Perhaps we should stop using the term "high end" as it means so little.
Brian is right that none of the readily available kits will stand up to his plating test although even those he has plated himself to 30 microns would ultimately succumb if abraded for long enough.
What we have in reality is a continuum of plating quality from the very thin to the just about adequate and of component fit from poor to quite good. Supply and demand drives this. Not enough people are prepared to pay the price for parts made to fine tolerances and plated to 30 microns for anyone to justify trying to sell them in large volumes. High quality parts are available if you are prepared to pay for them. Silver Pen Parts and Drechselstube Neckarsteinach for example. The latter use Schmidt and Bock nibs and internal parts. As far as I know they are made in Germany rather than the far east.
What anyone chooses to buy and use is up to them, but I prefer to buy the slightly better quality Taiwanese kits (see Phil's earlier post) and have never had a pen returned because of worn plating. I do not claim they are supreme quality, just better than the cheap Chinese e-bay tat. They suit the market I am selling in.
If you are selling £10 slimlines in village craft fairs then you might prefer to buy £1 kits from Rizheng.
If you are like Phil Irons and making pens that sell for up to £700 you might prefer the Drechselstube components.
