Review: Platinum Preppy fountain pen

The Platinum fountain pen is one of the more affordable fountain pens in the market. I bought mine on eBay for less than US $10 including shipping. This is one pen where you won't feel your heart ache when you lose it. I've a friend who bought many of these because she keeps losing them.


The pen is made of mostly plastic so there's this rather cheap feeling you normal get with disposable pens. But the build quality is solid enough.


The pen is available is many different colours.


It's reasonably comfortable to hold in hand.


The cap has a little cap inside which I suppose is to seal the nib.


There's no design on the nib except the logo and nib size, which is a 0.2 here. The transparent see through grip section is nice.


This pen can almost be dismantled completely.


The feed is a two-part feed. I was able to pull out the stick but not the feed which seems stuck inside the grip. By the way, if you know how to get the feed out of the grip section, let me know in the comments section below.


The metal nib can be removed too but I don't think you can do it with fingernails. You need something, a pin, to push nib out.


Note the two holes on the sides.


There's no ink convertor included so you have to buy one yourself. This is the typical Platinum ink convertor that's compatible with Platinum fountain pens. You can find these easily on eBay.


That's how the grip section looks when loaded with ink.


If you dip the fountain pen into an ink bottle to refill, you will want to clean off the front part to make sure there isn't any excess ink just behind the nib because the ink may splatter onto the paper.


The nib is quite smooth on the paper but not as smooth compared to wider nibs of course.


This pen is great for hatching.


You can also turn the nib upside down to get thinner lines. But the nib will be scratchy on paper.

Conclusion

The main selling point of the Platinum Preppy fountain pen is the affordable price and the rather thin line it can produce. For the price, you really can't complain much about the plasticky feel and build quality. This is designed to be functional and it performs well. It's a good pen with EF nib that I can recommend easily to beginners.

Where to buy

You can search for the pen on eBay, or get them through the Amazon affiliate links below:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.de | Amazon.fr | Amazon.es | Amazon.it | Amazon.co.jp

Comments

These write well (if you don't need flex width). But I think the days of cheap plastic implements needs to be behind us. The oceans are now an open sewer filled with disintegrating plastic. God help our sea life. For the sake of future life on earth, it's time for us to all become aware, and invest the effort to find metal & wood alternatives. There are fairly cheap metal fountain pens that will last a life time; just take a little time to investigate. Thank you! :^)

I have a blue Preppy like this to hold blue ink. It's OK for the price but mine cracked in the thread area on the barrel (where it shows the nib size number) while in a pen bag with several other pens (which were fine). It is usable after taping it but would suggest something sturdier even if it is a little more expensive. A Jinhao or Baoer is nearly the same price on eBay. IMHO, even a Pilot Petit seems sturdier.

They are really good pens. They don't leak. They write really well. I've been through more than 30 of these pens and not one had a bad nib. None leaked. They are really great value. I tend to give them away at work whenever someone shows any interest in fountain pens.

Have had several write well but barrel always cracks just not strong enough
and then they risk ink leaking if you have in a pocket or bag

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