Who is your vendor of choice for pen kits?

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Q

QuiltinMom

Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
19
Location
Indianola, Iowa
I am new to this hobby and have been ordering pen kits from only one place so far. I won't name them (unless it is OK), but I have place two orders with them and each of my orders have come with items missing from them.

I find that annoying and am just wondering where all you experts order your pen making kits and supplies. I would love to support a vendor that supports this forum, but I also have to watch my pennies.

THANKS!!!
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
If your really watching pennies it best to shop around.Multiple venders may have a specific kit at different prices.My favorite is LauLau woodworks,I also use Arizona Sillouette,and Classic nib.
 
brownsfn2 said:
Good Luck. You are going to get so many responses. Each person has their favorite.

Why not head to the Cheers and Jeers section of the forum and look at the reviews. Or you could look at the vendor forums and take a look at some of the discussion there.

I am afraid you are going to get more than you bargained for. :)

Vendor forums: Vendor Forums - International Association of Penturners
Click to expand...

THANKS!!! Hadn't found that area yet. I'll go have a look.
 
Denise, you won't be disappointed with any of the vendors on IAP. If they didn't give outstanding service, we would beat them mercilessly before the sun went down. I have bought from all of them and enjoy the fast shipping and personal service they provide. With that in mind - watch for deals on the items you like. Most are running Birthday Bash specials right now. I like the ability to mix&match pen kits for volume discounts and try to consolidate my business to take advantage of that, which also minimizes my shipping. There is no "best" vendor that I have found, but I do have lots of favorites.

Harry
 
Any port in a storm is my philosophy... It really depends on what I need overall, and where I can get the most of my needs in the fewest orders. Exotics has a FANTASTIC assortment of specialty blanks, so if I need a scrolled dragon and a few Jr. Series kits, it's a no brainer. Same with Classic Nib, there are some things you can only get there, and other things you can get most anywhwere. There are some pen kits that I REALLY like, that I have only been able to find one or 2 (like woodturningz.com or LauLau) vendors carry, so if I want some of those, I'll often pad the order with other things I need regularly or other specialty items they have that I'm interested in to keep the shipping per item reasonable (or free if possible:wink:) When I need 1 or 2 sierra kit for something this weekend, the local Woodcraft is a bit more expensive per kit, but I can pick up just one and not pay any shipping on it and (even tho many of these IAP vendors I swear ship my orders before I place them) I don't have to wait for the box to arrive.

But life is too short to deal with a track-record poor vendor. And while ANY vendor will have the occasional blunder, and MOST will make it right in the end, 2 mistakes in 2 orders falls under my "Fool Me Once" category.
 
Last edited:
I've bought only from Smitty's here on this site. Being new to turning I knew nothing about kits or prices or anything, but I'm always a bargain shopper and found some closeouts at his site which were great! Since then I've bought 2 more times and he has good value and quick shipping and I've been pleased with the products.
 
My main 2 are Timberbits, and CSUSA (also known as Craft Supply USA). Even though Timberbits is in Australia, I normally get shipments from them in 2 to 3 days. Plus, if you buy $80 or more, you get free shipping. I hate paying shipping.
 
One thing to realize......NO MATTER WHO YOU BUY FROM.......**** happens.

Anyone you order from can make a mistake. Forget something....send the wrong piece....etc.

I have ordered from IAP vendors only. They all are honnable and some of the best people to work with. When a mistake happens......they bend over backwards to make it right. Along with the Cheers ..... I would also look at the library to see who can help me with questions. Sometimes, the only way to get an answer is to call the vendor.....That information can be priceless.

Good luck and welcome to the fun.
 
Since I started I've ordered from PSI, Woodcraft, Woodturningz, Ebay and timberbits. I cant comment yet on the kits from timberbits as my order as not arrived I can tell you I got a good deal. 2 Jr Gents and bushing for $20.00 AU that included shipping. When I ordered that was about $17.00 dollars US. All the other kits I have used have been great and when I've had a problem as was the case with a starter kit I ordered from PSI were one of the drill bits was bad they sent out another one really fast.
 
I order from several vendors. I find the kits I like and then buy them from whoever is selling them. My Sierra style pens come from Smitty's. I like CSUSA for styluses, Zens, and Jr. Gent II. PSI I like the Graduate and Bolt actions. I get slims from Woodturningz. I mostly buy blanks and CA glue from Exotic Blanks, but if I am placing an order I will look over their pen selection and add a few kits. I have also been impressed with the US made kits at Laserlinez.

To be fair, I have never had a bad vendor experience dealing with pen stuff. That includes many of the IAP vendors and even the dreaded PSI. Don't limit yourself. No one vendor has the best of everything. Give them all a try and eventually you will build up a list of favorites.
 
Last edited:
Todd nailed my approach exactly, I just didn't want to take the time to spell it all out. I buy from all these guys. If you rolled all the answers into one and posted it in the library, it would pretty much cover the topic. When I first started, I tried to find one source. Spend some time on each of their websites and see what you like, compare prices and try to consolidate as much as you can. But my dad liked to say "you can't get all the squirrels up one tree".

Harry
 
Denise, there seems to be a common thread running through all these great posts; customer service. You will find that this is a tight community and for the most part, the vendors really care about the level of service they provide. The internet now provides us, the consumers, with a powerful tool to call out poor service or experiences as it can go world wide in a matter of minutes. Everyones advice is solid.
I tend to us CSUSA the most, simply for the fact that they are a 15 minute drive from my home (no shipping!) and I like the selection and a good friend owns it. But, every vendor has unique items. Use them all!
 
Looks like there are other people that have had issues with the company that I have ordered from twice.

Customer service is a big deal for me. I am willing to pay a little more if I am being taken care of and am receiving good customer service.

I called the company today to report that my order was missing some items. That is after I sent an e-mail on Sunday night and have not received a response yet. They agreed to send out the items right away, but they seemed to doubt that this could happen twice with two different orders. He didn't directly say anything, but I could hear it in his voice. :mad:

I would prefer to do business with someone that can get the order correct the first time and not question me when I call to report an error. I will be taking my business elsewhere.
 
I get all of my kits and blanks from ExoticBlanks.com or ClassicNibs.com (whichever is cheaper on the particular kit/blank I'm looking for), and have had excellent service. If they don't have what I'm looking for though, I will get it from PSI.
 
Many outstanding vendors here, not a single negative regarding any of them. That being said Berea is and has been my number one choice for almost 18 years. Of course knowing Jim and Joe doesn't hurt.
 
It's fairly obvious that the vendor you're referring to is the same one a lot of us have problems with. Luckily, most of their components are available elsewhere and at lower costs (in small quantities). The only time I order from this vendor is when they have a deal that I simply cannot pass up... namely a starter kit I want that is ridiculously cheap and with free shipping, or each and every one of the other vendors is out of a particular item that I need for a custom order. Each good vendor has something uniquely their own which makes them all a pleasure to deal with. Have a look at the vendor forum and find the kits you like, that's really the best way to find your new "favorite(s)."
 
I tend to use the IAP vendors for price/service and everything everyone else has said. I avoid PSI solely because they use UPS to ship and, at my location, it amounts to an automatic seven day wait to receipt of my order versus USPS. BUT I've had exceptional customer service from PSI so I won't be throwing the baby out with the bath water.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom