Pen Kits

[Katchin]

Hi all,
Still have lathe problems so limited to making small items only currently. I just made 3 pens, and then had them ruined by sub standard pen kits. One kit had the pen twist mechanism bend under very light pressure and then get thoroughly lodged in the tube, another kit came with the wrong sized gold tip and center divider, that one had the ink cartridge snap and spill ink all over the place, and finally the third kit just didn't twist at all, and was lodged so tightly inside the tube that it broke on pulling it out.
Its annoying to finish the actual turning bit very well, just to have the mechanisms break.
These kits were from either Stiles and Bates, or Axminster, not certain which.

[Philip Green]

This shows the importance of keeping track of where you buy things as both these companies are well known for their after sales service.

I recently bought a "posh" pair of pen kits (ball point and fountain) from Stiles and Bates. The refillable ink reservoir was broken, probably at the factory during packing. I contacted S & B and received a replacement the next day.

You have been really unlucky with your pen kits. Mostly, I buy pen kits from my local club at £17.50 for ten and have only had one or two problems with the twist mechanism in the past three years.

[Paul Disdle]

I got my last batch from here http://www.penkitsuk.com/ the selection and quality seems fine.

Paul

[Katchin]

Useful, ta