Pen plating finish problem

[Sean Murphy]

So I have my first warrantee return on a pen for the gold coming off. I have heard people talking about it in the past but I didn't expect it to happen only 3 months after purchase.

I have used kits from Woodcraft with their plane Jane finish up to this point but since I am going into some local gift shops this spring I need to get a better quality kit I guess. So…

What is on the approved list? I need kits that will not break the bank but last a long time.

Sean

[Ken Salisbury]

I would suggest you order the "upgrade gold" kits from
Berea Hardwoods.

[Michael Cody]

Woodcraft upgrade gold is better, not bad at all, but I personally don't sell anything but Titanium Gold kits, even slimlines. I cut my profit a little, but I never get them back. Reputation is a hard thing to earn and even when you warranty something you lose a little with each return.

I also make that part of my sales pitch and each card that goes with the pen lists that it's a titanium gold kit, why it's better as well as the wood it was made with. It might be a touch more expensive, but it's worth it in my opinion.

[Kent Cori]

I use the Titanium Gold kits from Berea whenever possible. There is simply too much labor involved in making a pen to cut corners on the quality of the components. IMHO, Berea's quality is as good as it gets. If they don't have the titanium gold kits in a certain style, then I'll use the upgrade gold kits.

Berea makes many of the kits that Woodcraft sells. You'll likely find the titanium kits bought directly from Berea are about the same cost as the Woodcraft basic 24 kt. kits. If I place an order on Monday morning, it shows up in the mail on Friday regular as clock work.:)

[Bob Janka]

Plating is one of the key issues when turning pens. Several books, include "Turning Pens & Pencils" by Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham, recommend getting the highest-quality plating you can. 24K gold is notorious for its relative lack of durability. It looks great, just doesn't last if handled often like pens.

While I have not yet sold any pens, I can highly recommend Berea Hardwoods for their customer service.

I had a few problems making some of the kits I purchased from them. When I called, they helped me understand what I did wrong and went out of their way to make sure that I ended up with high quality pens.

As others have said, their turnaround on orders is quite good. I and another wood-turner in the Triangle area of NC both received our orders within 3 working days after placing an order.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Bob

[Scott Greaves]

Hi Sean,

Well, the good news is that they must be USING the pen you sold them! :)

24K gold is not real durable. A few months if it's being used is not unreasonable. A gold plating that has a higher percentage of other metals will be more durable. 10K and 14K will be much better. There are some gold platings, like CSUSA's gold standard that gain durability through special alloys. I tell you this because some people just want gold!

But I pretty much stick with Titanium when I want a gold finish. It does last! In slimlines I use the Titanium kit from PSI (Penn State Industries). It looks good and is inexpensive. I also like the black Titanium from Berea.

The white finishes seem to be a lot more durable. I have found I like the chrome kits for cigar pens. The satin nickel is also nice. But the one I really like is the Platinum Series from CSUSA. It is SO nice, and is very durable.

But like I said, some people just want gold. And of course, it's obvious that some materials just look better teamed with gold. So stick with the Titanium gold, and be happy you can get it. The more people that use the Titanium, the more they will offer in that finish, and the prices will become more reasonable.

Good Luck! Have fun!

Scott.

[robertfsmith]

Can some please point out Berea's url.(if allowed!?) They sound like they are the prefered kit supplier, from the experienced users here, and I would like to check them out. Thanks in advance!

[Ken Salisbury]

Originally posted by robertfsmith
Can some please point out Berea's url.(if allowed!?) They sound like they are the prefered kit supplier, from the experienced users here, and I would like to check them out. Thanks in advance!

Here ya go:
<p align="center">
Berea Hardwoods (http://www.bereahardwoods.com)
</p>

[robertfsmith]

Thanks Ken!