Randy Simmons
Member
This review is regarding the magnetic Graduate rollerball kit from PSI. Not the twist pen. pennstateind.com and [URL="http://http://www.woodturningz.com/Graduate_Pen_Kits.aspx"]woodturningz.com
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The magnetic graduate kit costs about 14 dollars for the 24k gold option, and about 11 dollars for the chrome/gunmetal option (these are woodturningz prices, not including bulk discounts) You will also need a 10.5 and 12.5 mm drill bit and bushing set (another 15-20 dollar one time expense)
The kit goes together really smoothly. The magnets are strong but not overly powerful, and there aren't a truckload of parts either. The kit looks really sleek with just about any kind of wood.
The assembly of the kit was great. Drilling two different size holes can be a little time consuming. The instructions I received were easy to follow and concise. The magnets are powerful and hold the cap well, but aren't difficult to pull apart either (the cap produces a very satisfying "click' when it posts) The one thing that will get most of you pen makers though, is that the kit uses EXACTLY 5 inches of wood (standard pen blank size) so you won't have to waste any of your blanks.
Photographs of my pens (made of Australian red mallee burl and rose myrtle burl) are available in the catalogue page of my website. If you can't see them, they have already been sold and I will work to put pictures up on this site.
The pen assembles well, is durable, and good-looking. The one tricky part is getting the rollerball cartridge into the body of the pen. There is a small spring in the back of the body assembly that provides pressure. It can be a bit of a challenge the first time around, but after that you get a rhythm and its pretty easy. The pen writes well and changing ink is as easy as unscrewing the front of the body.
Definitely my favorite kit so far. My customers love the unique design and superb writing quality. My favorite part of this pen, however, is the fact that it uses exactly 5 inches of material. It takes the guesswork out of buying long sticks of wood and I know I'll never have to waste anymore nice blanks ever again!
Your total materials cost will be about 14 dollars, assuming you don't get bulk discounts and not factoring in materials. I was able to sell a dozen of them for 1,200 dollars, and that was at a bulk discount to my customer. Depending on what sorts of materials you are using, I'd estimate you could squeeze upwards of 150 dollars for one pen.
Bottom line: definitely a five star pen, and my hands-down favorite. Don't waste your time anywhere else for high-class two-tube pens!
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The magnetic graduate kit costs about 14 dollars for the 24k gold option, and about 11 dollars for the chrome/gunmetal option (these are woodturningz prices, not including bulk discounts) You will also need a 10.5 and 12.5 mm drill bit and bushing set (another 15-20 dollar one time expense)
The kit goes together really smoothly. The magnets are strong but not overly powerful, and there aren't a truckload of parts either. The kit looks really sleek with just about any kind of wood.
The assembly of the kit was great. Drilling two different size holes can be a little time consuming. The instructions I received were easy to follow and concise. The magnets are powerful and hold the cap well, but aren't difficult to pull apart either (the cap produces a very satisfying "click' when it posts) The one thing that will get most of you pen makers though, is that the kit uses EXACTLY 5 inches of wood (standard pen blank size) so you won't have to waste any of your blanks.
Photographs of my pens (made of Australian red mallee burl and rose myrtle burl) are available in the catalogue page of my website. If you can't see them, they have already been sold and I will work to put pictures up on this site.
The pen assembles well, is durable, and good-looking. The one tricky part is getting the rollerball cartridge into the body of the pen. There is a small spring in the back of the body assembly that provides pressure. It can be a bit of a challenge the first time around, but after that you get a rhythm and its pretty easy. The pen writes well and changing ink is as easy as unscrewing the front of the body.
Definitely my favorite kit so far. My customers love the unique design and superb writing quality. My favorite part of this pen, however, is the fact that it uses exactly 5 inches of material. It takes the guesswork out of buying long sticks of wood and I know I'll never have to waste anymore nice blanks ever again!
Your total materials cost will be about 14 dollars, assuming you don't get bulk discounts and not factoring in materials. I was able to sell a dozen of them for 1,200 dollars, and that was at a bulk discount to my customer. Depending on what sorts of materials you are using, I'd estimate you could squeeze upwards of 150 dollars for one pen.
Bottom line: definitely a five star pen, and my hands-down favorite. Don't waste your time anywhere else for high-class two-tube pens!
