Best $10 to $20 Pen Kit

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David350

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I'm pretty new at this and have made several of the PSI Majestic Squire and Broadwell Nouveau Sceptre pens and have been impressed with the pen you get for the cost of the kit. I was curious if others could recommend some kits in the $10 to $20 or so range that give a great bang for the buck. Thanks in advance for the assistance. David
 
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I'm a fan of the Majestic series, so that's fine. I use the Jr Gent II series (i.e., Jr Gent, Jr Anthony, Jr Harold, etc). I also have had good experience with the Baron. JMO.
 
I like the Art Deco pen kits ... nicer design than the Nouveau Sceptre.

I don't like the Majestic Squire because the clip is so stiff, apart from that it is good.

I don't buy a lot of stuff from PSI because I generally prefer other styles. . I am not a fan of their themed styles.

But I do like their 30 Caliber Bolt Action kits, and I also like the Vertex Click.

The Diva Charm is also nice .... young schoolgirls love them, if you have any in your family.

Apart from those kits I prefer to buy Berea kits and Dayacom kits which I usually get from Exotic Blanks.
 
I am coming to like the Triton from exotic blanks. It shows in the league of the Jr statesman but a little less investment. Good feel, nice hardware.
 
David350 said:
I'm pretty new at this and have made several of the PSI Majestic Squire and Broadwell Nouveau Sceptre pens and have been impressed with the pen you get for the cost of the kit. I was curious if others could recommend some kits in the $10 to $20 or so range that give a great bang for the buck. Thanks in advance for the assistance. David
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Your two choices are excellent. Consider Knights Armor, Celtic, 30 cal bolt action, Princess, Bling. Gear Shift pen.
The Civil War, Knurl GT for less than 10 are quite nice kits. All from PSI. WELCOME ABOARD.
 
Knurl GT is a good ballpoint kit, along with the Elegant Beauty Sierra. Since they haven't been mentioned yet, I also like the Churchill and Virage rollerball kits.
 
I like the Wall Street II from Woodcraft. They range from just under $10 to over $20. You can also find them listed as the Gatsby, Sierra, Sienna, and Sahara just to name a few. Also, you can get two pens from a single 5 inch blank.

Also, the PSI Executive is a really nice pen for around $10.
 
Be aware that the Aero (Elegant Beauty) is not the same as the Sierra Elegant Beauty.
For one thing, they have different brass tube diameters. . I do like both, and the Aero is the ultimate "ladies pen", IMHO.

The Virage, mentioned above, is a winner for simple elegance and CLASS !!

Since you are relatively new to pen turning, I would avoid the Executive, especially if you are using "acrylic" pen blanks. When turned down to size, the blank wall thickness at the ends meeting the metal hardware are VERY thin (the thinnest of all kits I have used) and the brass tube color, as well as the irregularities in the glue layer, show through. . Painting the inside of the hole can reduce this effect as long as you like the color of the paint that shows through and as long as the paint color complements the blank color and the hardware color.

You always have to keep the potential for this "show through" in mind when using "acrylic" on any pen kit. . It can ruin the appearance of an otherwise very attractive pen.
 
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eharri446 said:
I like the Wall Street II from Woodcraft. They range from just under $10 to over $20. You can also find them listed as the Gatsby, Sierra, Sienna, and Sahara just to name a few. Also, you can get two pens from a single 5 inch blank.

Also, the PSI Executive is a really nice pen for around $10.
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Please don't take offense, but a point of information!!

The Wall Street II is indeed identical to the Sierra, both made by Berea. The Gatsby, Sienna and Sahara are NOT Berea kits. Yes, they are VERY similar but there are design differences that distinguish one from another, which CAN make a difference in which pen you might prefer.
 
ed4copies said:
The Wall Street II is indeed identical to the Sierra, both made by Berea. The Gatsby, Sienna and Sahara are NOT Berea kits. Yes, they are VERY similar but there are design differences that distinguish one from another, which CAN make a difference in which pen you might prefer.
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One more point. The Wall Street II is identical to the Sierra on the outside but has a different transmission mounting system. You won't be able to swap out the insides between the two.
 
I can't think of a more subject question. So, in my opinion, the best deal (and one that I can sell for the most profit and whose components I like best) for that price range are the Jr Harold's and the Citizen. Again, this is as subjective as appreciate art.
 
I'm a fan of the Wall Street II from Woodcraft. It is the simplest and fastest pen I've turned. It is available in several platings and sells very well. My 2nd choice is the Executive, it is a one tube kit and I think makes a super looking pen. Admittingly, the walls are thin, but this has never caused a problem with me. The tubes can be painted if needed. The Executive can be bought for a shade over 4 bucks in lots of 10. Try turning one of these in chrome with African Blackwood and I think you will agree it makes a great classic looking pen.

Ben
 
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