Well, since you asked. Personally, I don't care one way or the other. If I make a pen with one or two kit parts and want to call it a kitless pen then I will. If others want to call it a modified whatever pen then that is OK too and I'll not argue. Are parts intended for use in kits but never make it to the kit's collection of parts still kit parts? It's much more fun to make pens...kit pens, kitless pens, modified kit pens, modified kitless kit pens or custom pens than to talk about what to call them....at least for me.
Here is Richard Greenwald's opinion:
Richard's Rules for kitless pens.
1. There are two levels of kitless pens:
Class 2, kit robbed for parts, including clips, nose cones, sections, finials, bands, ferrules, etc. Anything robbed from a kit can be used.
Class 1, original work. The only things that can be robbed from a kit are mechanisms (transmissions) in ball point pens and pencils, and nibs, feeds, feed housings (not sections) and convertors in fountain pens.
2. Brass tubes are an option not a necessity.
3. Pens must be able to be taken apart for repairs. The need for special tools to do this is allowed.
4. Glue or epoxy may only be used to attach a permanent ferrule or coupling, that will never need repair, to a pen body; other than that, glue or epoxy is prohibited.
5. Nose cones, nibs, feeds, sections, clips, buttons, mechanisms, levers, are all repairable items and can not be glued, soldered, welded, or cast into place in a pen body.
6. Pens can be any size, large or small, but must be functional writing instruments, and refillable for continuous use.
do a good turn daily!
Don
This came from Richard's facebook pages at
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=102114379226&topic=11065