Where do Your Kits Come From?

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Imported poll question missed, please edit

  • Craft Supply

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Woodcraft

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Pen State

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Arizona Silhouette

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (Please Explain)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
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Originally posted by Johnathan
<br />I'm sure this has been asked before but, I am very interested to know as a newer pen maker, where do you get the majority of your kits?[?][?][?]

Thanks Everyone!
Click to expand...

I placed a group order with kent4him for Penace and Sketch Pencils - to get the discounted price. All of my previous orders were with Ernie at Beartooth - no complaints.

I'm in the process this past week and this next week of placing a large order for kits - and I'm ordering from various places. It took me several days of browsing, collating, and printing off to be able to sit down and compare kits and prices - including shipping costs, etc.

For Slimlines - hands down - Ernie at Beartooth has some of the best prices - depending on the level of slimline you purchase. Basic gold slimlines are very inexpensive through him - and you can purchase in packs of 100 or 10. You have choices of black line or all metal clip pens and pencils, as well as the more expensive copper, black chrome, red, green, satins, etc.

For Bushings - and some hardware - Ernie also has high quality stuff for low prices. My first order this past week (about $325) went to Beartooth.

Many of the Berea kits are only available from Berea or AZ - such as the Barons. However, the Jr. Gentlemen seem to be very similar and you can get those at CSUSA. My next order this coming week is going to CSUSA - and that will include American Style Rolerballs and bushings for that pen, Jr. Gentleman II Rollerballs, Fountain, and matching Pencils plus bushings. I was going to purchase the Ligero Styles while on sale, but I realized the cost was going through the roof - and the savings with the 20% was only going to be about $10 anyway. They have ok prices on accessories - such as a pen blank drilling vice (I've been in line for one of the custom vices a member here has been selling - but he emailed to say it would be months...), and Barrel Trimming kits. I've been making pens without either of those accessories - but I'd like to make life a bit easier. CSUSA also has a good selection of finish products - so as long as I'm buying pen kits and accessories - I might be able to bundle the finishing products in for less postage. I still have to research that. The CSUSA order will be about $390.

The one time I ordred Mylands from AZ they charged me about as much shipping as they did for the product. I'm guessing they have a shipping cost that is tied to the $ amount spent - not the actual shipping. This means that you can order one item, and if it is an expensive small item - you get burned with shipping. I used to order from a music company that did that - and I finally got ticked and refused to purchase from them anymore.

I do have an order ready to go to Berea - it was to include Churchill, El Grandes, and Baron - but I decided to go with only Barons for now and get others later. That dropped the order from $330 to $130 - and after I see how their service and shipping is - I'll decide on the rest later. The Churchills are the same price as Ernie's, and I would just as soon give Ernie the business as I've had good luck and superior communication/advice/information from him always.

For other stuff - such as glue, micro mesh, and TWS - I'm trying to go with suppliers right here at the IAP - and support them. I'm a newbie still - so I can't report as to how all of the suppliers did yet. Still - I'm sure they will be great.

What an obsession this has turned out to be.

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett
 
I have bought from Woodcraft (expensive but worth it if you want something right now.) Bought from CSUSA, happy with them. Also bought from Penn St. Super email special and got the same kits I got frm CSUSA $1.39 ea for slimlines!!!
 
I voted Craft Supply since I prefer them to others, but also buy from Pen State, HUT and if I am in Knoxville and really really need something, I'll buy from Craft Supply.. however, the store in Knoxville usually carries a lot of PennState kits at a higher price, so don't get many there.... WoodTurningz.com has a really good price on slimlines.. they carry the PennState and will send you a PSI catalog with your order... they ship really quick.
I look at AZ SIL and Berea but haven't bought from them yet.
 
As posted by Roger Garrett:

“The one time I ordred Mylands from AZ they charged me about as much shipping as they did for the product. I'm guessing they have a shipping cost that is tied to the $ amount spent - not the actual shipping. This means that you can order one item, and if it is an expensive small item - you get burned with shipping. I used to order from a music company that did that - and I finally got ticked and refused to purchase from them anymore.â€

Roger,

Our shipping charges are in no way tied to the cost of our merchandise. The Mylands Friction polish you ordered had to be shipped by UPS Ground. Depending on the weight, volume, and value of the order, UPS can be more expensive than Flat Rate Priority Mail. We don’t ‘burn’ anyone on shipping charges.

Another point of interest: We also stock bright copper plated kits.

Bill Baumbeck
Arizona Silhouette
 
hi everyone,
can't participate on the vote!
in belgium we have only one supplier, and the kits that he sells came mostly from Craft supplies UK, or for the cheaper kits from Taiwan. The choice is very limited because he stocks only the most usual models such as slimlines pens, rollers and fountain pens in the standard execution. [:(!]
I've tryed an order by Craft supplies US but the shipping costs are too expensive, even when you place a global order, i try to contact other penmakers in belgium so we can place an order together and split the costs over us.
An other point is following, when our packet arrive in belgium it's retained by de custom and we are charged with extra taxes. [:(!]
you're very lucky in US, you have a lot of suppliers and a great choice in models and pricing. Should i come living in the US [;)]
 
i get mine from who ever has the best prices at the moment. wood craft has 30% off right now until the end of the month.

clement, you can only come to the US if you bring lots of chocolate, lots and lots of it. if you ever need anything and i can help you can email me.

laurie
 
Originally posted by laurie sullivan
<br />i get mine from who ever has the best prices at the moment. wood craft has 30% off right now until the end of the month.

clement, you can only come to the US if you bring lots of chocolate, lots and lots of it. if you ever need anything and i can help you can email me.

laurie
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Hi Laurie,

Thank you for your proposal, it's very kind of you.
Your right, we have the best chocolate worldwide [:p] and realy more choice than for pens [;)]
Who know ? Maybe one day i come over, whe have far family from belgium who living in St Louis since 1945. In fact it was a niece of my wifes mother, she married a GI who was here for the battle of the Ardennes.
 
So far its been Packard. But they are PSI kits.
I plan on switching to woodturingz for the price and CSUSA for the top shelf stuff.
 
I have used Woodturningz and been very happy. Just got my 1st order from AZ. The kits were great and they are closer to Nevada so I got them in just a couple of days.
 
I have dealt with AS and have been very impressed with their speed/service. I am not likley to buy from PennI - high margin/low quality profile. Bear Tooth and CSUSA are on my "to do" business with list.
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952
<br />My kits come from China. [;)]
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Mine come from Taiwan, Berea has a production over there. Not sure where the other ones are made, maybe they are made in China[;)][:D]

Nevertheless, I guess all pen kits are coming from either country, Taiwan or China and in my opinion, both Berea and CSUSA have the best kits. When I had a problem with one of their kits, they always did their best to help and cooperated - like a company should have.
I had one real bad experience with Woodwrite kits once, and they were really nasty when I called them up and complained about it - but this is at least four years ago and I think later there was a change in ownership. Now I know who gets my business: Arizona Silhouette, Berea and CSUSA - this is in alphabetical order.
 
Uhhh... Taiwan IS China. The island of Taiwan, along with a half-dozen or so islands in that same general area, are formally known as the Republic of China. What we westerners refer to as "mainland China" is actually the People's Republic of China. Nonetheless, both CS USA and Berea have their kits manufactured in the Republic of China (Taiwan). I don't know about PSI.
 
Neophyte here; I got my first kits from someone on WN -- they were mostly PSI.
I've picked up a couple from Woodcraft and recently ordered from Woodnwhimsies (PSI)
and it arrived two days later.
I'm also cleaning out the CSUSA stock of a retired pen turner [;)] -- we're both
making out fairly on the deal.
I'll be buying a bunch in the organized Group buys here and will likely reorder from WnW when I run out of those.

Gary
 
Arizona Silhouette

I would swear BB packs my stuff up and drives it to me the next day. I know I only live a couple hours away, but wow I can't believe how fast the package comes. He always throws in extra (Really Nice) blanks. I first learned how to do this from his DVD's. He's funny in his DVD's too.
 
Yes, but there are only 26 countries left in the world that accord Taiwan full diplomatic recognition as a nation...and that includes such world powers as the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Palau and Kiribati. Lest we forget, a number of States of the Union claimed not to belong to the USA for a period of about 4 years. This has been proven to be incorrect.
 
Woodturningz for me for the most part. Great service, and now they have some other things at their disposal which can save shipping on something you would purchase elsewhere. Mainly I'm referring to blanks. I have never been disappointed with their blanks if I need something really soon, and now they have the Acrylic Acetate blanks.
 
Woodcraft so far. I am about to place some orders with the rest to see how I like the service and the product. From what I see on the site, I am probably not buying at the right place.
 
Mostly Arizona S. great service and I like the Berea kits, next is Woodturningz, Beartooth woods. We spread it around and try to watch for sale items.
 
I use exclusively Berea kits, and either order directly from them (talk to Jim - he will treat you RIGHT), or from Woodworker's Supply. Hubby works at WWS and we get nice employee discounts, and the kits are supplied to WWD by Berea. My last order from Berea arrived in 3 days!
 
Although I am new and have not placed many orders I placed my last order through Woodturningz. Prices were great, people were great and the order was here on the third day. [:D][:D]
 
Hi all,

I voted for CSUSA because they are close to where I live and if I am working in Provo for the day I will pop in at lunch and browse and pick up a few kits.

I have also placed two orders with AZ and both times I have been pleased with the service, prices and also the "freebies".

I will likely try some of the other suppliers in the future too. I spent some time this week downloading pdf files of kit instructions and I am really amazed at the variety there is in this hobby just in kits not to mention blank and kit combinations.
 
I get most of my stuff from WoodTurningz.com. Ryan is a great guy to work with. I just use my Penn State catalog to order, but always pay less then I would if I ordered from Penn State. Very helpful and very quick turnaround![8D]
 
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For those of you who haven't checked us out!!!!

www.woodnwhimsies.com We have excellent pricing, speed of light shipping, and awesome customer service.

Thanks
Tim/Tracey
 
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