Penn State 30 pack with blanks

[edicehouse]

I get the 30 pack of kits with blanks from Penn State. If I make a pen with the included blank I generally charge $15 and if I put a different blank I generally charge $20. Of course I include one of the bags.

How many of you all use these and sell them?

 

[HamTurns]

Hi Ed - I went looking for what your talking about on the Penn State site and wasn't able to find it. I found 30 pack kits, but they didn't come with the blanks.

Can you offer more info?

Happy turning - Tom

 

[ed4copies]

Hi Ed - I went looking for what your talking about on the Penn State site and wasn't able to find it. I found 30 pack kits, but they didn't come with the blanks.

Can you offer more info?

Happy turning - Tom

me too!!! How about a link, Ed????
(See if we could do the same thing, of course!)

 

[Terredax]

Maybe this one?

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK096FLSP.html

 

[mecompco]

If you've got to cut, drill, square, turn, sand and polish them, no way! That's $29.95 in my book. About the closest I've come is to buy their 20 pack of bamboo pre-drilled 7mm blanks. This is purely for laser engraved novelty pens. You've still got to glue and square the blanks, but they are quick to make with a friction polish. Still, I wouldn't sell them for less than $24.95. Just MHO.

Regards,
Michael

 

[Drewboy22]

Maybe this one?

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK096FLSP.html

Im interested, will keep an eye on this one

 

[jcm71]

I have made and sold a lot of PSI Slimlines, but never a Funline. What is the quality difference between the two? For less than $3 a kit including blank, I would be worried about reliability and own reputation. Am I off base here?

 

[Skie_M]

The funline series is simply a slightly lower quality slimline kit. The plating is a bit thinner, and the parts are from a different manufacturer.

These are available at as low as $1.25 per pen for 100+ from PSI, I think, and they are very popular for "Pens For The Troops" and "Freedom Pens" projects. Personally, I think the gold plated funline is better looking than the slimline version ... doesn't have that black enamel rectangle in the middle of the clip.

As for reliability .... only ever had a single one fail me, and that was because it was dropped on the writing tip while the refill was extended. Pretty sure no pen would take that kind of abuse kindly ...

I've only had my lathe for about a year and a half, haven't really had enough time with these to see if their plating will stand up to constant use and abuse over time, but I hear decent things about them.


I'ld say 20 dollars for a funline pen isn't a bad price ... quick turn with a friction or wax polish, I could make 2 per hour. The are excellent, pricewise, for getting kids and students into turning projects ... mass gifts for friends and party attendees or advertisement sources... For additional extras, like a CA finish, stone or metal inlay, or a specialty blank, I'ld definitely charge extra.

The refill is the EXACT SAME as the ones used in the slimline style pens, by the way .... cross style refill

 

[edicehouse]

Maybe this one?

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK096FLSP.html

Yes that is the one I am talking about.

My wifes aunt has had one for about 2 years, and she has kept it in her purse. I saw her 2 weekends ago, and there were some problems with it. The clip was loose, so I put a drop of CA and repressed the end. The refill was unscrewed so I screwed it in. She has bought 3 or 4 other pens from me since she got that one 2 years ago.

My wife has a few of them that she keeps rotating in her purse, and has not had issues other than plating, which is to be expected.

The biggest complaint I have with it is I ordered 2 packs and 60 pouches, (almost 30 bucks in shipping). If I remember it was right around $260 for it all.

 

[edicehouse]

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PK096FLSP.html

Good morning Ed,
You were asking about a link for that 30 pack in another thread, well here it is.

The blanks that come with it are not square and roughly 1/2" to 5/8" (have not actually measured them.

They are great for when your kid needs a gift to give their teacher. These are (IMO) also great to keep in your display case, because let's be 100% honest a lot of people like "supporting a local artisan" and don't want to support them with $30 and up. These same people that will shell out $20 to support you are the same ones that are going to show that pen off and tell everyone where they got it from, followed with "Well he has some that were more expensive, but this is the one that I liked the most." This causes a lot more leads.

My grandmother likes getting a dozen or so pens from me a couple times a year, and she often buys these. If I told you all what I charge her for these, you all would probably break into my shop and steal my lathe. She gives them to people as gifts, a thank you, or something like that.

Angelina had the same teacher for 4th and 5th grade, and she and I made two for her each year she had her and one of these she gave her the first year, and the only question was how to change the ink. Angelina brought in a refill or 2 for her the 2 years she was in her class.

I think in the lot I have done (several packs) I had one transmission failure. I have had a few where I drilled too fast and caused the hole in the blank to be messed up. I have squared the ends and messed up the tube inside (not drilling and squaring properly).

Pay attention because quiet a few of the blanks need to be backpainted (IMO).

 

[SteveJ]

My grandmother likes getting a dozen or so pens from me a couple times a year, and she often buys these. If I told you all what I charge her for these, you all would probably break into my shop and steal my lathe. She gives them to people as gifts, a thank you, or something like that.

It's your grandmother! Grandmothers always get special pricing. Now Grandfathers, that's another story.

 

[Edward Cypher]

I use them but usually just use them for pens for the troops. My small paying it forward.