Hi,

I think you are taking the term stencil literally rather than metaphorically, which is the usage in "stencil kit".

Stencils are literally the thin sheets of cardboard, metal etc that have patterns cut into them that can be used to reproduce the same illustration, letter, image, whatever repeatedly.

Stencil kits were produced repeatedly by Japanese drum companies--indiscernible kits from one to a nother, except for their badges. Hence somebody somewhere came up with the evocative phrase "stencil kits", which had nothing to do with pattern or design, just how the kits were spit out the production line and subsequently branded. I wonder who came up with it.

It's an interesting bit of etymology unique to the drummy word that probably won't make any dictionary.

Patrick

Thanks to all, I will go to MIJ/Non USA section and look at jonnistix past posts.

GGD