FYI...
I contacted CSUSA earlier this morning re the manufacturer of their JR Gent II kits. Here is their reply. Hopefully, this will help clarify some of our discussions in this thread.
Wade
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Wade,
Thank you for your inquiry concerning the origin of the Artisan Jr. Gent II/Jr. Statesman II pens. These are still being made by Dayacom in Taiwan. We have not and have no intentions of changing suppliers on these kits. What may have been mentioned on the forum you saw was our new Apprentice Jr. Gentlemen's pen. This is an economy version of the Artisan brand Jr. Gent II. The Apprentice brand pens do come out of China and as a result the quality is not as high as the Artisan brand pens. Rest assured Wade that the kits you have been purchasing have been (and will continue to be) made by Dayacom and not outsourced to a different manufacturer. Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Best Regards,
Sam Gubler | Technical Support