Kit identification

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wrjones224

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Mar 15, 2020
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Does anyone know what this kit is? I did not make this pen and the customer wants to repair it as the threads do not work. I thought it was a jr gentleman but I don't think it it is. It seems to be slightly smaller.

Any help is appreciated.
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wrjones224

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Mar 15, 2020
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I've made many Jr Gentlemans and this didn't seem like the exact same kit. After looking at the barons I'm convinced it is one.
 

sorcerertd

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Sep 30, 2019
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North Carolina, USA
Wow, somebody has been rough on that one. Looks like it's seen actual battle. I wonder how old that kit is? As far as the current kits, the gent has a round section, where the baron has the hex. It was already pointed out, but the current baron kits have black threads. I suppose the coating (black chrome?) could have worn off. It certainly did on the center band.
 

jrista

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Colorado
Looks like a Caballero to me:

 

jrista

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In fact, it looks to be this tigold/tigold one, specifically:


It looks like they are in stock, but they were apparently only made by Smitty's Pen Works. I am not sure who owns those kits now, or if they are still being manufactured...
 

jrista

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Aug 12, 2021
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So, I thought I'd chime in again here... I like the Caballero, beautiful kit. I have a couple, been meaning to get some more, so this spurred me on. I noticed something though, that stood out. The nib on the parts pictured in the OP, seems to be different than what I've generally seen for the Caballeros.

Now, maybe this is just due to time? Maybe some time ago, the nibs were different, and they were changed sometime in the last...N years? I don't know, only been making pens since around 2021. The current Caballero as far as I can tell, has a round nib section. Everything except the nib in the parts pictures, says Caballero to me...every other part looks the same. The nib pictured, however, appears to have a hexagonal one? I have been looking for a similar kit...so far haven't found one. Is there any chance, this may have been "kit bashed" a bit, with a part from another kit swapped in? The nib pictured, although gold, appears to be the same as a Baron? Baron rollerballs have that hexagonal nib, but the rest of their parts, are a little bit different. Notably, the threads on Barons (also called Navigator if sold by Woodcraft, same exact kit as far as I can tell) are always black, as far as I've ever seen. The threads in the kit pictured, however, are the same as the rest of the kit parts (gold?)

Anyway...just a small discrepancy I noticed. I've never seen an all-gold Baron or Navigator. In fact, lately, I don't think I've seen gold in either kit...maybe ever? I've seen chrome and black, gunmetal and black, all black, silver & even copper...but I don't think I've ever seen gold.
 

jrista

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Ah!! Apparently, there IS a gold Navigator... Interestingly, I've never seen one of these in the local store, even though this site lists them in stock, but its listed online:


SO! Here is another theory... I wonder, if it is possible the pen parts pictured are just SO worn down, that the black has been worn entirely off the threads, AND the center accent band?

I can't think of any other way that a Baron/Navigator would have a gold accent band. Looking more closely, though, it seems possible that the "grime" in the threads, is in fact not grime, but the black anodization of the threads, that has just been worn off? Could it be possible that the center band, is the same thing? The center band right now, definitely looks Caballero-like...but the nib is decidedly Baron/Navigator.

Anyway...Caballero is a really nice kit! If it fits, I'd say go with it. Only question would be if its got the right tube diameters for the existing tubes?
 

jrista

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Just checked out the attached picture at the bottom of the original post. Almost convinced now, this is a gold plated Baron or Navigator. The threads and center accent band, appear as though they are just incredibly worn, which took off the black anodized coatings, leaving behind the underlying gold color...

It appears that in the past, you could also get gold and black Caballero pen kits, which look almost identical to the Cobalt Gold Navigator I linked in the last post...with the exception of the nib part, which is round...
 
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