Bob I will answer your question in the only way I know how and that by being blunt and at the risk of upsetting plenty of folk.
My test of quality is very much in the plating, I will justify my reason as Phil has said above in a roundabout way.
All our kits are put together the same with the same components, nib , twist transmission, click, whatever, that varies from one manufacturer to another as much as it varies from the same manufacturer in different batches.
That is a lottery on what you get at the time of purchase but nevertheless the same in respect of what it is.
Work on the standard platings just to simplify the task, how thick is the plating and how long is it reasonable to expect it to stay chrome or gold?
I have done lots of testing and lots of plating, I have not yet found any kit that can stand up to a good buff on a wheel, yes they do vary but all within a few seconds are back to brass.
Example and I can't for the life of me think of the name of kit, it's a sierra with a hat on, Sceptre is in my head as I think about it.
I was sent the kit when we had a previous kit quality argument, to ask my opinion of it.
While I had to agree it was a pretty pen when made up and did take a little longer for the plating to wear but wear it did and came back to me with brass showing through.
I told the owner I would put better quality furniture on the pen and return it to her when done.
I buffed of the remaining plating and put the components in the Dunhill lighter vat and plated to 30 microns, reassembled and returned it.
She was over the moon with her now perfect pen, she said it's beautiful and she could feel the difference in the new components they are so much better quality, why didn't I make it with these parts in the first instance?
She doesn't know to this day they are the same parts with a thicker plating.
She asked me to make a fountain for her hubby, I plated it to 30 microns from the packet and he has what she calls a perfect pen, it has a standard nib, he asked for a spare nib and got another standard nib from another kit.
People have their own ideas on what is quality and what is not.
I am sorry you didn't get the answer you wanted from your previous question but you are doing the right thing the best way in trying the various kits and manufacturers for yourself.
I have gobbed off to many times on this subject and my views are well known that all kits within our grasp are crap, regardless of label, type, or who makes them.
I know there are many who disagree and will tell you how wrong I am, bring your kit to my shed and I will show you how poor it is.
