Hugh asked:
Originally posted by CrazyBear
... I would like to know how those who bought kits from them got on with the kits. What was the quality like and how have they stood up against the other kits that are available to you....
I can't address UK Vat but I can address these parts of your questions.
I'm the IAP member who sent Frank (Rifleman1776) the Cigar kit.
That kit was picked at random from my shipment and it's the only cigar kit problem I've heard of. I've made around 20 of the cigar kits so far and had 0 (Zero) problems except for a refill that leaked and rendered the kit useless.
The center band decorative ring is a tad snug but not so bad to be a real issue. WoodenPenPro's Cigar kit rings were as tight if not tighter. I drilled a 3/8" hole in a piece of maple scrap and I use that to press the ring on the CB. No big deal.
With all the issues folks have with inexpensive platings not lasting, I've stuck with chrome platings on most of what I ordered. I ordered slims, cigar kits and some acrylics from Rizheng.
Their service has been excellent.
Door-to-door delivery from when I sent payment til the product arrived was four days.
Buying "samples" from Rizheng is NOT an economically reasonable option for a new customer -- the freight is a killer for just a few items.
I ordered enough kits so that when freight was included my savings was 38% compared to
what I could buy them for at the best prices available in the US. Rizheng included some free samples of kits I didn't order in the shipment and 1 of each pen kit I ordered to cover potential defects. And, they stated I should keep an accurate record of defects and they'll replace them in my next order. Given the cost to ship parts, that's very reasonable.
Most of the kits I ordered were chrome; I got some gunmetal and also black enamel.
I've had a problem with the black enamel slimlines; the enamel was too heavy causing assembly issues. We'll deal with it on my next order.
I've asked about rhodium, platinum, and titanium and they aren't offering those yet.
Also at this time, Rizheng does not offer kits to match the upper end CSUSA or Berea kits.
None of the above is a knock against any of our other vendors. Wood'N'Whimsies has been mentioned many times in this thread. They're great to deal with; their service and pricing is excellent. Having said that, if your order is large enough -- even with the relatively high cost of shipping -- the savings by ordering from Rizheng can be substantial. From what I can tell, it's the same kits and the same acrylics as other vendors reselling Mainland-Chinese made kits.
You have to weight your opportunity costs: Do you require service on one or two pieces at a time? Can you afford to invest in a fairly large inventory? Do you want to track your defects over time? Is the savings worth it to you? Will the additional profit be worth your investment? Other things that may affect your personal decision....?
Good luck with your decision-taking. [
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