Berea has done it again with another quality kit. Available in two finishes, Antique Brass and Antique Copper. The Brass has no gold, effectively eliminating the wear issues associated with gold. Both finishes have a proprietary coating to improve wear and durability.
Opening the bags of the various components I was immediately struck with the quality of materials, details and workmanship. The knurled upper barrel very closely replicates the real weapon. The clip is substantial. Not the normal press formed variety, but a solid cast unit. The nib is a dead on match to the real round. Weapons enthusiasts will appreciate the attention to detail found in this kit.
I chose a rich looking cocobolo blank for the lower barrels. After scuffing the brass I glued the tubes in using 5-min epoxy which is the recommended procedure. Other methods will work, yet after 20 years of making pens I've never had one fail using epoxy.
Turning the barrels is quick and straight forward. From the time I put the mandrel/blank on the lathe until finished, ready to assemble blank, was under 2 (two) min. There is little room for creativity on the lower barrel, but it doesn't need any, the pen speaks for itself. I did take time to verify that the decorative lower ring would slip easily over the barrel. If it doesn't the completed pen will be non-functional.