Contact Person at Berea (re: Click Pen Kit Design) ?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
I seem to remember a name Jim H. ..... does anyone know his last name, please ?

But I am not even sure he is the best person to talk to ... he may be more in sales than in design.

One consideration I want to discuss relates to the fairly new "Sierra Super Button Click" pen kit.
This kit employs the Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism, which has been cropping up in a few new kits over the past year or so.
We all know the "Sierra Twist" kit (brass tube length about 2.21") and the "Sierra Button Click" kit (brass tube length 2.42").
These two kits have been around for years and use the so-called 27/64" diameter brass tubes.

The much newer "Sierra Super Button Click" kit (brass tube length about 2.36") also uses the 27/64" brass tube.
However, I would have thought that the designers of this kit would have chosen a tube length of 2.42" in order to have
compatibility with the old "Sierra Button Click" but they did not do that; they designed for a shorter tube of 2.36" length.
I would like to know why. . Anyone got any ideas on this ? . Or know who I should talk to at Berea ?

A possible reason may relate to the overall length of the Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism, which is 1.182" ( 30.0mm) as supplied by Schmidt.

The funny thing is that Berea added a fixed, non-removable metal extension to the SKM-88 to make it 1.685" ( 42.8mm ) for the "new" "Sierra Super Button Click".
They could just as easily have added a slightly longer extension to achieve brass tube length compatibility with the old "Sierra Button Click".
I would really like to know why they didn't. . I'll probably go crazy if I don't find out !

Now, there is actually another chapter to the story, and it goes back to the Berea "Blade" pen kit which was introduced a few months before the "Sierra Super Button Click".
But the "Blade" is a totally different kettle of fish because it uses a totally different brass tube ( so-called diameter of 11/32" and length of 3.70").
But ... and here's the kicker ... the "Blade" ALSO uses a Schmidt SKM-88 mechanism with a fixed non-removable metal extension to get a length of 1.685" ( 42.8mm ), the same, exactly, as we find in the "Super".

For some inexplicable reason, Berea chose this weird mechanism length for the "Blade", and then used the same mechanism in the "Super" which results in the incompatibility between the "Super" and the original "Button Click". . (I understand that economics and sameness go together, but ... but ... but ... )

I fully expect that I have lost some of you with my fixation on these numbers ... but ... PLEASE ... try to help me out ! ... I AM going CRAZY !!
That's probably obvious !! ..... But ... Trust me ! ... the numbers are correct ( within the appropriate +/- ) !!

I really do want compatibility between the "new" "Super Button Click" (which I would like to love) and the "old" "Button Click" (which I used to love).
And I want Berea to change things ... not just for me ... but for you, also ! ... Cuz I know that's what you would want too ! . We all love click pens !!
So I need your support !! ... Help !!! ... PLEASE !!!
 
Last edited:
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
IMPORTANT ... Contact Person at Berea (re: Click Pen Kit Design) ? .... should have been the title.
 

MPVic

Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
613
Location
Hamilton, ON, Canada
I seem to remember a name Jim H. ..... does anyone know his last name, please ?

But I am not even sure he is the best person to talk to ... he may be more in sales than in design.

One consideration I want to discuss relates to the fairly new "Sierra Super Button Click" pen kit.
This kit employs the Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism, which has been cropping up in a few new kits over the past year or so.
We all know the "Sierra Twist" kit (brass tube length about 2.21") and the "Sierra Button Click" kit (brass tube length 2.42").
These two kits have been around for years and use the so-called 27/64" diameter brass tubes.

The much newer "Sierra Super Button Click" kit (brass tube length about 2.36") also uses the 27/64" brass tube.
However, I would have thought that the designers of this kit would have chosen a tube length of 2.42" in order to have
compatibility with the old "Sierra Button Click" but they did not do that; they designed for a shorter tube of 2.36" length.
I would like to know why. . Anyone got any ideas on this ? . Or know who I should talk to at Berea ?

A possible reason may relate to the overall length of the Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism, which is 1.182" ( 30.0mm) as supplied by Schmidt.

The funny thing is that Berea added a fixed, non-removable metal extension to the SKM-88 to make it 1.685" ( 42.8mm ) for the "new" "Sierra Super Button Click".
They could just as easily have added a slightly longer extension to achieve brass tube length compatibility with the old "Sierra Button Click".
I would really like to know why they didn't. . I'll probably go crazy if I don't find out !

Now, there is actually another chapter to the story, and it goes back to the Berea "Blade" pen kit which was introduced a few months before the "Sierra Super Button Click".
But the "Blade" is a totally different kettle of fish because it uses a totally different brass tube ( so-called diameter of 11/32" and length of 3.70").
But ... and here's the kicker ... the "Blade" ALSO uses a Schmidt SKM-88 mechanism with a fixed non-removable metal extension to get a length of 1.685" ( 42.8mm ), the same, exactly, as we find in the "Super".

For some inexplicable reason, Berea chose this weird mechanism length for the "Blade", and then used the same mechanism in the "Super" which results in the incompatibility between the "Super" and the original "Button Click". . (I understand that economics and sameness go together, but ... but ... but ... )

I fully expect that I have lost some of you with my fixation on these numbers ... but ... PLEASE ... try to help me out ! ... I AM going CRAZY !!
That's probably obvious !! ..... But ... Trust me ! ... the numbers are correct ( within the appropriate +/- ) !!

I really do want compatibility between the "new" "Super Button Click" (which I would like to love) and the "old" "Button Click" (which I used to love).
And I want Berea to change things ... not just for me ... but for you, also ! ... Cuz I know that's what you would want too ! . We all love click pens !!
So I need your support !! ... Help !!! ... PLEASE !!!
You're doing us proud, Mal.
 

magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
There's no big deal, you guys . . I am not trying to create one.

I have "grown up" on Berea products and I LOVE them !

This is a very minor question of compatibility with a previous product ..... of simply academic interest ..... nothing else !!

I tried to present it in a light-hearted way ... referencing my crazy obsession with numbers ... but I am not very good at doing that.
 

magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
Hmmmm ..... shorten the SKM-88 extension by grinding some off .... ?

I had it figured that a longer tube would require an additional extension to the SKM-88 because it "has to reach" further to contact the refill !
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom