Question for pen turners!

Tom Baugues

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Lafayette, Indiana
I understand that the plating on the kits can be different..gold... titanium...and so on.... but has anyone actually seen a simple gold pen plating wear down? How much time does it take to show wear? What I'm getting at it is a pen owner who uses the pen in their daily business....how long will it last? I understand that the better plating will last forever...but how long will the simple gold plating last? 6 weeks....6 months...6 years...60 years???

I bought a pen kit from Woodcraft today. The gold was $8.99..the Titanium was $18.99. Every pen Ive made I either gave away or sold so I really dont know how long the plating stays in good shape.

Tom

p.s. before someone tells me to not be so cheap ::eek:....I don't have a problem paying for a quality kit I just am trying to get some facts.
 
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I have had the cheap ones go bad in less than a month. I mainly stick with chrome or black titanium now. The cheap one was carried in a denim shirt pocket and I am a weldor by trade so it lived a rough life. YMMV.
Dale
 
If you have a woodworking store that sells pen kits nearby, you might want to go and take a look at the kits.

I generally stay away from the gold and chrome. My favorite is probably black titanium. There are some gold kits that look nice, but I'd suggest taking a look first, if possible to make sure its something you like.
 
The 24K plating really doesn't last very well - it's incredibly thin, and gold's pretty soft to begin with. I've always got grit around me in one form or another, so my experience is a little different from that of a pink-fingered necktie... but even a polyester or nylon shirt is mildly abrasive & will wear through the plating on one of those kits.

Oddly, TiN sells for more. compare TiN and gold on the common market, though... :)
 
I understand that the plating on the kits can be different..gold... titanium...and so on.... but has anyone actually seen a simple gold pen plating wear down? How much time does it take to show wear? What I'm getting at it is a pen owner who uses the pen in their daily business....how long will it last? I understand that the better plating will last forever...but how long will the simple gold plating last? 6 weeks....6 months...6 years...60 years???

I bought a pen kit from Woodcraft today. The gold was $8.99..the Titanium was $18.99. Every pen Ive made I either gave away or sold so I really dont know how long the plating stays in good shape.

Tom

p.s. before someone tells me to not be so cheap ::eek:....I don't have a problem paying for a quality kit I just am trying to get some facts.
Hi Tom; If you happen to have The Woodturners Catalogue 2009/2010 from CS USA, page 97 gives you the wear resistance of the different platings on a scale of 1 to 5.

Rhodium-Platinum & Titanium-Gold & Black being 5 stars (the best) with 24K getting 1¼ stars.

Personally, I only use top of the line platings. The last thing I want is a year from now, somebody returns a pen to me that the plating wore off.
 
I'm sure there is a validity to the arguments about the platings, but I have the first pen I ever made, it's an olivewood pen that I finished with the hut wax finish... in the 8 years I've carried the pen, the finish has pretty much worn away, but the plating on the pen is still intact. This is a standard gold finish.

Maybe I'm lucky... I used the pen most every day while I was still working. I worked in traffic and transportation and did lots of paperwork.
 
The 24K plating really doesn't last very well - it's incredibly thin, and gold's pretty soft to begin with. I've always got grit around me in one form or another, so my experience is a little different from that of a pink-fingered necktie... but even a polyester or nylon shirt is mildly abrasive & will wear through the plating on one of those kits.

Oddly, TiN sells for more. compare TiN and gold on the common market, though... :)


pink-fingered necktie :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
I gotta remember that one:thumb:
 
I guess what I'm hearing here is that everyone agrees that the gold does not last as long as some of the others but.....how long is that? Now I understand that everyone will be different on how much they use a pen but in all honestly...how long would you use the SAME pen? Does a pen NEED to last 10 years or longer? If the plating lasts a year..would that be long enough? Would most people want something different by then? Do you use the same pen year after year? Oh, I'm sure there will be those that say they have owned the same pen for years and years and there is the pen collectors that collect pens that are indeed old. Do I want my pens to still be around 20 years from now...well yes I do.

Tom
 
Tom I have used gold in Euro's, Sierra's, Woodcraft click pens, etc. and haven't had a problem. My wife carries a slimline in her purse in gold and it still looks great. I carry a Sierra for work now for at least 2 to 3 yrs now and it still looks great. My higher priced pens are the more expensive platings but my cheaper pens are all gold.
 
To complicate matters more...........plating techniques vary by manufacturer and I suspect, also can wear differently by lot. I have had some pens of the same type from the same vendor wear at different rates. (opinion)

I have never had a 24kt gold pen wear well. Nor the 10 kt or "upgrade gold" for that matter. The rate of wear will obviously change by the environment or the end user.

I now only make black or gold titanium, platinum or rhodium, or chrome kits.

The only exception to this rule is when a customer wants a certain item only offered in the poorer plating types. In this case they get a fair warning.

There is nothing like the bad taste of poor quality. I value the potential of repeat customers and consider the higher price of quality platings an investment in my business and reputation.
 
To complicate matters more...........plating techniques vary by manufacturer and I suspect, also can wear differently by lot. I have had some pens of the same type from the same vendor wear at different rates.
I'm in no position to argue that point with you, but I suspect you are correct.

The rate of wear will obviously change by the environment or the end user.
Quite obvious.

I now only make black or gold titanium, platinum or rhodium, or chrome kits.
Same here!

The only exception to this rule is when a customer wants a certain item only offered in the poorer plating types. In this case they get a fair warning.
Same here!

There is nothing like the bad taste of poor quality. I value the potential of repeat customers and consider the higher price of quality platings an investment in my business and reputation.
My sentiments exactly!
 
I guess what I'm hearing here is that everyone agrees that the gold does not last as long as some of the others but.....how long is that? Now I understand that everyone will be different on how much they use a pen but in all honestly...how long would you use the SAME pen? Does a pen NEED to last 10 years or longer? If the plating lasts a year..would that be long enough? Would most people want something different by then? Do you use the same pen year after year? Oh, I'm sure there will be those that say they have owned the same pen for years and years and there is the pen collectors that collect pens that are indeed old. Do I want my pens to still be around 20 years from now...well yes I do.

Tom

You have had a lot of good answers. There is soft, and fast wearing, 24K, harder 10K and 'forever' Titanium Gold. And, to complicate matters, 22K used in decorative bands and such.
You ask is a pen should last ten years or longer. I think, yes, for a nice pen, especially if given as a gift. Better pens, like a Gentleman should be expected to last a long time. My first handmade pen, a gift, is well over ten years old. Some I have made are 5 to 8 years old.
Plus, if you give or sell a pen you made, you do not want it looking worn and shabby after just a few weeks or months. Go for the best.
 
I was looking over my pen rack the other day. It holds all those pens I've made and used over the years. Everyone of them has plating that has dulled if not worn completely off. That is with the exception of the chrone. These guys are right on in their answers. Spring for the better plating. It may seem like a lot more money, but the quality and durability are much superior to the gold that sounds like it is the better quality.
 
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