# NEW PEN KITS FROM CSUSA!



## thetalbott4 (May 16, 2006)

Just got my new catalog and there is a Emperor jr along with 2 other new high end kits, the Lotus and the Imperial. Maybe everybody knew already, but it's news to me. Cool lookin stuff...but spensive!


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## Tea Clipper (May 16, 2006)

Cool!  I heard a rumor about the Emporer Jr, but had no idea about the other two.  I hope I get my catalog soon, I'd like to take a look![8D]


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## thetalbott4 (May 16, 2006)

The epm jr uses same bits as the jr gent / statesman (yeah!), but the 2 new ones use 15/32 and 35/64, which is different (on the cap tube anyway) than the fullsize states / gent. $50 -$60 per kit on the 2 new kits. Emp jr is MORE $ than the full size emperor!


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## pete00 (May 16, 2006)

oh great...i was just going to order tomorrow, now i need to wait until i see.... how come its not on web site..

mabey ill just supprise myself and order sight unseen.
Well that would be a very silly thing to do.....or...  [}][}][}]


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## Dario (May 16, 2006)

I just ordered a Jr Emperor FP sight unseen [].


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## thetalbott4 (May 16, 2006)

I wonder if they'll have them on sale in June? Nils...hint hint.[]


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## gerryr (May 16, 2006)

I don't have a new catalog yet![][!]


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## reed43 (May 16, 2006)

Does it look like the regular emperor only smaller. What is the cost.


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## thetalbott4 (May 16, 2006)

> Does it look like the regular emperor only smaller. What is the cost.



It looks just like the full sized version. Exact copy. Gold is $50 for RB or $55 for FP. The black is $40 for RB or $43 for FP.


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## vick (May 16, 2006)

Nils -  We demand pictures!


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## alamocdc (May 16, 2006)

I didn't get my catalog either. But more expensive than the full size? I'm not sure that computes.


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## PenWorks (May 16, 2006)

Lets hope it's another printing error [B)]
Can't blame everything on the price of gas [)]
I haven't recieved mine as well.


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## thetalbott4 (May 16, 2006)

> But more expensive than the full size? I'm not sure that computes.



Thats my question also. The only thing I can think of is that the cost of tooling went way up, but the reduction in the amount of materials should offset that. Who knows. I like the high end kits, but $50 - 60 is steep. Who woulda thought that you could sit around deciding whether you wanted to buy 1 pen kit or a Beall collet chuck?


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## DCBluesman (May 17, 2006)

Reduction in the amount of materials?  Not in this year.  The price of copper (a key component in brass tubes) is up several HUNDRED precent this year.  Rhodium is up to around $1400 per ounce.  Gold is nearing $800 per ounce.  I expect that ALL pen kit prices will go up and fairly dramatically.  Now that the Chinese marketplace is booming (we all seem to love Harbor Freight's prices), expect that competition for raw materials will drive up the prices even more.  We're going to look back on the days of the $10 kit as "the good old days"...and not too far in the future.


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## gerryr (May 17, 2006)

Wasn't there a discussion not long ago and someone was saying they wanted "high end" kits?  It sounds like they got their wish.  That reminds me, what ever became of the guy who was going to sell $500 pens?


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## Johnathan (May 17, 2006)

I can't wait to see these. Where is my magazine!!!?[] Come on Nils! I spend so much money there I should have been first on the list to get mine![8D][]


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## Pipes (May 17, 2006)

I will say just a few words on this :O) If and no NOT IF WHEN the prices go UP the quality will have to inprove because I for one will send back any with even a small flaw or problem were as now I toss it in the parts box !! And IMHO CSUSA is on the HI end a the PRICE scale now so they won't or should NOT have to raise there prices much BUT will and should  remember this is just IMHO only ...I can see a price raise coming BUT there is NOT much GOLD in one a these kits and well its like gas there 
gona see what the market a bare IMO again ....I can see a 25 to 40% increase coming and IF the demand drops they will
 have a LOT a sales :O) again IMHO...I started out pricing MY pens on the slight HI end figuring this in to replace stock just good business IMHO ! I know the supply a copper is gona go up... a LOT a the mines are gona reopen at this market price same for gold ! I doubt we see a 10 buck slimline because at those prices they might as well close up shop !! The Euro drove up the price of most everything I sell in my normal business ! Thats were I learned to add the price move in on current stock and from a past job kina like oil co's raiseing gas ! I just do it up front and let the market catch me if it can so far I have stayed ahead a the market and been able to  BUY back my stock without having to dig in MY pocket !! Pens are NO diffrent I heard from the owner of Berea when I drove down there that prices are gona rise sharply and added in a extra percetage to try to off set the cost in future kit prices.. you just about have to do it or dig in YOUR pocket to replace the pen kit you just sold !!!!and IMHO IF you like and sell a certain kit stock up as heavy as your wallet will allow and then sell them in made pens at increased prices so again you can afford to replace the stock ! Now if this is a hobby for you and you GIVE AWAY most a what you make well your wallet a tell you when you gotta stop ...that !!! I use to work for a Older smart business man and when a price increase came in.... stock on hand was maked UP that day ..He never lost a dime and was in a profit making business for 55 yrs !  so IF IMHO you have a pen your selling now at 40 bucks make it 60 NOW and you will not get hurt MAYBE lose a few sells BUT NOT many and you are able to knock a few bucks off and have a sale!  IMO ONLY now  This was all IMHO please don't throw fruit [].....Ima VERY NEW to pens BUT NOT business ....I will add 1 more thing IMO in times of prices going nuts the HI end and LOW end sell its the middle ground that has a hard time holding !!!you wil be able to sell a 30 buck slimline or 250 buck fancy pen the 50 to 100 buckers a sit !! IMO now again but its from experiance over the yrs in business ..





http://affordablepipes.com/


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## kent4Him (May 17, 2006)

Hey everybody,

I got the first shipment last night.  I've never seen that many kits all at the same time.  I will be shipping out the orders that are complete.  Hoping to have the next shipment by the end of next week.  That would be everything except the 10k Amercana Rollerball.  I'd appreciate an email letting me know when you get your kits.


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## arioux (May 17, 2006)

Hi,

Don't start ordering the new kit all at the same time, they will go out of stock[}] and back order.


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## Dario (May 17, 2006)

According to Nils (from an email), the price on the catalog is wrong.  The Jr Emperors are supposed to be $3.00 less than the full size and they supposedly "have a nicer and more detailed engraving on the metal accents"

Quote from Nils "All of our new pens are still in production, though and won't be available until July.  You can pre-order them if you'd like."

Of course I am not sure if that price difference is accross the board all the platings.  Hope he posts here soon.


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## Johnathan (May 17, 2006)

Will someone please scan their catalog! so I can see these new pens. Thanks


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## JimGo (May 17, 2006)

I spoke with someone at CSUSA this morning about an order I had in.  While on the phone with her, she:
1) confirmed that the panache kits are in; and
2) said the catalogs all went out late last week or early this week to customers who have ordered "recently", and to give it about a week to get them.


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## Johnathan (May 17, 2006)

> _Originally posted by JimGo_
> <br />I spoke with someone at CSUSA this morning about an order I had in.  While on the phone with her, she:
> 1) confirmed that the panache kits are in; and
> 2) said the catalogs all went out late last week or early this week to customers who have ordered "recently", and to give it about a week to get them.



Thanks for the update Jim!


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## nilsatcraft (May 17, 2006)

If you haven't seen them yet, check out the new pens: http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14912

Also- Lou (DCBluesman) nailed it with his post.  You're dead on with what's been going on with pricing on this sort of thing.


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## thetalbott4 (May 17, 2006)

> Reduction in the amount of materials? Not in this year.



What I was saying is there is a reduction in the _amount_ of material used, not the price of the material. You arent going to tell me there is the same quantity of metals in a smaller pen.


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## DCBluesman (May 17, 2006)

Anyway you slice it, Johnathan, a 25% reduction in the amount of materials against a 100 - 700% increase in the cost of materials is going to cause the price to go up...and I sure didn't mean to imply that the Lotus has as much material as a Jr. Statesman. [8D]


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## chigdon (May 17, 2006)

I WANT TO SEE!!!  Waiting on catalog[!][][][?]


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## thetalbott4 (May 17, 2006)

Chris - Looky here http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14912


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## Johnathan (May 18, 2006)

> _Originally posted by DCBluesman_
> <br />Anyway you slice it, Johnathan, a 25% reduction in the amount of materials against a 100 - 700% increase in the cost of materials is going to cause the price to go up...and I sure didn't mean to imply that the Lotus has as much material as a Jr. Statesman. [8D]



Lou! Why are you pointing your finger at me! I completely understand whats going on.[8D] I'm not too bothered by the costs, that's life. I just don't want to see this hobby get so expensive that newcomers will not want to give it a try. Oh, what am I saying? more sales for me! []


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## Johnathan (May 18, 2006)

Nils, will CSUSA at least have a couple of the new pens on display during June?


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## thetalbott4 (May 18, 2006)

> Lou! Why are you pointing your finger at me!



His finger was mispointed. He was aiming at me, and hit you instead. So much for Lou's sniping career. The whole thing is mute anyway cuz the price was incorrectly printed in the catalog...which makes me correct by the way.[]


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## gerryr (May 18, 2006)

I got my catalog yesterday and have stared hard at the pictures of the new pens.  I like the look of the Jr. Emperor.  The Imperial is a similar design, but without the decorative band on the finial it looks too big.  I've decided I don't like the looks of the Lotus.  The Statesman clip looks out of place with the rest of the design and the finial looks enormous.  Wow, think of all the money I'll save by not ordering those two.[]


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## Bev Polmanteer (May 19, 2006)

How many of the $139.99 kits are you going to order???[8D][][}]


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## Johnathan (May 19, 2006)

I really hope that when CSUSA comes out with a few more high-end kits, there will be something in there without the Asian flair. Emperor, Jr. Emperor, Imperial, Lotus, they are all similar in this way. I would love to see some more classic looking styles like the Statesman. Something on the very high-end market that will have some appeal to those that don't like the Asian styles. I really wish that one of the new pens were like this.


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## nilsatcraft (May 22, 2006)

Jonathan- about the pens being displayed in June- We're really hoping to have some here by then but we don't know for sure at this point.  We do have some of the samples we received, so if you ask, we can show you those ones if nothing else.  Regarding the Asian influenced styling of the pens, that is a good suggestion and I'll pass your words on to management to take a look at.  I'm not terribly familiar with what is involved in the design process but I'll email your comments to those who are.


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## Johnathan (May 22, 2006)

> _Originally posted by nilsatcraft_
> <br />Jonathan- about the pens being displayed in June- We're really hoping to have some here by then but we don't know for sure at this point.  We do have some of the samples we received, so if you ask, we can show you those ones if nothing else.  Regarding the Asian influenced styling of the pens, that is a good suggestion and I'll pass your words on to management to take a look at.  I'm not terribly familiar with what is involved in the design process but I'll email your comments to those who are.



Thanks Nils! I'd love to see those samples upclose when I'm there. Only a few more weeks to go!


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## huntersilver (Jun 2, 2006)

Nice new selections, but Wow on the prices.

I use a lot of Gent pens, my 10K gent went up 25%, Gent platinum
up 20%.  While the 10K euro 0% and the euro Platinum up 8%, and the beaded slimlines only up 5%.  24K Cigars are up 45%.  Yikes...

I think I need to revist my pricing and product strategy for the rest of the season[]


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## Penmonkey (Jun 2, 2006)

This is old news to me guys, I got my catalog about 2 weeks ago. However I must ask: do they use the same bushings as the Jr. Gentleman pen II?


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## huntersilver (Jun 2, 2006)

Nils,

can you ask Rex to get nibs in different sizes for the Gent,Emperors and statesmens?


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## nilsatcraft (Jun 8, 2006)

Sorry for not responding sooner- I just got back from Chicago lat night.  Penmonky- the bushings on the new pens are different than the bushings from the other pens.  Huntersilver- I'll email Rex to let him know about your suggestion.  We've had that request before so it's possible that if there is enough interest we may carry them.  Thank you, guys.


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## epson (Jun 8, 2006)

Nils, I would like to purchase additional size fountain pen nibs for the Emperor and Gentlemens pen if you carry them.  Several of my customers like different sizes.


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## SteveRoberts (Jun 8, 2006)

<b>I just sent a $$$$ order along with Anthony to Utah. Over 150 high end kits, about 10% of them fountains.

I also get requests for additional nib sizes. The medium suits me on my carry pen but fountain pen customers are a group that likes things "just so" and the options would make buying a high end pen more tempting.

Steve</b>


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## Jim in Oakville (Jun 8, 2006)

As per nibs I am the same, several customers have asked for fine on the bigger pens...I would love to be able to offer that to them as well.


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