# Broadwell Art Deco and Nouveau kits from PSI



## Mr Fixit (Jan 17, 2010)

Has anyone tried these kits?  How do they compare, in both overall quality and size, with some of the other kits?

I see they come with Schmidt nibs and premium ink pump in the fountain pens.  Is this a real upgrade?

Mr Fixit


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## its_virgil (Jan 17, 2010)

Personally, I consider these kits to be excellent quality. some don't like the design style, but that has nothing to do with their quality. I wrote a detailed review of the Nouveau kits last year and it is in the library. I saw David (Broadwell) at church this morning and he is bringing me some of the new art deco kits later today. As soon as I get them made I'll do another review on those. And, yes, I consider the pump and nib to be better than what comes with most fountain pen kits.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



Mr Fixit said:


> Has anyone tried these kits?  How do they compare, in both overall quality and size, with some of the other kits?
> 
> I see they come with Schmidt nibs and premium ink pump in the fountain pens.  Is this a real upgrade?
> 
> Mr Fixit


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## khogan16 (Jan 17, 2010)

Mr Fixit said:


> Has anyone tried these kits?  How do they compare, in both overall quality and size, with some of the other kits?
> 
> I see they come with Schmidt nibs and premium ink pump in the fountain pens.  Is this a real upgrade?
> 
> Mr Fixit



I have used these kits in the past, All I can say is that they are very well received by my customers. I think the Schmidt Nib is much better than some that I have used.


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## hewunch (Jan 17, 2010)

I just did the Deco. It is a good kit. Nice quality. I just wish it had 4 bushings instead of 3.


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## randyrls (Jan 17, 2010)

I have one in my build box as we speak with the blanks on the lathe.  I like the asymmetrical clip and the over-all design, but the cap at the clip end makes it appear overbalanced at the clip end.

I have given some thought to making the clip end smaller and doing a custome finial.


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## greggas (Jan 17, 2010)

I have made several of the Nouveau and two of the Deco and liked them both.  Quality of the parts was excellent and they all sold very quickly.  I would say their size is just slightly smaller than the Gent or Statesman size.


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## randyrls (Jan 17, 2010)

its_virgil said:


> I saw David (Broadwell) at church this morning and he is bringing me some of the new art deco kits later today. As soon as I get them made I'll do another review on those. And, yes, I consider the pump and nib to be better than what comes with most fountain pen kits.
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don



Don;  Looking forward to your review.  The art deco pen looks like a good well balanced pen.


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## witz1976 (Jan 17, 2010)

its_virgil said:


> ...I saw David (Broadwell) at church this morning and he is bringing me some of the new art deco kits later today...
> Do a good turn daily!
> Don



Hey Don, 

make sure you get enough to share with the rest of us :wink::biggrin:


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## Russianwolf (Jan 17, 2010)

Too bad they only offer them in postable form, I'd like to try some, but only make the non-postable type since they aren't top-heavy.


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## Whaler (Jan 17, 2010)

I have made a half dozen of the Nouveau Sceptres and consider them excellent kits. I also use one on a daily basis and enjoy writing with it. It is a bit top heavy with the cap posted so I seldom post the cap.


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## wade45 (Jan 18, 2010)

I have not made the Nouveau kits but I have made three of the Art Deco kits and love them. The plating is good quality.
No need to worry about having to post the cap, just make a closed end cap. :biggrin:


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## Kaspar (Jan 20, 2010)

I got a couple of these in today, and while I like the design very much, I have some complaints about the quality.  A close examination of both kits reveals that the gold center band section is a bit rough around the edges and does not mate up with the silver as perfectly as I'd like to see in a high end kit.  Also the gold accent piece in the cap finial has a visible gap between it and the silver base in which it is mounted. This, too, is on both kits.   

And the gold plating is rather rough, with visible flaws in the art deco "crown" part of the center band. 

However, these are things one would notice only on a very close inspection.  And hopefully, these are just "start-up" problems that will be rectified in future production runs.

Again, I take issue with PSI's infatuation with "pimp stones" in their kits.  I thought maybe the darker stone at the top of the clip would work better than things I've seen on other kits like the Nouveau Scepter, but now that I have one in my hand, it's not that impressive.   I'd rather they just add a bit more gold there.  Or this might be one instance where a clear stone would have perfectly accented the "wings" engraving of these otherwise lovely clips.

Also, the clip ring seems a bit tight at the fitting point, but Dayacom kits often sport that weakness.  No one is perfect, I suppose.  

I am very happy with the overall look and as soon as some ADI I've ordered gets here, I'll make these two and see how they feel and write.


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