben, and a few other names) are another one with a lot of variety to the kits. Most people sell some version of it, but you will find a good bit of difference in the makeup of the kit and how it is put together, even tho the end results all LOOK very similar.

There is a section in the Library (here) with info on the pen kits, comparisons, bushing/drill bit/tube sizes, etc. that can be incredibly helpful in seeing what kits are essentially the same.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Truth is it just takes a little time to figure out what's what. You will.

If you are looking for a specific kit, check the library. Or just ask.

Often Sierra size and cigar are same or very similar. Many others are different.

Mostly, woodcraft carries Berea kits with different names.

 

[The Penguin]

Yes, as stated before, many of exactly the same kits are sold by different people under different names. In my experience, mostly Berea kits seem to be renamed by many people who sell them, but at the same time, several manufacturers make pens that are all very similar to the "Sierra" pens we are all familiar with. You will see differences in the bands on either side of the blank area, slightly different clips/finials, different finishes, etc. Some kits are only sold by certain manufacturers (i.e. the Gentleman's Pen you mentioned is MAINLY sold by Craft Supply, so PSI won't likely sell it, but others like Exotics who carry products from several vendors will carry it)

Making things even more confusing, there are some kits that LOOK the same at first but end up not being the same. Craft Supply's Aero pen kits LOOK very similar to the Elegant Sierra line, but their tube/pen diameter is not the same (Aero is smaller). There is also a larger version of the Sierra (called the Wall St 3 at Woodcraft, not sure what Berea's name for it is) that uses the same tube as the standard Sierras, but the pen has a larger final diameter, so the material is thicker in the end. It is often used for cast blanks like the Circuit boards that need thicker materials. There is also a click version of the Sierra line that uses a significantly shorter tube.

Some pens use the same diameter tubes and look similar but the tube lengths can be significantly different (i.e. the Jr. Gent series versus the Triton Series. And some different looking kits use nearly exactly the same tubes, like the Jr. Gent, Jr Statesman, etc.

Cigar pens (Big Ben, and a few other names) are another one with a lot of variety to the kits. Most people sell some version of it, but you will find a good bit of difference in the makeup of the kit and how it is put together, even tho the end results all LOOK very similar.

There is a section in the Library (here) with info on the pen kits, comparisons, bushing/drill bit/tube sizes, etc. that can be incredibly helpful in seeing what kits are essentially the same.

Sierra Vista