# Pennstate rant



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 12, 2008)

I had to finally make a Majestic Jr for a customer and have been wanting to make one since they came out.  I ordered 2 kits and they both had some marks on the nib holders.  I made and assembled the one pen.  After looking at it under some better lighting, I found some bad plating on the nib holder.  I looked closer and I can't believe the poor quality of plating on these 2 kits.  Under 2x magnification, they look like they were rolled around on concrete and plated over.  Don't think I'll be ordering any more of these at $45 a pop!  

Then I tried a Gatsby click.  This customer didn't like the loose sound of the sierra click so I figured I'd try this one since it was designed for only one type of refill.  Huge mistake!  The click mechanism is cheap and catchy.  A bic feels like a classy pen compared!  Glad they used the same size barrel as the sierra because I was able to convince my customer to let me put his barrel on a sierra twist.  

I'm starting to understand why some don't like doing business with them.  I've never had problems with the other kits I've bought from them til now.


----------



## 1JaredSchmidt (Jul 12, 2008)

I hate their classic pens those pens with those rubber o-rings on them. They always come off. Plus they don't unscrew nicely. Their Slimline Pro's are crap too.


----------



## Paul Downes (Jul 12, 2008)

I would definatly be giving their custommer service a call. They need to have their nose rubbed in poor quality in order for them to desire to change their ways. On the other hand, could it be their quality control is ISO 9000 certified, meaning that they rely on their vendor to do the quality checks? It may just be a bad plating batch. I have gotten other kits from different vendors that had problems and they have always made good on them. ........Even so,I have noticed a higher rate of problems with their kits.


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 12, 2008)

I have a Majestic Jr that has some SERIOUS plating issues, the same issues I've had with CSA's rhodium. It's the worst pitting I've ever seen-- I'll have to get a pic of it uploaded.

If you compare the nib holder to CSA's Jr Gent II fountain pen, they are identical. I'd wager that the same company either makes the Majestic and JR Gent II or the same company plates them. CSA has taken good care of me with refunds (a LOT of refunding!) and assured me that the problem is over, but I haven't bought much rhodium from them since I had this issue.

I almost always use chrome if it's available (such as the Baron/Sedona) b/c I've found it to be a LOT more durable than rhodium--- the chrome doesn't pit. It scratches easier, but no pits. I wish they offered these "higher end" kits in chrome or even all-black-ti. I never once had an issue with black ti or chrome.


----------



## Rifleman1776 (Jul 13, 2008)

You didn't say if you called them. That would be an automatic reaction with me. Customers have a right to expect merchandise free from flaws and defects. The company cannot correct the situation if they don't know about it.


----------



## Dave_M (Jul 13, 2008)

I've only bought a few kits from PSI.  I have a problem with their TI gold turning color almost every time.  It loses it's luster and turns a bit dark.  I've bought a few Tycoons recently and the black painted center rings start chipping the minute I assemble the pens.  They've been good about replacing parts, but I'm tired of it.


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 13, 2008)

I called them about the Majestics and threw one in my glove box that is being sent back to them.  Haven't talked to them about the Gatsby clicks yet.  I'll do that tomorrow.


----------



## Jarheaded (Jul 13, 2008)

Funny thing, I am sitting here with their catalog in front of me and was about to order a couple of Majestic Jr. kits. You have just saved me the trouble of doing that. Thanks


----------



## monkeynutz (Jul 13, 2008)

Got a PSI dust hood recently, and one of the threaded studs that is pressed into the magnetic mounting bracket is loose and unusable.  I emailed customer service at PSI (it was after hours) and it took over a WEEK before I got a reply.  They wanted documentation for the purchase e-mailed to them, and it has now been 5 days since I did that, with no acknowledgment.  Guess I'll have to call on Monday and rattle some cages.  I don't think I'll be sending them much more business, in light of this incident, and what I'm reading here in this thread. It looks like QC and CS are both lacking.


----------



## intillzah (Jul 13, 2008)

I hate to sound this way, but just by looking at the Penn State stuff I don't get a really warm fuzzy feeling.  I'm leaning towards other suppliers for my stuff when (and when) I get going....


----------



## mikes pens (Jul 13, 2008)

Don't get me going on them!


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 13, 2008)

I don't use their pens much, for obvious reasons (read above!) but folks, I gotta tell ya, I do like their tools. I have several of their gouges and the Barracuda chuck. I'm quite happy with them all, especially for the price.


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 13, 2008)

I have to agree about their tools.  I'm still saving for a dust collector from them and I've had no problems with their tools.


----------



## 1JaredSchmidt (Jul 13, 2008)

I enjoy the people at Woodturningz but a PSI,I had to call them about a new motor for my lathe and the guy was terribly rude to me. When I sold it to my friend in Texas,it was getting really hot around the headstock and motor. I called them about it and the guy would not accept it. He was mean and uncooperative. I finally hung up on him.


----------



## Rifleman1776 (Jul 13, 2008)

I have had nothing but positive experiences with PSI. Two chucks a mini and a 'cuda 4. Great items at very competitive prices. Plus quite a few tools and accessories over the years.  I did a pen turning demo a couple years ago and asked them for some promo material. They sent a bunch of their CDs, another bunch (about 3 dozen) pen kits, catalogs, discount coupons and a bus load of dancing girls. However, I am not fond of their pen kits and don't buy any from them but I do buy other small project kits.

OK, I made up the part about the dancing girls.


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 13, 2008)

Dang Frank, and I threw down everything and started flipping through my catalog to find the girls  []


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 13, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Brewmeister35_
> 
> Dang Frank, and I threw down everything and started flipping through my catalog to find the girls  []




Don't bother. They only come in 24K plating which wears off too quick.


----------



## LanceD (Jul 13, 2008)

> _Originally posted by 1JaredSchmidt_
> 
> I enjoy the people at Woodturningz but a PSI,I had to call them about a new motor for my lathe and the guy was terribly rude to me. When I sold it to my friend in Texas,it was getting really hot around the headstock and motor. I called them about it and the guy would not accept it. He was mean and uncooperative. I finally hung up on him.



And he's still your friend ? [}]


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 13, 2008)

> _Originally posted by redfishsc_
> 
> 
> 
> ...



But they lifetime warranty their 24k plating.  Could get a new one couple times a year


----------



## mikes pens (Jul 13, 2008)

quote:
Originally posted by Brewmeister35
Dang Frank, and I threw down everything and started flipping through my catalog to find the girls
quote:
Originally posted by Redfishsc
Don't bother. They only come in 24K plating which wears off too quick.






I don't know, the plating looks pretty good.


----------



## rjwolfe3 (Jul 13, 2008)

I've ordered quite a few kits from PSI with no problems at all.  Can't say the same for their lathe but their customer service has been top notch everytime I have called them for anything.


----------



## Plane-O-Joe (Jul 13, 2008)

Although I am new at pen turning, I am already NOT IMPRESSED with their CS/attitude when I called to check on my first order.  Can't judge quality yet as I have nothing to compare against.  What other companies would you recommend?  I've looked at Rockler & Craft USA catalogs, but don't have any basis to go on.  Your suggestions will be much appreciated.  THANX![?]


----------



## mikes pens (Jul 13, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Plane-O-Joe_
> 
> Although I am new at pen turning, I am already NOT IMPRESSED with their CS/attitude when I called to check on my first order.  Can't judge quality yet as I have nothing to compare against.  What other companies would you recommend?  I've looked at Rockler & Craft USA catalogs, but don't have any basis to go on.  Your suggestions will be much appreciated.  THANX![?]



Nothing but top notch experiences with Craft Supplies and Woodturningz


----------



## 1JaredSchmidt (Jul 14, 2008)

When I have to order from PSI I just call Woodturningz which is a reseller of PSI. It's a little cheaper too. (www.woodturningz.com) Phone # 1-(888)-736-5487 Fritz and Beth are two very nice people. I order from there quite a bit. Fritz comes on the forum every once and a while. I order from CSUSA quite a bit more though. Woodturningz shipping is fast though. It gets here in 2 days while CSUSA's gets here in 7 days.


----------



## tbroye (Jul 14, 2008)

Jared

When you order from CSUSA pick USPS Prioity shipping faster and no more expensive in fact less.  You will have it 2 or 3 days, same as Woodturningz or AS.  Thats why I don't order from PSI if I can help it takes 7-10 days by UPS. Small stuff by USPS Priority Mail I have never had a problem with.


----------



## donwae (Jul 14, 2008)

I have made several Gatsby click pens and pencils and have had no problems with the click mechanism whatsoever.  PSI has always served me very well.


----------



## Rifleman1776 (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by 1JaredSchmidt_
> 
> I enjoy the people at Woodturningz but a PSI,I had to call them about a new motor for my lathe and the guy was terribly rude to me. When I sold it to my friend in Texas,it was getting really hot around the headstock and motor. I called them about it and the guy would not accept it. He was mean and uncooperative. I finally hung up on him.



Jared, I don't know exactly what you experienced on the phone with PSI. But, I'll offer a guess and opinion of why you consider them rude. PSI is a company from out east. A lot of easterners come across as rude, even when trying to be nice. They talk fast and are always in a hurry. It seems to be a cultural thing to be impatient with those who do not think and act as fast as they do. You just have to gut it out sometimes and even tell them to slow down. And, yes, I believe it is, by most standards, 'rude' behavior even though others may not.


----------



## Russianwolf (Jul 14, 2008)

Frank, I think you mean "NORTH Easterners" as us SOUTH Easterners are about as slow talking and laid back as you get. Too dang hot in the South East to rush.


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Russianwolf_
> 
> Frank, I think you mean "NORTH Easterners" as us SOUTH Easterners are about as slow talking and laid back as you get. Too dang hot in the South East to rush.



Dern tootin!





By the way, here is my opinion of good customer service:


The BEST customer service on the planet is NOT worth a tick turd IF THE PRODUCT they sell is cheezy. I'm not saying that PSI only sells cheap stuff (because I buy their tooling and love it)--- EVERY pen kit mfr manufactures a few "losers" and I refuse to buy the ones with major "issues", I don't care what kind of service or guarantee they offer.

Some folks seem happy to buy a product with a known, repetitive problem/failure rate and then call and ask for a refund when one craps out-- -and then call that "good customer service". I prefer to not buy the product at all and use something more reliable instead. For my customers, THAT is good customer service.


----------



## Rifleman1776 (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Russianwolf_
> 
> Frank, I think you mean "NORTH Easterners" as us SOUTH Easterners are about as slow talking and laid back as you get. Too dang hot in the South East to rush.



I'd never deliberately offend anyone from any state defined as 'south'. I'm south also and those Penn. State folks sure don't fit my definition of 'south'. Nawth? Yep.


----------



## RDH79 (Jul 14, 2008)

PSI in my opinion has a very rude lady in customer service. Purchased the 99 blanks for $99   Would have thought that the they would be  a little better evened out. I got 46 Kingwood 20 Rosewood 10 pink  ivory 7 Ebony 13 tulip and 4 olivewood.  Called customer service was told to read the add, it says ASSORTMENT. Should have sent them back but needed some blanks for the weekend. She also said the guy I needed to talk to was out to lunch. He still must be out to lunch because I have yet to hear from him. $1 apiece for blanks is not bad but 4 olivewood and they were not that nice.


----------



## loglugger (Jul 14, 2008)

I have made and used and have people useing a lot of PSI 24k slimlines and have never had any of the platings wear through in over 4 years of use. I don't buy any of the other companys 24k products so have nothing to go on with theres.


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by loglugger_
> 
> I have made and used and have people useing a lot of PSI 24k slimlines and have never had any of the platings wear through in over 4 years of use.



Wow!  I've seen woodcraft's 24k wear completely off to a silver color in less than a month's time.  I used a PSI Cigar Fountain pen as my everyday writer for almost a year and the plating started wearing off in about 3 months.  I'm not complaining about it because I knew it was 24k to start with and just wanted to try the kit.  It's just hard to imagine the same plating lasting so long!


----------



## Rifleman1776 (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by loglugger_
> 
> I have made and used and have people useing a lot of PSI 24k slimlines and have never had any of the platings wear through in over 4 years of use. I don't buy any of the other companys 24k products so have nothing to go on with theres.



Amazing. The 24K I have seen/used wears off if you look at it cross-eyed.


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 14, 2008)

I have about half a dozen PSI 24K gold kits around the house, probably 3 years old now, that were the first pens I ever turned. Most all of them are worn much more than they oughta, and the few that look fine are the "ugly" (ie, oval, out of round, mismatched bushing) pens I keep around to remind myself of how far I've come. Since those frankensteins never get used, they don't wear. But the ones that do get used have what looks like rotted plating-- some are probably reaching the point of being spalted.


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 14, 2008)

> _Originally posted by 1JaredSchmidt_
> 
> When I have to order from PSI I just call Woodturningz which is a reseller of PSI. It's a little cheaper too. (www.woodturningz.com) Phone # 1-(888)-736-5487 Fritz and Beth are two very nice people. I order from there quite a bit. Fritz comes on the forum every once and a while. I order from CSUSA quite a bit more though. Woodturningz shipping is fast though. It gets here in 2 days while CSUSA's gets here in 7 days.




A lot of that will determine where they are coming from. I know CSA is close to Salt Lake City, I can't remember where Woodturningz is from, seems like I want to say the upper midwest area. Woodturningz is definitely quicker for me. 

Arizona Silhouette and CSA both take a while, but note that it's nothing to do with them---- BOTH companies (and Woodturningz as well) will usually pack and ship an order within 24 hours of placing it. I once placed an order with CSA and called back in a HOUR to add something, and the joker was already packed and on the UPS truck. Of course, took it 5-7 days to get here, but man, that's fast.


----------



## rjwolfe3 (Jul 15, 2008)

I guess I'm just lucky.  I have been using the same 24kt plated PSI kit at work for the last 6 months with no wear at all.  And I write a lot.  I have gone through 4 refills so far. But like I said I guess I'm one man going against the flow.


----------



## pianomanpj (Jul 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Russianwolf_
> 
> Frank, I think you mean "NORTH Easterners" as us SOUTH Easterners are about as slow talking and laid back as you get. Too dang hot in the South East to rush.


Oh, I beg to diffah. Us Mainah's are quite friendly and laid back. It's "Vacationland", doncha know. So come on up, and gimme a call. We'll go to the coast and get some lobstah and have a wicked good time![^]


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by pianomanpj_
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Or how abouwchu come down hea n' we'll put ya onto a 50 pound flathead n'din we'll have us a mess of sum catfish stew.[]


----------



## Russianwolf (Jul 15, 2008)

Roger, you may as well be a Canadian you're so far up there. 

See, even the people way up north dont't want to claim Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.


----------



## TBone (Jul 15, 2008)

I think the difference in the wear of the 24k has as much to do with the person using the pen as the plating.  In a former life, I worked in a jewelry store.  I've seen people that had sterling turn their fingers green in 24 hours.  I've seen people that wore it 24 x 7 x 365 and never had a problem.  I've even seen people that couldn't wear 18k gold jewelry.  Metals react to different people in different ways due to body chemistry.  This could explain the wide range of experiences with the 24k plating.  I have one on my desk that gets dropped in a cup with other pens and beat and banged pretty good. It's the second pen I ever made.  Not the first sign of wear on it.  And it came from PSI.


----------



## psilevy (Jul 15, 2008)

Hi Brewmeister35
This is Ed Levy, owner of Penn State Industries.
I'm extremely concerned about the problems you're finding with our pens.  As a company, we QC our products extremely critically to deliver the best product available for the $$$$.  It serves us no useful purpose to deliver defective (or inferior) product - at the same time we can't check every kit that goes out the door - so we depend on customer feedback to correct problems we've missed.

Honestly, after selling many hundreds of the kits you're having problems with - yours is the first complaint (I'm personally aware of) about the plating on the Majestic Jr. and the mechanism on the Gatsby Click (we've actually gotten numerous compliments and positive reviews on these products).

I'm concerned that perhaps your kits are in a nest of defectives in one of our batches.  Please send me back the defective parts for our review (TO MY ATTENTION) . I will replace the parts at no cost and we will troubleshoot the problem and send your parts back to our suppliers for their review and improvement for future batches.
Thanks for feedback and your help!!

Ed Levy
VP & GM Penn State Industries
9900 Global Road, Philadelphia PA 19115


----------



## mikes pens (Jul 15, 2008)

Now that was a good response by Ed!  That is what I like to see!  Too bad his company didn't deal with me that way when I had a complaint a couple of years ago.  I haven't been back since.


----------



## Brewmeister35 (Jul 15, 2008)

Thank you Ed for your response!  I will return them to you ASAP.


----------



## heineda (Jul 15, 2008)

I recently purchased 6 of their Apollo fountain pen kits, and I really like them. It is a great looking pen, and the supplied nib puts down a dark, wet line of ink. So far, I am really please with this kit. My question is if the Apollo is a clone of the Churchill pen kit? PSI's new Tycoon kit looks very much like a Baron. Same drill bits, tubes, etc.

Dan


----------



## redfishsc (Jul 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by heineda_
> 
> My question is if the Apollo is a clone of the Churchill pen kit? PSI's new Tycoon kit looks very much like a Baron. Same drill bits, tubes, etc.
> 
> Dan



Clone: no (I don't recall if the drill bits/tubes/bushings are the same). I've made both, and can't decide. I'm quite happy with the nib coupler of the Apollo (metal) vs. the plastic "prone to breaking" one on the Churchill. 

However I like the center band on the Churchill more. Just a personal thing though.


----------



## Dave_M (Jul 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by heineda_
> 
> My question is if the Apollo is a clone of the Churchill pen kit? PSI's new Tycoon kit looks very much like a Baron. Same drill bits, tubes, etc.
> 
> Dan



In regards to the Baron & Tycoon comparison, the tubes are the same length & diameter but the bushings are sightly different.  The end of the cap where the clip is pressed on is slightly smaller on the Baron.


----------



## Daniel (Jul 16, 2008)

I have a lot of P.S.I. tools including the Tempest Cyclone DC. but have not had any of there kits in quite a while. Note I don't do ,any other turning projects so don't know much about those. I was starting to think that maybe P.S.I. was changing there ways when it came to kit quality with the newer kits but maybe not. It used to be that P.S.I. was the lower cost lower quality alternative but now it seems that maybe they want to just up the price on there economy products. I ran into this issue with CSUSA over pen blanks once. they where charging premium prices for stabilized buckeye burl and I got just plain old looking wood. it all went back after a phone call. I was told that they do not cull there pen blanks and I told them that the charge like they do. I have never gotten a second rate blank from them again. So suppliers do listen. maybe in some cases they just have not been told. maybe in others they just have no intention of changing.


----------

