In this blog I will be comparing handsets from different manufacturers to see how they perform.  My goal isn’t to declare a best handset, but instead it is to provide information that might help you decide which brand is the best fit for you.  This blog does not cover burners; just the handsets.  Keep in mind that a good portion of the information I present is subjective; it’s what I think.  I do try to provide my reasoning to help you understand my viewpoint, and hopefully that will help you decide if you might feel the same way. 

I apologize now, but this is a long blog.  I have a lot of information to cover.

There are 5 handsets I will be comparing in this blog. 

From left to right:  Burnmaster, Colwood, Goodcrafter, Optima, and Razertip.  

With the exception of Goodcrafter, all of these handsets will work with my Colwood burner. 

I’m including the Goodcrafter because I have it, and there are a lot of very similar products available on the internet and Amazon.   I have only used either a Colwood or Goodcrafter burner, so because of that I cannot offer any insights or opinions on other brands of burners.

Before I get going, I want to mention is that I spent several months with each handset, if not longer, getting use to it.   

Also, I only used the manufacturer’s pen tip with the handset.  For example, I only used a Razertip nib with the Razertip handset.     I wanted to get an idea of how both the metal and the handset performed.   

My main goal was to get to the point where I felt comfortable with each handset.  Some handsets were easier than others for me to accomplish this, but I kept at it until I felt comfortable with them all.  Regardless, all of this takes time.  I’ve been working on this comparison for well over a year.  

I do have a video version of this comparison available.  Click on the image to the left to watch the video.

TERMINOLOGY

To make a few things clear in this blog, let me explain some terminology I used.   

First, pen tip is the same thing as a pen nib.  It’s the metal portion of the pen that heats up and makes contact with the wood.   Also, there are times when I refer to it as just tip or nib.

Each manufacturer seems to have their own preference on which term they like to use.  If I should use either tip or nib in this blog, just be aware that the words refer to the same thing.

This image shows a handset without a pen tip attached to it.  The handsets are also called pens. 

I mostly stuck with the term handset, but if I do say pen then you’ll know it means the same thing.

In this photo I have the heat shield circled on this Optima handset. 

The heat shield is also referred to as a handset grip or just plain grip.  All of the terms refer to the covering on the handset has just below the nib. 

There might be something that differentiates a heat shield from a grip, but I don’t know what that would be.   Maybe it has to do with how thick the grip is?  I really don’t know.   

There are 4 styles of grips that I’ve seen:  cork, foam, rubber, and silicone.    I have tried all of them except the silicone.    With my limited experience, it seems like cork tends to be the thinnest.  For its size it seems to provide excellent heat shielding.

OVERVIEW

I’m holding a Burnmaster handset.  As you can see, it is a very substantial handset.  It has a black rubber grip that covers the top quarter of the handset. 

The handset is nicely tapered.  It starts out rather larger, and slowly decreases in size.  In some aspects it reminds me of the large training pencils used in kindergarten. 

The handset has a triangular shape that is designed be ergonomic and self-aligning.  Ergonomic it might be, self-aligning it is not.  I had to reposition it a couple of times when I grabbed it. 

The bottom has a male plug-in style. 

Burnmaster’s handsets come equipped with a thin black rubber grip.   

I just peeled it back a bit to see if it was permanently attached to the handset; it’s not.  If needed it could be removed.  As far as I’m aware Burnmaster does not sell replacement grips.

The set screws that hold the pen tip in place are located on the front of the handset.  In my opinion, this is a very nice feature.  

The pen tips have very thick long metal leads. 

Of this style of pen tip, I find that Burnmaster’s are the  easiest to handle.

Next up is Colwood.  This photo shows a fixed tip handset. 

It has a cork grip, and a male plug-in.

This is Colwood’s replaceable tip handset.   This handset looks almost identical to the fixed tip style of handset. 

Both styles of handsets are slightly tapered for a short ways past the grip.  After that they have a straight body.

Viewing them side-by-side you can see that the replaceable tip has a wide lip at the base of the pen tip.   This lip allows you to grab the tip and remove it. 

A red arrow is pointing to the lip I’m referring to.

Here’s a top view of the two handsets. 

Ignore the writing on the pen tip.  I used a marker to write Colwood’s letter identifier on the tips.  That way I don’t have to look up what tip I’m using when I create tutorials. 

For some reason there are a number of viewers and/or readers who want to know what tip I’m using.   Without the letter identifier I wouldn’t have a clue.     

The cork grip can be removed from the handset.  Colwood sells replacements, and different styles of grip replacements

This is what one of Colwood’s replaceable pen tips looks like. 

It has two metal prongs at the bottom that slide into the handset making contact with the power source.

In this photo I’m holding Goodcrafter’s handset. 

This handset is covered with thick contoured foam padding.  I did not try to remove it, and I wouldn’t recommend trying to remove.  Despite it’s rather bulky look, the handset is very comfortable. 

The handset has two metal prongs with holes in the center.  The wire tips slide down into the holes and are secured with set screws.

The cord is permanently attached to the handset.

The cord has a plugin where it attached to the Goodcrafter’s burner, so it can be removed from the burner for storage or switching out.  

This shows the top portion of the handset. 

You can see the set screws on the sides of the metal receptacles. 

For some reason I really do prefer how Burnmaster has the set screws located on the front of the receptacles.

This photo shows one of the pen tips that comes with the burner.  The metal is thin, and the leads are decently sized.   

The lead wires are not as long as Burnmaster’s, but they are longer than Razertip’s. 

Normally the metal leads are straight, but I have used this pen tip.  I tend to really tighten the screws, and this often makes the lead wires bend at the point of contact.   

Now I’m holding an Optima handset.  The body is very thin and straight.  

This is a fixed tip style handset, and it is the only style of handset they currently make.   If they hold true to their words, it will remain the only style the make.  

As you can see, it has a male plug in. 

There is a very thick foam grip on the top portion of the handset. 

Try as I might, I could not get the foam to budge.  I think it has been glued to the handset.

 

 

Here’s a close up of the top portion of the handset. 

As I said before, Optima doesn’t make replaceable tip models, so I can’t show a pen tip by itself.

Last up is Razertip’s handset.   

This is Razertip’s replaceable tip styled handset.    Razertip does sell fixed tip handsets, but I didn’t purchase one.

The handset has a tapered body that flairs out as you reach the end of the handset.   

There are several heat vents along the body of the handset just past the black foam grip.  The heat vents are found on both sides of the handset.

Razertip has a female receiver plug.  

To make the handset compatible with my Colwood burner, I have to use an adaptor.  I’m holding the adaptor in my right hand.    

Here’s how the handset looks with the adaptor attached.

 

 

The foam grip can be removed from the handset. 

Razertip tip offers an assortment of replacement grips on their website.

Here’s a closeup of the top portion of the handset.  

The set screws are located on the sides of the metal prongs.

Lastly, here’s a photo of a pen tip.   The metal leads on this tip are very short. 

I don’t know if all of their pen tips are this short, but the 3 I have are.  They are shorter than the Goodcrafter tips. 

If find Razertip’s nibs the most challenging to of the wire tips to exchange.   “Challenging” is a polite way of say that I really dislike what it takes to exchange pen tips on this handset.   It could be that part of the problem is my age, but every other handset I’ve experienced has a better and easier system to use.   

Great new, I will be complaining  about this issue in the exchanging pen tips section.    Just giving you something to look forward to.  🙂    

I’ve got the handsets resting on a ledge, so you can visually compare their sizes.   

All of the handsets are resting on the bottom edge of the grip-able portion of the handset.  

Lastly, I attached one replaceable pen style tip from each brand, except Optima, to a board so you can compare their sizes.   

From left to right the brands of tips are as follows:  Burnmaster, Goodcrafter, Razertip, and Colwood.

SCORING SYSTEM

Some of the comparison sections will include a score between 1 and 5. 

1 is the best.   5 is the worst. 

Whatever handset ends up with the lowest score, is the winner.  Not that winner is the best term to use, but it’s all that I could think of. 

Let me begin by stating that the basis of for many of the comparisons is how similar the handset is to a pencil.  I like to draw, and I’m very comfortable with pencils. 

The closer to a pencil the handset resembles, the happier I am. 

This is something you may or may not agree with, but I hope this gives you a better understanding of why I rated some aspects of the handsets the way I did.   

Image is from Pixabay, user MireXa. Here’s a link to the photo:  https://pixabay.com/photos/figure-canvas-pencil-artist-art-3517221/

WEIGHT

First up, I decided to weigh all of the handsets.  I know the reflected light on my scale is very bright, so I applied a mask that dims it down in the following photos.

Burnmaster weighs 1.90 ounces, or 54 grams.   It is the heaviest of all of the handsets. 

Not surprising given its substantial girth.

Colwood weighs 0.85 ounces, or 24 grams.

 

 

 

Goodcrafter weighs 1.48 ounces, or 42 grams. 

For some reason I was expecting this handset to weigh less than it does.  Maybe it’s because I didn’t think the foam would weigh that much.  I assume there must be some plastic tubing in the center to protect the foam from the heating elements and cords, but I haven’t taken one apart to see.

Optima weighs 0.71 ounces, or 20 grams.   

This is the lightest of all of the handset.  That isn’t very surprising given its super thin handset.

Razertip weighs 0.74 ounces, or 21 grams.  This makes it slightly heavier than the Optima. 

I’m actually surprised by this because the handset is longer and thicker than the optima.

The adaptor I have to use for the Razertip handset weighs 0.42 ounces, or 12 grams. 

To me the adaptor is very heavy; especially when compared to the handset. 

The adaptor is more than half of what the handset weighs.   I bought the handset from Razertip, so I don’t know if all adaptors are this heavy.

Together Razertip’s handset and adaptor weigh 1.16 ounces, or 33 grams.

This chart lists in order from the heaviest to the lightest.  

I prefer a lighter weight handset because it makes it feel more like a pencil to me.  Based on that, Burnmaster is last, receiving a score of 5.  Goodcrafter scored a 4, Razertip a 3, Colwood a 2.  Optima is the lightest, so gets a score of 1.

Note that I’m using the combined weight of the Razertip handset and adaptor for this comparison.  The reason is that I can’t use the handset without the adaptor.  Depending on the type of burner you have, you might have the same situation. 

LENGTH

Next, I will be measuring how long the handsets are.  This is something I consider to be informational, so I will not be assigning a score.    

The first measurement starts where the pen tips connect to the handset and goes to the end of the handset.  

This is to give you an idea of the minimum distance the handset will be from the board.   

I didn’t include a pen tip because the length of the pen tip can vary.  The length is also dependent on how far you insert the lead wires into the handset. 

To me it feels a little awkward if the handset is too far from the board.  

The second measurement is of just the handset, or the area you can grip.  

My purpose here was to give you an idea of gripping area size.  People with large hands would probably want something that is longer.  

The first measurement on the Burnmaster’s handset is 4 7/8 inches, or 12.38 cm.

The grip-able area on the handset is 4 ½ inches, or 11.42 cm.

 

 

Lastly, the difference, which is just the pen tip receptacle area, is 3/8, or 0.95 cm. 

This is the minimum distance between the handset and the board.  

Call me lazy, but I didn’t feel like preparing 3 separate photos for each handset.   Instead, I’ll share the last image that includes the different measurements I took.

Colwood’s total length is 4 5/8 inches (11.75 cm). 

The grip-able area 4 ½ inches (11.43 cm). 

The difference is 1/8 of an inch (0.32 cm).

Goodcrafter’s overall length is 5 1/8 inches (13.02 cm). 

The handset is 4 inches long (10.12 cm).   This is the shortest grip-able area of all of the handsets I tested.

The pen tip receptable area is 1 1/8 inches long (2.86 cm).

Optima’s overall length is 4 ¾ inches (12.07 cm). 

The grip-able area on the handset is 4 5/8 inches (11.75 cm). 

The differences is 1/8 inch (0.32 cm).

Razertip’s overall length is 5 5/8 inches (14.29 cm). 

The grip-able area is 4 5/8 inches (11.75 cm).   Razertip has the longest grip-able area of all the handsets.

The pen tip area is 1 inch (2.54 cm). 

Those with larger hands might find the Burnmaster or Razertip to be more desirable than the shorter handsets like the Goodcrafter.

CIRCUMFERENCE

The next measurement I took was the circumference.  For this I used a piece of ribbon, wrapped it around the widest spot on the heat guard or grip, and marked where the ribbon touched.

Then I laid the ribbon flat and measured the distance.

Since I want a handset that resembles a pencil, a thinner handset is more desirable to me. 

Based on that, I put Colwood first as it was the smallest with a measurement of 2.125 inches, or 5.40 cm.  

Optima is second at 2.375 inches (6.03cm).

Razertip third at 2.5 inches (6.35 cm).

Burnmaster fourth at 3.0 inches (7.62 cm).

And Goodcrafter is last with 3.75 inches (9.53 cm).

If I add the circumference score to the previous total, it puts Colwood first, Optima second, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

Circumference – part 2

For the second part of the circumference measurement, I placed the ribbon just below the heat guards on the handset.  

This measurement is to determine how much of a difference there is between the heat guard and the handset.  

The reason for this measurement, is that if the difference is too high it can feel uncomfortable.  At least if feels uncomfortable to me.  

Because the Goodcrafter handset is completely covered in foam, I measured the smallest area on the handset.   This spot happened to the the slight depression adjacent to the yellow arrow on the photo.

The yellow arrow is pointing to the widest spot on the handset, and it is what I measured during the initial circumference measurement.  

Next, I calculated the difference between the heat shield and the handset.   A smaller difference is more desirable to me, and is the basis of my scoring.

Burnmaster & Colwood tied for first with a difference of 0.5 inches (1.270 cm).  

Goodcrafter was second with a difference of 0.625 inches (1.588 cm). 

Razertip was third with a measurement of 0.875 inches (2.223 cm). 

Optima was last with a difference of 1 inch (2.540 cm). 

The only handset I noticed an off feeling with was the Optima brand.  This feeling wasn’t something I experienced every time I used the handset, but the times that I did I was very aware of it.

Adding those scores to the previous totals, puts Colwood in first place, Optima in second, Razertip in third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

If you have large hands, gripping issues, or arthritis in your hands, then you might want to consider a handset with a large circumference.  Either the Burnmaster or Goodcrafter handsets would be good choices for this.

COMFORT

Burnmaster is the heaviest of all of the handsets.  This was difficult for me to get use to because I had to exert more effort gripping the handset compared to lighter weight handset.  It took me a bit of time to discover the best gripping pressure that allowed me to control the handset without having a death grip on it, so to speak.   

The firmer you grip the handset the quicker your hand will fatigue, so it’s better to use a lighter grip.

Burnmaster’s handset is not only the heaviest, but it is also the firmest feeling of all the handsets I tested.  Despite this, the firmest wasn’t an issue.   

The thin rubber grip provides excellent traction, so the handset doesn’t slip around.  

Now I will admit that at first I hated this handset.   I hated the size.  I hated the weight.  I only bought it because it was compatible with my Colwood burner, and I was working on this comparison. 

Of all of the handsets, this one took me the longest to get comfortable with.    I was actually surprised that I got comfortable with it.  I was expecting to hate throughout my entire testing and acclimating process. 

I’ve owned Colwood handsets for the longest time of all of the handsets in this blog.  We’re talking a number of years compared to months to 1 year.   

I am extremely comfortable using this handset.   Because of how familiar I am with Colwood, I tends use it for the basis that I compare all other handsets with.

That said, I will do my best to keep that from biasing my blog.  Hopefully I did a good job in that regard, but I felt that you should be aware of the situation.    

Colwood handsets come standard with cork heat shield.  The cork is firm, but has a very slight give to it. 

Plus, the cork is absorbent.  If your hands are damp or coated with hand lotion, the handset doesn’t slip in your grip.  This is true of all of the handsets except the Burnmaster.   

I did write a product review of my Colwood burner.  Here’s a link to the blog:  Colwood Super Pro II wood burner Review

The Goodcrafter handset is surprisingly very comfortable.  The foam is firm enough to make gripping it easy, but soft enough not to fatigue the hand. 

Unless you have a death grip on it.  If you do, then it won’t matter what brand you use as your hand will get fatigued.  Or maybe I should say is that your hand will get fatigued quicker than it would if a light hand pressure was used when gripping the handset.

A yellow arrow is pointing to the slight depression on the handset.  This depression is a major reason why the handset is so comfortable.  It fits the pad of my finger really well (see previous photo).

When I first received this burner, I wasn’t expecting to like the handset.  I have been pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.     The handset is not very long, so this could be an issue for people with larger hands.

One thing I don’t care for is that the back end of the handset is heavier than the front.  Maybe it’s a matter of the cord’s weight making the back end seem heavier.  I’m not sure.   It doesn’t take long using the handset before I don’t notice the weight issue.

Regardless, it can take a little getting use to.   Most of the time I’m not aware of it.  I only notice it if it has been awhile since I last used the handset.

In case you aren’t aware, I did a product review on the Goodcrafter burner a couple of years back.  If you’re interested here’s a link to that blog:  Goodcrafter Pyrography Machine Model 939D II – product review

Optima’s handset is the lightest of the handsets, and I find I like the weight.  It feels balanced, like my Colwood does, but sometimes the Optima feels off when I use it.

I think that might have something to do with where my fingers end up on the heat shield.  

If they get too close to the back end, then I become much more aware of the size difference between the shield and the handset.    I really dislike how much of a difference there is between the two.  

Optima’s handset is the thinnest of all five I’m comparing. 

I think if the heat shield were thinner, I’d probably like this handset a lot more than I do. 

Either that or make the handset just a little thicker.  Something to reduce the size difference between the handset and the foam grip.   

If I could, I would replace the foam with a cork shield.  I’m just not sure the handset is big enough to keep the cork in place.

Razertip’s handset has a problem, and that is the adaptor.   I hate how it unbalances the handset!

The adaptor causes the back end of the handset to feel heavier than the front.  That weight difference is enough to make it act like a tetter totter on my hand.  If I don’t grip the handset firm enough, then the pen tip lifts up from the board and the adaptor drops towards the board. 

This is a uneven distribution of weight is a LOT more pronounced than the Goodcrafter’s handset.     The unbalanced weight was something I initially noticed with the Goodcrafter, but quickly ignored because it wasn’t horrible.   With the Razertip I’m almost always aware of.  For the month or so, it was something I was constantly fighting.

The unbalanced weight issue took quite sometime for me to overcome.   For a while I quit using the handset because I hated how much it force me to concentrate on gripping versus burning.

Ironically, the Burnmaster handset helped.  The Burnmaster was the last handset I acquired. Learning how to properly handle it’s weight made the Razertip easier to deal with.   Why?  I have no idea.

Without the adaptor attached to the handset, the handset feels wonderful.  Unfortunately, without the adaptor it won’t work with my burner.   I’m not sure if all adaptors are as heavy as the Razertip one.  Maybe at some future date I’ll do some research into adaptors and see if I can find one that weighs less.

Here’s my scoring chart.  Colwood is first, Goodcrafter second, Burnmaster third, Optima fourth, and Razertip last.  

Razertip is last because of the adaptor weight issue.  If that wasn’t a factor, then Optima would have been last.

Adding the current scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, Optima second, Goodcrafter and Razertip are tied for third, and Burnmaster is fourth.

 

EXCHANGING PEN TIPS

FIXED TIPS

Fixed tipped handsets are the absolute easiest and quickest way to exchange a pen tip.     

The reason is that you simply select the handset with the desired tip, and plug it into the cord. 

No tool is required, and it takes mere seconds to do.

Colwood, Optima, and Razertip all make fixed tipped handsets, so they score a 1. 

Burnmaster and Goodcrafter do not have fixed tipped handsets available, so they score a 2.

Add these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood is first, Optima second, Razertip third, Goodcrafter fourth, and Burnmaster is fifth.

REPLACEABLE TIPS

Of the replaceable tip style of handsets, the Colwood’s system is the easiest and quickest to use.

Use the gripper tool to pull the pen tip from the handset.   

The gripper tool isn’t always needed, but most of the time I find it very helpful.

 

 

Once the old tip has been removed, then firmly insert a new pen tip into the handset.

Burnmaster’s handset requires you first loosen the set screws. 

The nice thing is that both screws are located on the front of the device.   For some reason I like this a lot more than the side mounted versions.

After the set screws are loosened up, then remove the pen tip. 

Be aware that it is not necessary to remove the screws to switch out pen tips. 

In fact, I would advise against it.  If one of the tiny screws should drop to the floor, it is a pain to find.  It is rather amazing how far the screw can travel from the point of impact with the floor.  Or so I have heard 🙂

After the old tip has been removed, then insert a new pen tip. 

The long and thick lead wires make exchanging this style of pen tip a lot easier to do than either Goodcrafter or Razertip systems.

Once the new tip is in place, then tighten the set screws. 

Of this style of pen tip, I like Burnmasters the best for two reasons. 

1) The lead wires on the pen tips are really large, so they are easy to grasp and manipulate. 

2) The set screws are on the front of the handset, so very easy to access.

 

The Goodcrafter works in a very similar fashion to the Burnmaster. 

First, loosen the set screws. 

I generally place a finger on the opposite screw to keep the pen top firmly in place.  Sometimes the Goodcrafter top wants to spin or turn. 

This usually happens if I haven’t used the burner in a while.  For some reason the cap or top that threads onto the handset becomes slightly loose.  Heat it up, it expands, and then it has a snug fit again.

Once the screws are loosened up, then remove the pen tip.

Insert the new tip and tighten the set screws. 

Because the wires leads on Goodcrafters tips are thinner, they can bend if the set screws are really tightened up. 

This doesn’t impact the pen tip’s performance, but it can make it a little more challenging to align the lead wires with the handset opening. 

All of the Goodcrafter tips I’ve used have slightly bent wire leads.   This is probably a sign I’m overtightening the set screws, but I want to make sure the nibs don’t fall out.

Razerip starts out the same as the previous two handsets.   Loosen the set screws and remove the nib.

What is different is that the metal prongs have guide nubs on them.  The nubs are small metal bumps that raise up from the prong surface.  

The screw driver is pointing at one of the nubs on the metal receptable prongs.   

The lead wire on the pen tips have to fit between the screw and the nubs. 

What a pain in the butt this can be.  

I hate this system.  With my aging eyes, I must wear reading glasses to switch out tips on this handset.  

Given how long Razertip has been in business, you would think they could come up with a better system.   Of all the handsets I tested, this is hands down the worst system for exchanging pen tips!   

Now to be fair, over the course of several months I did get better with switching out tips on this handset.  I got where I didn’t hate it as much as I did when I first got the handset, but I still don’t like it.

For replaceable tip handsets, Colwood scored a 1, Burnmaster 2, Goodcrafter 3, Razertip 4, and Optima 5. 

Optima’s last place is only because they don’t offer replaceable tips.  If they did, I’m sure that Razertip would be last because I doubt anyone could create a system worse than theirs.   

Are you impressed?  I got managed to get some more ranting in before the compatibility section. 

Add these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, and Optima second.  

Burnmaster, Goodcrafter, and Razertip are tied for third.

HOLDER FIT

This section may not be applicable or of interest to you, but it pertains to my particular burner. 

I’m testing to see which brands of handset will fit into the metal prong receptacles found on the top of my Colwood burning. 

Obviously, a Colwood handset will fit.

Optima’s handset also fits, but it’s very loose. 

I actually had the handset fall out of the holder once, and drop to the floor.  Fortunately, nothing was damaged.  Since then I don’t trust the handset to stay in the receptacle.  If I’m not actively using the handset, then I disconnect it and put it in my storage vase.

Razertip’s handset also fits, but it is very tight.  That is better that than loose.

Burnmaster’s handset doesn’t remotely fit. 

The nice thing is that the handset is heavy enough I can place it on top of the burner and leave it.  I don’t have to worry about it falling off.  

Goodcrafter’s handset doesn’t fit either. 

It’s too light weight to safely leave resting on top of the burner.

 

 

Here’s my scoring chart.  Colwood is first because it fit perfectly.  

Razertip second because I don’t have to worry about the handset falling out.  

Optima is third because technically it does fit into the receptacle; even if I don’t trust it to remain there.  

Burnmaster is fourth since I can safely leave it on top of the burner.  

Goodcrafter is last.

Adding these scores to the previous total puts Colwood first, Optima second, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

COMPATIBILITY

Now let’s talk about how compatible the handsets are with other manufacturer’s pen tips.

Optima is not compatible at all, since they only make fixed tipped handsets.

I can place different wire tips into the Colwood handset, but there isn’t a way to secure them. 

Colwood is not compatible with any other brands.

The wire leads on a Burnmaster nib are too thick to fit on the Razertip handset.

Colwood pen tips don’t fit on the Razertip handset either.  Again, because the lead wires are too thick.

The problem is how short the threaded area is on the set screw.  

If the set screw were longer then I think the Burnmaster and Colwood tips would fit.   

While I’m on the subject of the set screws, it is really easy to over loosen the screws and have them fall out.  I seriously think that Razertip needs to redesign their nib exchange system!

Goodcrafter’s pen tips do fit and function on the Razertip handset.   

I must warn you that long pen tips, like the one equipped in the photo, aren’t the most stable.  The tip tends to flex or move when I make contact with the board.  I’m not sure I would trust the pen tip to stay secured if a lot of pressured was exerted on the handset.

The wire leads on Burnmaster’s pen tips are too thick to fit into the opening on the Goodcrafter handset.

Colwood pen tips have the same problem, so they don’t fit either.

 

 

The Razertip nibs not only fit, but they function just fine on Goodcrafter’s handset.

Burnmaster will accept Colwood pen tips.  

Even though the tip looks funny on the handset, it does work. 

More importantly, the tip felt stable.  I didn’t notice any flexing issues like I did with the Razertip.

Speaking of Razertip, Burnmaster’s handset is also compatible with Razertip nibs.   

I do want to mention that Razertip’s nibs have very short lead wires.  At least the 3 I own do.   

When the pen tips are equipped, it puts the handset very close to the board.  I felt that it was a bit too close.   Depending on what angle the handset was held at, it was hard to see the pen tip.   That could make it difficult to burn with precision.

And lastly, Burnmaster’s handset is compatible with Goodcrafter wire tip nibs.

Here’s my scoring chart for compatibility.  

Burnmaster blew all of the other handsets out of the water in this section, so it’s first.  

Goodcrafter and Razertip will accept each other’s pen tips, so they both score a 2.  

Colwood and Optima are last since they aren’t compatible with other brands of pen tips.

Adding these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, Optima second, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last

WARM UP TIME

Next, I tested how long it took each handset, or more accurately pen tip, to get hot enough to produce a dark brown color.  

A yellow arrow is pointing to a band of dark color that I’m trying to match.   I use the area to the right of the band to adjust the heat and test the tip results.  I keep at this until the pen tip is producing a color that matches the dark vertical band.  

After I get a match, then I shut off the burner, and let it cool down.   I let the burner sit for 30 minutes to make sure all residual heat was gone. 

Then I powered up my burner and timed how long it took for the handset to get warm and reproduce the desired color.  Burnmaster took 28 seconds.

Once the Burnmaster was done, then I equipped a Colwood handset and repeated the whole process.   Colwood took 45 seconds.

Goodcrafter took 50 seconds.

Optima took 19 seconds.

Razertip took 28 seconds.

 

 

 

Here’s my score chart. 

I did include the heat setting that I used for each pen tip.  Not that this really means a whole lot since the pen tip styles are not identical.

In order of fastest to slowest, Optima, Razertip, Burnmaster, Colwood, and Goodcrafter.

Adding these scores to the previous total puts Colwood first, Optima seconds, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

BURNING HOT

With this test, I want to see how the handsets perform when burning at a high temperature for a prolonged time.  

The heat was adjusted for each handset so that it produced a very dark burn result. 

The heat was set high enough that smoke was generated with most burn strokes, but it wasn’t high enough to make the pen tips glow red.  If the tips were not in contact with the board, they would start to glow in pretty short order. 

After the heat was set, I started the timer and burned for 25 minutes straight.   I wrote down my thoughts and any issues I encountered during the test.

Burnmaster 

At the 16-minute mark I became aware of the handset feeling slightly warm.  It wasn’t uncomfortable.  The handset got a little warmer before the 25 minutes was up, but it never got uncomfortably warm.  The cord between the handset and the burner felt cool to the touch.

Colwood  

I noticed that towards the end of the 25 minutes, that the handset felt slightly warm.  I do mean slightly. 

The cord between the handset and the burn had a noticeable warm feeling to it.  Again, nothing uncomfortable.

Goodcrafter

After the 25 minutes were up, I checked and the foam felt slightly warm. 

The warmth was so slight that I wasn’t sure if it was heat from the heating elements in the handset or heat from hand making it warm. 

The cord also felt slightly warm.  At no time did the handset feel uncomfortable.

Optima 

After 2 ½ minutes I noticed slight warmth coming from the handset. 

After 10 minutes the handset had a very noticeable warmth to it.  It wasn’t uncomfortable, but I was aware of it. 

Near the end of the 25 minutes, the handset was verging on very warm.  I was glad the session was over. 

The cord felt slightly warm.

A red arrow is pointing to the spot where the handset rests on my hand.  The point of contact on my hand is where I noticed the heat. 

The blue foam heat shield area felt fine.  My fingers never felt the warmth coming from the handset.

Razertip 

The only thing I noticed with the Razertip was some very slight heat being emitted from the vent slots on the side of the handset.  The handset itself didn’t feel warm.  

The metal adaptor felt slightly warm.  The cord felt fine. 

Here’s my score chart. 

I felt Razertip performed the best, so it got a 1. 

Goodcrafter 2, Colwood 3, Burnmaster 4, and Optima 5.

 

 

Adding these scores with the previous total puts Colwood first, Razertip second, Optima third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

TONAL RANGE

In this section I will be testing to see how well the various handset perform on different materials.  I’m expecting all of them to perform just fine. 

Pacific albus is the first material I’ll be doing a testing. 

Pacific albus is a soft wood with a Janka rating of 292.   For comparison, maple has a Janka rating of 1450.  

To me the Janke rating is helpful to get an idea of the heat setting the wood will need.   For example, I’ve done a lot of burning on Basswood, so I have a good idea of where to set my burner to.  Basswood has a Janka rating of 410.   With Pacific albus being softer than Basswood, I knew that I would need a lower heat setting than what I use on Basswood.

For this test, I adjusted the heat on my burner to produce a medium to dark tan burn result.  Then I proceeded to create a row of gradient color.     Once the heat is set, I do not adjust the setting on my burner.  Instead, I use re-burning and hand speed to create different colors.  The darker the color is, the more I re-burn and slow down my hand speed.  Slower hand speeds result in darker burn results because the metal is in contact with the board for a longer period of time.

I’m not going to bore you with a photo of each handset creating a row of gradient color.  I don’t think there is anything to be learned by them.

Instead, I’ll just share a photo of the final test panel results. 

I think I had the heat set just a touch too high as most of the test results are lacking a good range of tan hues.

Next up is birch plywood.  Depending on the variety of birch used, will determine its Janka rating.  From what I could find, I believe that yellow birch is the variety most commonly used.   Yellow birch has a Janka rating of 1200. 

This tells me I will should need a higher heat setting than what I used on the pacific albus.

Again, I set my burner to produce a medium to dark tan burn result.  The exact setting varies for each handset.  After the heat was adjusted where I needed it to be, I created a gradient test burn.  

Here’s the final test panel.  I did a better job with this one.

The last wood I will burn on is maple.  Maple has a Janka rating of 1450.

I went through the same process with the maple that I did the other boards.

Here’s how the test panel looks. 

 

Next up is leather.  Leather requires a very low heat setting. 

There are some machines that make burning on leather difficult, because even on low settings the burn results are really dark. 

When that happens I recommend trying pen tips with longer metal leads, or use larger pen tips.  Preferably a pen tip that is larger and has long leads.  The reason is that those style of tips tend to require more heat.  That might be just enough of a difference to allow you to successfully burn on leather.

All of the handset were able to produce a nice range of tonal values on leather.

The last material I’m testing is watercolor paper. 

Depending on the brand of paper, it can require a higher heat setting than maple. 

I have no idea what brand I’m burning on.  I have a little pile of watercolor scraps that I keep for testing purposes.

If you should burn on watercolor paper, make sure you do so on a heat safe surface!  

The darker hued burns will darkened underlying surfaces.  In this case that was my wooden easel, so not a big deal.  

Here’s the paper test panel.  This particular piece of watercolor paper did not require a higher heat setting than maple.

Let’s revisit the maple test panel since it required the highest heat settings. 

With any material you’re burning on, you want to use the lowest heat setting you can that will still allow you to accomplish your goal.  There are several reasons for this. 

1) The handset will stay cooler.  This usually makes burning more comfortable, and allows for a longer burn session.  

2) The lower the heat, the easier it is to control the tonal value of the burns.    Plus, you are less likely to get dark blotches when the pen tip first comes into contact with the board.  

3) If needed, there is room to increase the heat.      For example, let’s say there is a large spot in the background that needs to be burned to a really dark color.  In situations like that, I will increase the heat on my burner to get that done quickly versus doing a lot of reburning.

My Colwood burner has a range of 0-10.  What that equates to in temperature I have no idea, so please don’t ask.

My Goodcrafter has a range of 250 – 750 degrees Celcius, or 482 – 1382 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here’s my score chart. 

Optima required a heat setting of 3.1, which was the lowest setting of all of the handsets.  Optima is first. 

Colwood is second with a score of 4.2.  

Razertip is third with a score of 4.7. 

Burnmaster is fourth with a score of 5.0. 

Goodcrafter is last with a score of 700.  I do want to point out that Goodcrafter’s upper limit is 750, so I was pretty close to that limit.

Adding these scores to the previous total puts Colwood first.  Optima and Razertip are tied for second.  Burnmaster is fourth, and Goodcrafter is last.

METAL QUALITY

I needed a large patch of gradient color for another video I’m working.  I used this opportunity to use each of the handsets.  Since I wasn’t trying to create artwork, I could concentrate on how the metal felt as it moved over the wood surface. 

I have to say that I was not impressed with Burnmaster’s pen tips!

Quite a few of the tips were so rough that they scratched the board.  When I ran my finger over the tips, I could feel how rough they were. 

I can understand that any manufacturer can have an off tip, but all of the non-skew pen tips in the 10-tip set I bought were rough! 

I didn’t check the skews because I don’t use them…or very seldom use them.

I was able to fix the tips by using a green rubber Dremel polishing bit to grind down the rough spots on the tips.  

Here’s a close up of the green rubber bits.  They are a bit dirty because I’ve used them. 

Below are Amazon affiliate links to a set of them: 

1/8” shank – – https://amzn.to/40SMvWX

3/32” shank – – https://amzn.to/47JZZqG

I’ve included a 3/32” shank link because that is the size Culiau engraver tool uses.  That’s the tool you see in the photos.  I did a product review for the Culiau engraver, and here’s a link to that blog if you’re interested:  https://wp.me/p8j0lZ-7fo

My older Colwood pen tips are wonderful.  They glide smoothly and feel great.  In the photo I’m using one of the oldest Colwood pen tips I own.

In this photo I’m using one I bought last within this last year. 

Unfortunately, I can tell the quality isn’t the same.  The pen tip still glides over the board, but it’s not as smooth feeling as my older pen tip.

Holding the two tips side-by-side, you can see that the right one is much smoother looking than the left. 

The left one is the new pen tip.  I don’t know if the poor quality of the new pen tip is an oddity, but I’ve had several of you tell me that you’ve experienced problems with Colwood’s tips.  

For this section, I will be basing my opinion on how my newer pen tip feels.  My reason for this is that if you were to purchase one today, the quality will mostly likely be similar to my newer nib.

The Goodcrafter’s burner came with a set of 20 wire tip nibs.  Most of them were decent.  There were a couple that were rough.  One was so bad it cut my finger because there was a metal spur sticking up from the surface. 

Of all of the pen tips I own, the Goodcrafter style of pen tips are the least expensive.  Given the cost, which I will cover in the next section, I wasn’t expecting top quality.  That said, they are a decent tip, and perform well.   

I like to use these tips if I’m doing something experimental that might cause a mess or possibly damage the tip.   The reason is that if the tip is ruined, I’m not out much money.   

Optima’s pen tips are awesome!  I will admit that I only own 2 tips; this spear tip and a skew.  I didn’t really want a skew, but the site I ordered from didn’t many in stock.  The skew was the only other tip that looked remotely interesting to me.

Why didn’t I order from Optima directly?   Because I absolutely despise their ordering form.  They really need to invest some time and money to create a better system.

Back to the pen tip.  The metal on the spear shader is super smooth.  It glides easily over the board.  It also resists carbon build up better than any of my other tips, and it is easy to clean.  It feels like one of my old Colwood pen tips that Colwood professionally polish.  It is super smooth, and I really like using it.

The metal on Razertip’s handsets is very good.  I  would put it on par with one of my older Colwood pen tips.  While it is a really good pen tip, it’s not as good as Optima’s.  

I ordered this square shader thinking it would be wonderful for straight bands of color, boxes, etc.   I’m sure that when I get better with it, it will be.

The problem is that I have a difficult time holding the handset correctly so that all of the metal is in contact with the board. 

That has nothing to do with the quality of the tip.  The tip glides easily over the board surface. 

Those times when I actually hold the handset correctly to engage the entire tip, I rather impressed at how wide of a line it can burn.   Given enough time I will probably get to the point where I can consistently hold the handset correctly.

Here’s my score chart. 

Optima was hands down the best in metal quality!

I really like how smoothly the metal glides over the wood surface.  

Second is Razertip.  Third is Colwood.  Fourth is Goodcrafter, and fifth is Burnmaster. 

Burnmaster is last because I had to polish every single shader style of pen tip to make them useable.   Even though Goodcrafter had a few pen tips just as bad, and one even worse, they don’t cost near as much as Burnmaster’s tips do.

Adding these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, Optima second, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

COST

First off, all of the prices listed are from November 2023.

It wouldn’t be fair to compare fixed tips and replaceable tips together, so I’m giving each type their own section.   We’ll start with the fixed tips.

FIXED TIPS

Colwood’s fixed tip handset range from 17 – 27 dollars depending on the nib style.

Then there are options to choose from. 

First off is the grip style.  I wish that they showed pictures of the different grips.   Default is cork. 

For an extra $2.25 you can opt for a heat shield.  I have absolutely no idea what that is. 

For an extra $1.50 you can get a foam grip.  

Personally, I would stick with the cork.  I’ve never had a problem with it.

The next group of options are polishing and bending.  

It costs an additional $3.50 to have Colwood professionally polish the tip. 

Colwood charges an additional $4.45 to bend a tip.  You can select a 90- or 45-degree bend. 

Personally, I think they are asking too much money for either service!

If you plan to burn on leather, then having polished tips is nice.   Polished tips glide much easier over the leather surface than unpolished ones.  Plus, they resist carbon build up better.  I have two polished pen tips that I only use on leather.     

As for the bending, I personally wouldn’t opt for this.  I had Colwood bend one of my tips, and quit truthfully I didn’t care for it.   They bend the lead wires.  I prefer to bend just the tip.  It’s very easy to bend your own, but be aware if you do so, you void your warranty. 

Colwood does offer some handset packages, but I didn’t check to see how much, if any, money it saves you.

Optima has a very straight forward approach.  The majority of the handsets cost $20 each regardless of the pen tip style. 

There are a couple of specialty handsets that cost $30.

Optima does not offer polishing, but given the quality of their metal they don’t need to.  

You can select to have the tips bent or straight.  There is not an additional fee for bending.

Razertips fixed tip handsets cost between 31.80 and 36.25 dollars depending on the style of nib.  Razertip is in Canada, so I’m assuming the prices are listed in Canadian currency.   

I did not find options for polishing or bending.  Apparently polishing is limited to Colwood as a way to generate more income.    

Razertip offers a lot of different handset packages. 

Again, I didn’t check to see how much money, if any, a package set would save you.

Here’s my score chart for the fixed tips. 

I gave Optima first place because the majority of their handsets are 20 dollars, and you don’t have to deal with options.   Plus, I’m really impressed with the quality of the metal.

Colwood is second.  The price range does not include changing the heat shield from the default cork option.

Razertip is third.  

Burnmaster and Goodcrafter are last since they don’t offer fixed tip handsets.

Add these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, Optima second, Razertip third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

REPLACEABLE TIPS

For each brand I will list what their handset costs, but I will be not including the handset cost in my scoring chart.

Burnmaster’s handset costs $39.99.

Individual Burnmaster tips range in cost between 9.95 – 15.95 dollars. 

Burnermaster does offer sets of tips, and some sets offer substantial savings over buying individually.

Burnmaster does sell products that allow you to make your own customs nibs.

 

 

Colwood charges 20 dollars for a replaceable styled handset. 

You can opt to have different types of grips put on it.  The website doesn’t show pictures of what the other grips look like.  It’s probably somewhere on their website (like accessories), but I didn’t go searching for them. 

The default cork grip option is all I ever get, and I haven’t had any issues.  Keep in mind that I very seldom burn at high temperatures.

The pen tips vary in price between 10 and 22 dollars depending on the style.

Just like the fixed tips, you can opt to have the nibs polished and/or bent.   

I went over this in the fixed tip section, so I won’t repeat the information here.  The prices for the options are the same.

 

They do have an option for making your own customs tips.

Colwood also offers pen tip packages.  I did not check to see how much, if any, money a package saves.

 

 

 

Goodcrafter does not sell replacement handsets.   

I did find a handset on Amazon that looks identical to the Goodcrafter handset. 

I didn’t buy one to see if it is compatible, but I’d be extremely surprised if it wasn’t.   The handset cost $13.99.   

Here’s an affiliate Amazon link to the handset:  https://amzn.to/3t7bV6J

The Goodcrafter burner comes with a set of 20 wire tips.

A set of 23 replacement tips can be purchased on Amazon for $10.99 or very close to that amount. 

This puts the cost per pen tip at just 0.48 cents each!

What comes in the sets varies, but there are sets available that have ball tips.  I only mention that because some artist really like ball tips, and the set that comes with the Goodcrafter doesn’t include that style.

You can purchase nichrome wire and make your own pen tips.  Just make sure the wire has a heat rating that matches your burner.   Here’s an Amazon affiliate link to the wire in the image:  https://amzn.to/48aJPGv

Razertip’s handset costs $36.25, and this is mostly likely Canadian currency.

Individual nibs cost between 7.85 and 8.45 depending on the style.

Razertip does sell wire so you can make your own custom tips. 

I have not made a custom tip, but there are numerous videos on YouTube.  

Razertip offers numerous different tip packages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s my score chart. 

Goodcrafter is first because no one else comes close to $0.48 per nib. 

Razertip is second, Burnmaster third, and Colwood is fourth.  

Optima is last because they don’t offer replaceable tips.

Adding these scores to the previous total puts Colwood first.  Optima and Razertip are tied for second.  Burnmaster and Goodcrafter are tied for last.

VARIETY

Do you carve bird or fish figurines, duck decoys, or other 3d wooden sculptures? 

If you do, then having a variety of pen tip styles and sizes might be important to you.

Do you work on flat boards like I do?  

If so, then it’s unlikely having a large variety of pen tips is important. 

I know I personally don’t care how many different fish scale nibs there are.  I also don’t care how many different sizes of fish scale nibs are available.

I did write a blog about the pen tips I consider to be essential.  Here’s a link to that blog:  Pyrography – Essential Pen Tips you should own

 

I went through each manufacturer’s website and counted how many different pen tips they had.  Some sights, like Burnmaster, were pretty easy as there were only 2 pages of tips available.

Others, like Razertip, were not as easy. 

Razertip breaks their tips down into categories.  You have to click on a category, count the tips, and do the same for the next category. 

Razertip was the last manufacturer that I counted.  Once I got to 83, I quit counting.   By this time, they had far surpassed all of the other manufacturers, and I wasn’t that curious about the exact number of tips they offered.

 

Here’s my score chart.   Razertip is first with 83+ pen tips. 

Colwood is second with 56. 

Optima and Goodcrafter tied with 23. 

Burnmaster is last with 16. 

By the way, I did not include the option to make your own pen tips.

Add these scores to the previous totals puts Colwood first, Razertip second, Optima third, Goodcrafter fourth, and Burnmaster last.

WARRANTY

Next up, I checked the warranty information for all of the manufacturers.  I must say some of the manufacturer’s do not make it easy to find their warranty information.  Optima – I’m talking about you!

Burnmaster gives a 1-year warranty on their handsets.

I checked all over, but couldn’t find anything on their pen tips.  I have to make the assumption that the pen tips are not covered under any warranty.

Colwood has a straight forward and very easy to find warranty.  Any style of handset and all pen tips come with a 90-day warranty.

Goodcrafter was a challenging one to find.  I first checked their Amazon listing, and it said to check with the manufacturer.

I scrolled down further on the Amazon listing and found their instruction manual.

Per the manual, fill out and send in the registration card to get a 1-month warranty. 

It doesn’t state if the warranty applies to the machine or everything including the handset and nibs.   I’m going to assume it covers everything.

What becomes unclear is further down the page it states the warranty is valid for one year from date of purchase.   You must pay postage to and from.

To make things more interesting.  If you become a Goodcrafter member, you get an additional 6-months warranty.  

Maybe it’s just me, but I found their manual to be a bit unclear, so I’m going to stick with 1 month as the warranty period.

Optima was worse than Goodcrafter in terms of finding their warranty information! 

Once found, I discovered that Optima offers a limited lifetime warranty on the handset.   I’m not sure what that really means. 

The pen tips do not come with a warranty of any sort.

Razertip is another site with straightforward and easy to find warranty information.   Any style of handset comes with a 1-year warranty.  All of the replaceable pen tips have a 90-day warranty.

Here’s my score chart for the handsets. 

I’m putting Optima first even though I’m not sure what “limited lifetime” really means.  

Burnmaster and Razertip are second with a 1-year handset warranty.  

Colwood is third with 90 days, and Goodcrafter is last with 30 days.

 

At these scores to the previous total puts Colwood first, Razertip second, Optima third, Burnmaster fourth, and Goodcrafter last.

 

Here’s my score charge for the pen tips.  

Colwood and Razertip tie for first place with 90 days. 

Goodcrafter is second with 30 days. 

Optima and Burnmaster are last as they offer no warranty on their pen tips.

This is the last section that I will be assigning a score.   

Here are the final score results.

Colwood is first with 34 points.

Razertip is second with 37 points.

Optima is third with 40 points.  Burnmaster and Goodcrafter tied for last place with 52 points each.

STORAGE

In this section I’m just sharing how I store my various handsets and pen tips.  This is an informational only section, so there won’t be any scores assigned.

With my handsets, I store them upright in a glass jar.  The jar is a recycled candle container.  I just cleaned up the residual wax, and repurposed it for this.  Nothing but the best for me.  🙂

Todd made me this holder for my Colwood pen tips.

It has several tiers, so it is easy to see all of my tips and keep them organized.  

I do have a blog on how to make one:  https://wp.me/p8j0lZ-4pG

With the Burnmaster tips, I used a piece of foam packing material and inserted them into it.  The foam is packing material that came from something I ordered online. 

I’m all about being high tech.  🙂

I did the same thing with all of the wire tips I have for the Goodcrafter and Razertip handsets. 

Again, this is just a piece of packing material I repurposed from something I ordered online.

To make the tips portable, just place the foam pieces into a wooden box. 

I bought this one at a craft store like Michael’s for under 10 dollars.

The Goodcrafter nibs have really long leads, so they require a much deeper box to fit in. 

FINAL THOUGHTS + P&C

Before I get into my final thoughts on each handset, I want to mention that all of the brands in this blog will work just fine to create pyrography artwork. 

Minisa of Wood Burning University uses a craft burner with solid brass tips.  She does excellent work with it!  This photo is proof.  Her owl looks great.  She’s using a pen tip that I found to be the most difficult of all of the solid tips to use.   Her work really impresses me.

The reason is that Minisa is able to use a craft burner is that she has spent the time to get comfortable with her burner.  She knows how to hold the handset to position the tips and get the results she wants.     

Here’s a link to Minisa’s YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmD-U5CYsIWx2OPODsxETwg

Regardless of what you buy, or own, you must use it to get better with it.  You can buy the most expensive burner made, and it will not make you a better artist if you don’t use it!

BURNMASTER

Burnmaster ended up with a total score of 52.  It tied with Goodcrafter for last.  This does not mean that this is a bad handset.   Instead, it just means that it doesn’t resemble a pencil.  I personally, prefer handsets that remind me of pencils.  

Plus, some of my scoring criteria may differ than yours.  For example, not every one cares if the handset will fit in the receptacle prongs on top of my Colwood burner.

The biggest issue I had with the Burnmaster’s handset was its weight.  That really took me a bit of time to get use to.  Once I got used to the weight, I found that I liked the handset.  I mostly use the spear shaped tip.  It allows me to draw fine lines with the tip, and broad strokes with the side. 

The metal tip heats up faster than my Colwood does. The cord between the handset and burner stays cool; even when burning at higher temperature settings.  

I was not impressed with how rough most of Burnmaster’s pen tips were.  Given the cost of them, I really felt they should have been much smoother than they were.  Granted I could fix them, but I shouldn’t have to. 

I bought a handset kit that came with an adaptor (that I didn’t need), an extra cord, a small screw driver, and a set of 10 nibs.  This kit cost around $90.   To purchase just the set of 10 nibs costs $80, so it was a much better value to buy the handset kit. 

A burner costs $240 – $400 dollars, and most of the burners come with a set of pen tips.  They do offer 220 volt models. 

A reminder that I have not tried their burner,  Nor have I tried Optima or Razertip, so I cannot comment on how good or bad any of them are.  I can only comment on their handsets and pen tips.

I think the Burnmaster is awesome for how compatible it is.  It seems to be able to accept any other manufacturer’s style of pen tips.  The large size is great for people with larger hands and/or gripping issues that can arise from things like arthritis.

PROS

• Very compatible. Accepts every brand of pen tip I had
• Nice tapered body
• Balanced weight
• Handset never remained fairly cool even when burning at high heats
• Pen tips are easy to handle
• Can make your own custom tips 
• Offer a 1-year warranty on handsets

CONS

• Tips were poor quality.  I had to fix quite a few of them
• The heaviest of all the handset – I didn’t like the weight
• Do not sell fixed tip styled handsets 
• No warranty on pen tips

COLWOOD

Colwood ended up with a total score of 34, putting it in first place.   This just means that of all the handsets I tested, the Colwood was the one that reminded me the most of a pencil.

Colwood is the burner I learned pyrography with, and the handsets are what I use the most often.

Unfortunately, I don’t think their pen tips are as good as they use to be.  I also think they are charging too much for options.   At one time the options were around $2.00 each.  That didn’t bother me much, but feel like their current prices for options are a rip off.

Colwood offers a variety of burner styles.  They range from $80 – $425 dollars depending on options.  The lower priced burners most likely don’t include handsets or nibs.   Colwood offers models that use 220 volts, and those cost on average $40 more than the standard voltage models.

There are also kits available that include cases, handsets, pen tips, etc.  Depending on the style and number of tips, it can increase the price by $100 or more.

I use my Colwood tips more than any of the other brands.  That isn’t to say the others are worse, but instead I think it’s mostly a matter of what I’m most comfortable with.   

PROS

• Replaceable tips are very easy to switch out
• Lightweight and handles like a pencil (to me)
• Cork grip is very insulating
• Replacement grips are available
• Sell both fixed and replaceable styled handsets
• Can make your own custom tips 
• 90-day warranty on both handsets and pen tips

CONS

• The metal quality doesn’t seem to be as good as they used to be
• The tip options (like bending) are too expensive for what you get
• Not compatible with other brands of pen tips
• Some styles of pen tips are extremely expensive

GOODCRAFTER

Goodcrafter ended up with a score of 52, and tied with Burnmaster for last place.  Don’t let that discourage you from the handset.  

Goodcrafter is a burner I was sent to test out during the summer of 2022.   Given the cost of the machine and all of the stuff that comes with it, I wasn’t expecting it to be that great.  I was very pleasantly surprised and rather impressed at how well it performs.

The large foam-covered handsets are very comfortable, and absorbent.  Since they are black, they don’t discolor like the blue foam and cork shields do.  I tend to apply hand lotion on a regular basis, and it discolors handset grips. 

If Goodcrafter’s handsets were a touch smaller in circumference, I would probably like them more than I do. 

The Goodcrafter is the best value of all of the burners.  It costs just under $100 dollars, and it comes with a lot of extras.  In fact, the machine can run two handsets at the same time, but the handset have different styles of pen tips.  One side uses ire tips, and the other handles solid brass tips.

Sets of replaceable tips are very cheap.  I wanted a micro writer, so I modified one of the writer pen tips.  If I ruined it, I wasn’t out much money.  Every set I’ve seen has at least 2 writer pen tips in it, so I wasn’t without a writer.   

The downside of the Goodcrafter, is that on harder woods, like maple, the operating temperature setting is often near the higher end of its range.  I had someone ask me recently if I have ever burned on Olive wood.  I have not, but I looked up the wood.  It has a Janka rating of 2700.  Maple is 1450.  I’m not sure the Goodcrafter could get hot enough to burn on Olive wood.  Since I haven’t tried this, I cannot say that with absolute certainty.  

The Goodcrafter can be a great choice for those with larger hands and/or gripping issues.

I have a product review of the Goodcrafter available:  https://wp.me/p8j0lZ-6M2

PROS

• Replacement tips are very cheap
• Foam covered handset is very comfortable
• Handset doesn’t feel hot or uncomfortably warm
• Replacement handsets are the cheapest of all the brands
• Can make your own custom tips 
• Will accept Razertip pen tips
• 30-day warranty on handset and tips (I think)

CONS

• Has the shortest grip-able portion of all the handsets
• Near the upper temperature limit when working with harder woods like maple
• Some pen tips in set are good, others needed to be fix
• Do not sell fixed tipped styled handsets

OPTIMA

Optima ended up with a total score of 40 points, putting it in third place.

I really like the pen tips that Optima makes.  The one I use is hands down the best feeling nib I have ever experienced!  The metal on the spear tip feels like one of my old Colwood tips that has been professionally polished.  It is super smooth and glides effortlessly over the wood.   Unfortunately, I don’t care for their handsets.

First off, the handset starts to feel warm fairly quickly if I burn at medium or higher heats.   Also, I don’t like how thin the handset is compared to how thick the foam heat shield is.  For some reason I find this very uncomfortable.  

For me the ideal situation would be Optima pen tips equipped on Colwood handsets.  

If Optima made replaceable pen tip that I could equip on a different handset, I would probably own a lot of them.  Especially if the tip was compatible with my Colwood handset!  Currently, I only use the handset when I know I will be burning at lower heat settings.  If I need to burn on something that requires a higher heat, then I don’t use the Optima because it gets too warm too quickly.

Optima has two burners, a single port or a double port.  Both styles come standard with at least 1 fixed tip handset.  The price ranges from $107 – $153 dollars depending on options.  All of them come with at least 1 handset.

They do offer European 220/240 volt versions for an additional $2.00.  If I’m reading their description correctly, it’s some sort of adapter that fits between the power outlet and the burner.

One complaint I have about Optima is their horrible ordering form.  I’m not sure they could have made something worse if they had tried.   To order more than one handset requires pressing the Ctrl key while clicking on the desired handset.  What?!

Apparently, the idea of a “shopping cart” is alien to them.  

I hate their ordering form so much, that I refuse to use it.  Instead, I purchased handsets from a third party.   I’m sure that my decision is impacting their profit margin.  🙂

PROS

• The metal quality is amazing!
• Heats up quickly
• Requires the lowest heat settings of all the handsets
• Can get tips bent without an extra charge 
• 1-year limited lifetime warranty on the handset

CONS

• I hate their handsets – it’s too thin compared to the foam grip size
• It gets too warm very quickly when burn on medium to high heats
• Do not sell replaceable tip styled handsets
• Their website ordering form is awful!
• Not compatible with other brands of pen tips   
• Can’t make your own custom nibs
• No warranty on the pen tips

RAZERTIP

Razertip ended up with a total score of 37, putting it in second place.

Their pen tips are fine.  They performed well, and felt very smooth.  I didn’t experience any problems with the handset getting uncomfortably warm. 

I have two issues with the Razertip: 1) the short wire leads on the bibs, and 2) the adaptor. 

The wire leads on their replaceable tips are very short.  It makes them the most difficult of all the tips I tested to exchange out.  This doesn’t help their system of pen tip exchange.  Which I’m not a fan of.  

The handset is fairly long compared to the others, and the adaptor makes it even longer.  Plus, it puts most of the weight at the opposite end from the tip.  It makes using the handset feel awkward and very unbalanced.  The shape of the handset is nice.  If I could use it without the adaptor, I know I would like it a lot more than I currently do.

Razertip burners range between $120 – %540 dollars.  The price varies a lot depending on the model and the accessories.  

Razertip seems to be the burner of choice with wood carvers.  I think that’s because of the wide range to tips they have that make creating fish scales and feathers easier to do. 

I have heard from several artist who claimed the burner tends to run hot, and they used special heat guards on their fingers because of this.  This was a number of years back, so I don’t know if this is something that artists are still experiencing.

PROS

• Compatible with inexpensive wire tips sets found on Amazon
• Offer a very wide variety of tip styles and tip sizes – great for carvers
• Has very good quality metal tips
• Offer both fixed and replaceable tip styled handsets
• Can make your own custom tips   
• Have a 1-year warranty on the handsets
• 90-day warranty on pen tips

CONS

• The adaptor weights a lot and unbalances the handset
• Long pen tips flex and move when using – not very stable
• Hate their system for exchanging pen tips
• Their tips have the shortest lead wires; most difficult to work with

WHERE TO BUY

All of the manufacturers, except Goodcrafter, sell direct to the consumer.   Below are links to the manufacturer’s websites. As far as I know, Goodcrafter is only sold on Amazon.  I provided a link to their Amazon listing. 

Burnmaster:  https://mastercarver.com

Colwood:  https://woodburning.com

Goodcrafter:  https://amzn.to/3A9FCUf

Optima:  https://www.carvertools.com

Razertip:  https://www.razertip.com

The manufacturers tend to offer the widest selection of their product.  The downside, is that they don’t have sales.  At least I’m not aware of them offering sales or discounts. 

A number of the different brands appear on Amazon. I haven’t paid attention to who is actually selling the burners, but most likely it is a third party.   I have found in general Amazon can some deals or things hard to find, but not always.  Often there are times when products on Amazon cost a LOT more than what you can find it for at other places, so do your research. 

One website I’ve found that offers a wide selection of burners, handsets, and tips is Mountain Woodcarvers.  Occasionally they have promotions and sales.  Currently, they do not carry Razertip.  Here’s a link to their site:  https://mountainwoodcarvers.com

Treeline USA, carries a wide selection of Razertip products.  I didn’t check to see if they have the selection the manufacturer does, they do occasionaly have promotions and sales.  Treeline is based in the U.S., so shipping should be quicker and cheaper for those living in the United States.  Here’s a link to their site:  https://treelineusa.com

IN CONCLUSION

That’s it for this blog.  I hope this blog was helpful.  I encourage you to leave a comment and share your experiences with handsets, burners, and pen tips.  The sharing of information is how we as a group learn and improve.  

Please remember that my goal with this blog is not to encourage you to buy a particular brand.  Instead, my goal was to let you know what is available and the distinguishing features of each one.  Hopefully, this information can help you decide which handset might be best for you.  

I do want to reiterate, that all of the brands I blogged about will work just fine.  Picking a handset is more a matter of getting one that has features you find desirable versus finding the “best” handset.  I just don’t think there is such a thing as the “best” handset.  Or even burner, as far as that goes. 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what machine you buy, or own, because every single one of them requires the same thing.  You must use it, and get comfortable with it!  That, my friend, is the only way you are going to improve your pyrography skills.

Brenda

Dec 19, 2023

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