Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen

I finally picked up a Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen some time back, but haven't used it much. I tend to admire the deep metallic blue color and wide barrel, then reach for another pen to use. I like Platinum fountain pens, and have several that run along the price range spectrum from modest to high end. Reviews have been pretty good, so it's time I gave this my attention.

As noted, it's a big pen with a lot of presence. It's nicely weighted, not too heavy but substantial enough. The barrel, cap, nib, and enamel on the clip are all color coordinated, so if you're not fond of the color you've got a lot of it to not be fond of--the blue is quite lovely, but the red has been likened to a giant lipstick. The coating is shiny metallic and scratch-resistant, so I have no worries about putting it in my bag next to my wallet and keys.

As for writing, I purchased the o.3mm fine nib; the number is stamped on the nib as well as the Platinum "P" logo, which I love. Comes with cartridges, but no converter. The section is clear plastic, and not entirely sealed. When I was cleaning out some ink from the first usage to see how well it did, water and ink got into the threads inside the section and obliterated any view of the inside area. A minor detail, but one of those "tsk" moments where you wish you could go back 30 seconds or so and undo your action.

Perhaps the most important talking point, the cap is specially designed so the ink doesn't dry out or evaporate and clog the nib. I'm tempted to wait a year to test the claim, but I think I'll just keep using it and see how well it writes. So far, I do like this pen and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good starter.

Platinum Riviere Fountain Pen

One of the September Lost Crates items was this Riviere Fountain Pen by Platinum. It's an interesting pen with lots of pluses and one minus.

On the plus side, it's a thing, stylish design. The plastic body and cap are sturdy, but it's a thinner design that I like. The clip is solid looks like it was modeled on the higher-end Reglus with it's stone age point design.



Another plus is the nib, which is small and a bit on the squat side. This reminds me of my Parker Latitude nib which I love using. The Platinum "P" logo is on the nib, along with an "M" indicating a Japanese medium point. Not too wide, I like Japanese mediums more than their Western counterparts.



Overall, it's a great looking pen. But there is one big minus: the ink pours out of the feed, all over the nib and paper, into the cap, and eventually makes its way onto your fingers and clothes. I don't know if this is because of the cartridge ink, or a flaw in the feed.

As far as purchasing, your best bet outside Japan is on eBay. I don't recall seeing them at Kinokuniya, but they might be there hiding behind other pens. But that's the beauty of inexpensive fountain pens, when you are looking for one type another makes itself know to you.

Platinum Mix Free Ink Review

Margana, the proprietor of An Inkophile's Blog, has posted a great review of the new Platinum Mix Free Inks. These are definitely of interest to me, and the pictures are magnificent. Definitely take a look.

Platinum European Ingrid Bergman Affection FP

If you've shopped around on eBay for pens then you've probably run across engeika, who carries a mouth-watering inventory of exquisite pens. Quite a few aren't available in the US, and he offers many with starting bids of $0.99. However, winning takes perseverance as everyone wants a high-end pen for half price. So bidding is fierce, and I've had a few disappointments.

One pen I saw that intrigued me was this red Platinum European Ingrid Bergman Affection fountain pen with a fine nib. Engeika's listing states it is similar to the Montblanc limited edition Ingrid Bergman pen, which is nice design but not of interest to me. So I was hesitant to bid, but decided to go for it--and I won!

Engeika charges $13 shipping, and there's a good reason: all items are sent air mail from Japan. I won this pen on June 10 around 7:30 pm, and sent payment right away. The pen was shipped on June 12, and I received an email from engeika with a tracking number. The pen mades its way around Tokyo on the 13th, arrived at JFK airport on the 14th, went through sorting, and was delivered to me on June 15th in the afternoon mail. The Air Mail and tracking fee wa definitely worth it.

If you've looked for Iroshizuku ink on eBay then you've probably seen engeika's sales items. With the price increase (pat myself on the back here for a post in December on how this might work out, l0l), and the ink now available at other venues besides JetPens.com, engeika's eBay store looks like a good place to bid on this ink. Even with the shipping, you might end up with a cheaper bottle. And as this is coming from Japan, there might also be some special edition colors available. Keep checking!

After all that, how does this Platinum pen actually write? First, the Platinum Affection comes with a converter and two ink cartridges (long and short). I decided to ink up with my Platinum Reserve Black Magic Blue and try it out. The pen fits nicely in my hand, there is just a touch of ink creep on the nib, and the nib did start off feeling scratchy. But as I've used it, the ink creep is gone, the nib is quiet and pliant, and the pen still feels great in my hand.

I love the color, which is red with some orange in it. It's a slim pen, not a cigar at all but elegant and delicate. The nipped waist gives is a slightly hourglass look, Ingrid Bergman wearing the the 1947 New Look fashion. The nib is what got me, however: it's a plain steel nib with no decoration, and I love it for its simplicity and sleekness. So in terms of looks it's an A+, and in terms of writing I'd give it a solid A. A very nice auction win for all of $25.53, and I'm very happy with it.

Engeika offers many middle- and up-scale pens, all of excellent quality, for auction. Quite a few are not available in the US market (I've had my eye on that Pilot Grance in Yamabouki for ages, but didn't win this last time). I've read some complaints over at the Fountain Pen Network, but on the whole people there seem to have a high regard for this sell. Do go check out this store on eBay, you might just find--and win--a great pen.

UPDATE: engeika seems to be a Rhodia notepad fan as well.