Some of these pens may be 'gimmicky' but I think it is a good thing to have variety.
Dirk,
I am all for variety, and I don't even mind 'gimmicky' provided there is quality.
Most of the pen kits from PSI that people call gimmicky have been introduced in the last 3 yrs or so. And most of them have some cast metal parts. The castings lack finesse: you can see the edges left by the casting mold in many cases; the cast parts are often not round where they should be round; if you look at the ends of the "cylindrical" cast parts you will notice 'blobs' on the ends which prevent the parts from fitting together closely without irregular air-gaps, and there are often other 'blobs' that stick out at random places and have been plated over; and, you can often see deep scratches, or scores, in the metal underneath the plating. These widespread imperfections detract seriously from the appeal of these pen kits, and I don't think that calling some 'antique brass' or 'antique pewter' improves their appeal; besides, the non-antique chrome and 24kt versions have the same imperfections.
I don't want this post to be taken as "bashing"; PSI's customer service is commendable; some of their products are excellent, like the 30 Caliber Bolt Action pen kit. But based on the comments and "jeers" recorded here there are obviously some issues in dealing with PSI and their products that are not the same as for other vendors and their products.
I'll stick my neck out and say again, quality is one of those issues.