David Walser
12-15-2008, 12:24 PM
I recently had the pleasure of making my first pen using the Sierra pen kit. (Here's a link to a post showing the pen I made: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=99075.) Here's a brief review:
Easiest pen kit in the world to turn. Wow, this is one easy kit to turn. You only turn one tube and the tube is fairly large in diameter. I think most of us will find turning the larger diameter of the Sierra easier than turning the smaller 7mm slim line. In addition, the metal center band and the cap's accent ring are designed in such a way that it's not critical that the finished diameter of the blank exactly match the diameter of the matching metal parts. Each metal part has a small flat before the metal decoration of the ring bulges outward. The result is an attractive look that does not allow your fingers to notice small differences in the size of the mating parts. Very forgiving.
Easiest pen kit in the world to assemble. This kit only has one part (the clip/cap) that press fits into the brass tube of the turned blank. Everything else is either pre-assembled, slides into place, or screws on. Unlike the 7mm slim line and other kits using a Cross type of ink cartridge, you don't need to be careful about pressing the "transmission" in too far or too little. This is a pen kit you'd have to try to screw up.
Should be every turners first pen. For years I've heard that every turner should start with 7mm kits because they are the easiest and cheapest to make. As discussed above, the Sierra is much easier than a 7mm slim line to turn and assemble. The Sierra is almost a cinch to result in a usable pen -- giving a new turner instant gratification. On sale, the Sierra kits are not much more expensive than are equivalent grade (plating) 7mm kits. Given that one standard pen blank can make two Sierra pens, the Sierra may not be any more expensive to make. On balance, I'd recommend a Sierra kit to a beginning pen maker before reaching for the standard 7mm kit.
Not as flexible. Slim line pen kits allow the turner a lot of design options. You can turn beads, add finger grooves and other embellishments before departing from the basic design by making one barrel longer than the other or adding other "advanced" features. The Sierra doesn't grant you nearly as many design options.
In summary, the Sierra is an easy, economical, pen kit that results in a good looking pen. Some of the "up grade" kits result in a pen that looks expensive.
Having said all that, I don't like writing with a Sierra. The part of the pen that you grip when writing is smooth metal. Personally, I prefer the feel of wood. That's nothing but a matter of taste. My wife prefers the feel of metal (or plastic) and thinks the Sierra is a wonderful pen to write with. YMMV.
Easiest pen kit in the world to turn. Wow, this is one easy kit to turn. You only turn one tube and the tube is fairly large in diameter. I think most of us will find turning the larger diameter of the Sierra easier than turning the smaller 7mm slim line. In addition, the metal center band and the cap's accent ring are designed in such a way that it's not critical that the finished diameter of the blank exactly match the diameter of the matching metal parts. Each metal part has a small flat before the metal decoration of the ring bulges outward. The result is an attractive look that does not allow your fingers to notice small differences in the size of the mating parts. Very forgiving.
Easiest pen kit in the world to assemble. This kit only has one part (the clip/cap) that press fits into the brass tube of the turned blank. Everything else is either pre-assembled, slides into place, or screws on. Unlike the 7mm slim line and other kits using a Cross type of ink cartridge, you don't need to be careful about pressing the "transmission" in too far or too little. This is a pen kit you'd have to try to screw up.
Should be every turners first pen. For years I've heard that every turner should start with 7mm kits because they are the easiest and cheapest to make. As discussed above, the Sierra is much easier than a 7mm slim line to turn and assemble. The Sierra is almost a cinch to result in a usable pen -- giving a new turner instant gratification. On sale, the Sierra kits are not much more expensive than are equivalent grade (plating) 7mm kits. Given that one standard pen blank can make two Sierra pens, the Sierra may not be any more expensive to make. On balance, I'd recommend a Sierra kit to a beginning pen maker before reaching for the standard 7mm kit.
Not as flexible. Slim line pen kits allow the turner a lot of design options. You can turn beads, add finger grooves and other embellishments before departing from the basic design by making one barrel longer than the other or adding other "advanced" features. The Sierra doesn't grant you nearly as many design options.
In summary, the Sierra is an easy, economical, pen kit that results in a good looking pen. Some of the "up grade" kits result in a pen that looks expensive.
Having said all that, I don't like writing with a Sierra. The part of the pen that you grip when writing is smooth metal. Personally, I prefer the feel of wood. That's nothing but a matter of taste. My wife prefers the feel of metal (or plastic) and thinks the Sierra is a wonderful pen to write with. YMMV.