Optima Dual Wood Burner Kit Review | Wood Burning Pen

Let’s talk about the Optima Dual Pen. From the unique ordering process to the polished tips, there is something interesting to discuss. I have reviewed several wood burning kits on the market, and while this one isn’t super extraordinary, I think any wood burning artist would be happy to have this one as their go to burner.
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[@shirleymalar304]

You can order extra foam sleeves and stack as many as you need along the pen to protect your hand from the heat when you are burning very hot.

[@iwannaapple7190]

I just got mine the other day. Im not an experienced pyrographer (don't even know how to spell it!) but I needed a burner to make custom soap cutters. I ordered because I noticed the pens were made differently. Looked like a little better quality. When it came in I practiced with it and indeed it did flow like ice across the wood. was very smooth and even. I would have to say though that the main perk of the machine would be simplicity itself and the fact the tips are quite good not to mention the lifetime warranty. Not many company's do that anymore. Too expensive to fulfill but apparently the company that makes this must have 100% faith that the burner and pens will last. I will have to brush up on my politics before I order another pen though. Very personal company. I like it. All companies should be like this.

[@scottnei1377]

I tried one of the cheap Walmart burners and almost instantly began a search for something better. I came across the optima and on a whim, called "the company". It was a very educational conversation. The owner Pat was on the phone with me for 2 hours discussing different processes the different companies use for the machine and the pens. He went into detail about his tips and how he manufacturers them. It makes sense why his perform so we'll. To say the least, it was a very interesting conversation as he is a thinker and a talker. I'm so happy you did this review. The info you gave about the pen being prone to warming was good info. Thank you.

[@Pyrocrafters]

So glad it was helpful Scott!!

[@eileencollins3126]

I order all my tips from him with the extra foam pads. You can order them separately, but if you get them when you order the tips, he puts them on, eliminating the heat on the hand issue. I, too, like the quality, and the smoothness of the flow when using these tips. He can also make a cord to fit whatever burner you have. I have a Burnmaster that was my dad's, and needed a different box connection. I think your review covered the product well. Thanks!

[@Pyrocrafters]

Thanks Eileen! And thanks for the tip about the foam covers, I'll look into that.

[@sheilamorris1597]

Thank you !

[@Kungfoopoo]

Great review, your channel has motivated me to put up my own wood burning projects, will be putting it up in next couple of days 👍

[@Pyrocrafters]

Go for it!

[@TARAJOSU]

Thank you for the review!!

[@Pyrocrafters]

Glad it was helpful!

[@sandymcgregor7429]

Were did u buy this from

[@SewWhittle]

I just NOW (literally) ordered this burner BEFORE finding this video. I hope I’m not sorry. Note: I ordered mine from Mountain Woodcarvers.

[@Pyrocrafters]

I think you’ll be really happy with it. I’ve enjoyed mine and I know a lot of a artists that rave over theirs.

[@FreeAsABird222]

I read that this burner was in your top 3. May I ask what burners fill the other 2 spots?

[@Pyrocrafters]

Truart and Razertip; great brands

[@PyrographyMadeEasy]

I will be very interested to see what you think of this burner after you've done a project or two. I haven't tried anything but the Colwood, but there are a couple of artist who swear the optima is the absolute best burner there is. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if they have any biases. Have a wonderful week!

[@Pyrocrafters]

Hey Brenda! I've used it for several projects and I think it's a good quality burner, but not anymore so than my Colwood. I do like the wands/tips better and they do fit on the Colwood. I recommend getting a couple of wands and trying them on your Colwood. I think you'll like them. But as far as the machine itself goes, it's very similar quality to the Colwood (from my perspective). I was in the same boat as you. So many other artists had recommended this machine to me, so my expectation level was too high I think. And it's a fine product, just not any more amazing than any of the others I've tried. Although as I write this I wonder, what more could a wood burning kit offer to make it better than others? The more I do these product videos, the more I'm seeing groups forming, kind of like Apple vs Android. People get really passionate about the equipment they use. And I get it, because I'm that way about my Colwood. It's the burner I learned to use first, so I have a deeper comfort level with it. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. Let me know if you try out the Optima wands. I would love to hear your thoughts!

[@PyrographyMadeEasy]

Thank you for taking the time to reply. That's good to know and what I was guessing it would be. Yes, some people do get very opinionated about burners. Like you and other artists have proven, you don't need a fancy machine to produce great art. The fancy machines just make it some things more convenient. I have considered trying some of their wands, just haven't gotten of my lazy rump and ordered them they. Thank you again for the info. Have an awesome week!

[@davidgirk4287]

Ate you still digging this Optima after this review??? Have zny issues? Thanks ..

[@Pyrocrafters]

Hey David! I am still digging it. It’s in my top 3 favs. Not one issue; it’s a great burner. Thanks!

[@dougjarmusz4816]

If you only ordered 2 tips for flatwork, which 2 are the most versatile, and which 2 would you order?

[@Pyrocrafters]

I use shader tips for all my flat burns. Spoon shaders or flat shaders. The spoon shaders are a bit easier to maneuver because they are curved, so they glide across the surface a bit easier. The edges on the flat ones can some catch in the grains.

[@LilaFlowerchild]

This video definitely helped me make up my choice for sure! Do the pen holders come with the machine or did you have to purchase them separately?

[@Pyrocrafters]

Hey Lila!! The optima pen holders come with the machine. They have adhesive stickers on the bottom; you peel and stick.

[@makeshiamullins4144]

Is a phone call necessary to place the order? I’m very introverted and being forced into a phone call would be a deal breaker for ordering from their site.

[@Pyrocrafters]

It was when I purchased it. But you can order it from this supplier: mountainwoodcarvers.com/collections/optima-woodburners/products/optima-1-dual-port-woodburning-kit It seems much more straightforward.

[@theresaluchsinger4488]

Nice review! I'm not sure why you you have such heat in the pen, I have optima and have never had that issue myself? I loved your review, enjoy your optima!

[@Pyrocrafters]

Thanks Theresa!

[@msbuttercup2073]

How long have you had yours?

[@Isengisengtv]

Where can I buy this pen? So hard to get this in Indonesia

[@Pyrocrafters]

Hey there! I’m not sure if they ship to Indonesia, but I got mine from carvertools.com.

[@user-rx8bn6xr7k]

Hello! Can you tell please what is this the rubber nozzles on your wood burner? Whare is I can buy it? Thank you!

[@Pyrocrafters]

Hey there! The rubber nozzles come with the burner, but you can order more from their site. The link is in the description.

[@user-rx8bn6xr7k]

@@Pyrocrafters thank you so much!

[@BobSmith-br8om]

No mention of the Ultra flexible cords? They're about a foot longer than razortip's or Burn Master's cords (which is just too short), and they're also way more flexible. At 6:40 you confuse/conflate "heat retention" (normal heat transfer effects of different tips, depending on their design) with "intermittent heating" (which is what you see on ALL replaceable tipped systems). "Heat retention" depends mostly on the tip design. A tip like the shader you used has less metal than that writing tip, and it is also thinner & spread out over a lot more surface area. So its volume to surface area ratio is a lot different, and it typically has a lot more surface area contacting the wood than a writing tip would (the power is spread out), therefore it's "heat retention" is going to be a lot less than a tip with the same/more volume, but a lot less surface area (the power is concentrated) contacting the wood like a writing tip. "Intermittent heating", which is what you actually described @ 7:20 to about 7:31, is when your tip gets cold, and then hot again, while still contacting the wood at a constant velocity (i.e. when drawing a line), which is ALWAYS caused by a loose electrical connection somewhere. You didn't see that on the Optima, because the tips are brazed into each pen. The best way to check for "intermittent heating" is to use something like a writing tip or the edge of a skew at a LOWER power setting, and see if it maintains fairly consistent heat whilst drawing a line (or gets cold) in multiple directions (back & forth). Doing this test at a high power setting is kind of cheating, as a replaceable tipped system will always work better at higher settings, because the higher voltage can get past corrosion/loose connection easier.

[@Pyrocrafters]

I didn't really notice a huge difference in the cord flexibility or length, but I'm glad you added it to the conversation. Another viewer may find that useful. Thanks for watching!

[@RickyD1968]

I do not like the idea the nibs can not be replaced with other nibs so you have to buy extra pens with the nib you like to costly !!!

[@Pyrocrafters]

It is pretty costly, but these are some of the best tips I’ve used so far.

[@FisherCatProductions]

It only cost $7.00 to have Optima pens re-nibbed, and their quality will outlast separate nibs. Pens also have no "connection joint" to loosen/tighten as the nib heats and cools, so they don't suffer from intermittent heating. Nib joints themselves create resistance heat which will accumulate near your fingers--pens run cooler. Plus you can change pens while hot--no waiting or burned fingers. You may find it better to have 6 great pens than 20 sub-standard nibs you will never use.

[@EnlightenedFlamingo]

I was interested until you got to the ordering process. NOPE. It's 2022. There's no reason I should have to actually talk to a person on the phone for something like this & I'm damn sure not putting in my credit card info when I don't even know how much I'm paying for everything! I'm sorry, that's just unacceptable in my book. There are plenty of other burners out there I can purchase. That's just insane to me, we're way passed the 90s... I appreciate you letting us know, Aney!

[@FisherCatProductions]

You have obviously not been long in this world as you have no appreciation for bygone customer service. In your haste to initiate non-communication elsewhere, you miss significant information! Even a scant search reveals a dozen sites that sell this system vis-a-vis a "computer interface" if that's your desire. There, however, you won't learn that the "person" you would reach at PJL--Patrick-- is PERSONALLY invested in every product he sells.That he will take the time to point out the unique decision-making facts that were (regrettably!) left out of this video. Like he backs his excellent products with a LIFETIME WARRANTY! (The only burner I know of!) Like he will personally fix anything that goes amiss. I will tolerate his personal attention and buy directly from him so he gets every penny he deserves.