Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen

[ksskss]

But using the converter is annoying because you have to get some of the section into the ink to form a seal so that the converter can then suck up the ink.

 

I agree. Also the converters are ~ $7 each. A Nakaya one might be nice with the Goldfish, but that's a rather odd extravagance to contemplate. And of course, the converters hold considerably less than using the pen as an eyedropper.

 

On the other hand you might argue that they are a bit safer than using it as eyedroppers, although (knock wood) I've never has a gasket failure problem.

 

I did have one leak (I'll do this as a separate post) but this was due to a hairline crack in the plastic barrell.

 

---

Ken

[zquek]

Just to add on quickly to my experience.

 

I used an Aurora Convertor for the Preppy and it worked. It fitted inside the barrel nicely! Why an Aurora convertor? Cause I had one lying around and thought that i try to use it. And since Aurora convertors work. Im sure Parkers convertors work as well. You just gotta push the convertor in a bit with some force as i believe that the convertor is a tiny little too tight for the Preppy. But i think its no big issue!

[rhomp]

does anyone know if any retailers carry these or do you have to oder these online?

[wikeh2004]

Medium nib (0.5) Preppy now available!

 

My friend gave me some fine nib (0.3) Preppys which are great writing pens for the price. I recently ordered some medium nib (0.5) Preppys from jetpens.com. I love the medium nibs, as those are my usual width. Wetter, smoother, and substantially wider than the 0.3 Preppys. Yup, the nib works upside down too. And, they're only $3. What a deal.

 

I've been refilling the cartridges instead of using a converter. With the steel ball inside to break the surface tension, these carts are some of the best performing in the business. Don't throw any away!

 

Cheap enough to give away, but good enough to keep and use as workhorse pens. :-)

 

Walter

[cpsantillan]

Nice little pen,but isn't weird that if you want to use it as a real fountain pen,I mean not disposable,if you want to use the platinum converter,it costs as twice the cost of the pen $10.00...probably I would choose the pilot varsity instead...

[HenryLouis]

Nice little pen,but isn't weird that if you want to use it as a real fountain pen,I mean not disposable,if you want to use the platinum converter,it costs as twice the cost of the pen $10.00...probably I would choose the pilot varsity instead...

 

You can always refill/use the cartridges or just use it as an eyedropper. I've heard the Varsity's break after you refill them too much, since you have to pull out both the nib and feed.

Edited September 4, 2009 by HenryLouis

[Sailor Kenshin]

Medium nib (0.5) Preppy now available!

 

My friend gave me some fine nib (0.3) Preppys which are great writing pens for the price. I recently ordered some medium nib (0.5) Preppys from jetpens.com. I love the medium nibs, as those are my usual width. Wetter, smoother, and substantially wider than the 0.3 Preppys. Yup, the nib works upside down too. And, they're only $3. What a deal.

 

I've been refilling the cartridges instead of using a converter. With the steel ball inside to break the surface tension, these carts are some of the best performing in the business. Don't throw any away!

 

Cheap enough to give away, but good enough to keep and use as workhorse pens. :-)

 

Walter

 

No WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *runs to jetpens site*

 

The Preppy has become one of my faves. Needs a mediums! NAO.

 

[HenryLouis]

What color is your favorite? I am going for the Blue/black... I'll be ordering two so should I get both 0.3 nibs or one 0.3 nib and one 0.5 nib...

[Passion]

What color is your favorite? I am going for the Blue/black... I'll be ordering two so should I get both 0.3 nibs or one 0.3 nib and one 0.5 nib...

I own both the green and the purple and the colors are very light. If you like darker colors, I'd go for the blue-black or the black. Both my pens are .3 nibs and I can assure you that they are both very smooth pens. It just depends on how wet you want your pens. The .3 version is very fine so it doesn't expel very much ink when writing. If you want a weter writer, go with the .3/.5 combo.

[HenryLouis]

What color is your favorite? I am going for the Blue/black... I'll be ordering two so should I get both 0.3 nibs or one 0.3 nib and one 0.5 nib...

I own both the green and the purple and the colors are very light. If you like darker colors, I'd go for the blue-black or the black. Both my pens are .3 nibs and I can assure you that they are both very smooth pens. It just depends on how wet you want your pens. The .3 version is very fine so it doesn't expel very much ink when writing. If you want a weter writer, go with the .3/.5 combo.

 

Thanks Passion.

I'm looking a John Mottishaw's tipping size page, and I see that the nib width of the 0.3mm Preppy is only 0.05mm thinner than a Pilot fine. I'm looking at getting a Pilot custom 823 and I want to see a similar line width on a cheaper pen before I plop my money on a more expensive pen.

 

I think I'll get both, actually. Just to see how they write.

[Passion]

Thanks Passion.

I'm looking a John Mottishaw's tipping size page, and I see that the nib width of the 0.3mm Preppy is only 0.05mm thinner than a Pilot fine. I'm looking at getting a Pilot custom 823 and I want to see a similar line width on a cheaper pen before I plop my money on a more expensive pen.

 

I think I'll get both, actually. Just to see how they write.

Great, make sure to post writing samples, I'm curious to see how the .5 compares to the .3.

[ehebert]

I would also be interested in seeing a writing sample comparing the .3 & .5 Preppys. I have a bunch of .3 Preppys in various colors that I ordered around February 2009. They all put down a nice fine line. When the purple color recently became available, I ordered two .3s. However, they wrote with a noticeably wider line, like my Safari fine. I returned them hoping it was a fluke, but the replacements were the same. [bTW, Jetpens was very helpful.] I haven’t ordered any new Preppys since. Has anyone else noticed this? It’s ironic that their .3 nibs would become wider around the time they began offering .5 nibs.

 

Here’s a writing sample. All of the following nibs were stamped “03”

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_AgN0oo42viI/SqTjrzSWVBI/AAAAAAAAAHg/btgphcEy0tI/s800/purple%20preppys%20%26%20purple%20ink.jpg

[Custer]

You can always refill/use the cartridges or just use it as an eyedropper. I've heard the Varsity's break after you refill them too much, since you have to pull out both the nib and feed.

 

I have refilled mine twice and its still going OK. I even refilled it with Higgins Black Magic the first time before I knew what I was doing and it survived that. Even kept working as long as I didn't stop for more than 30 seconds at a time. It does like Parker Quink a lot better though (these are the two inks I can get at work)

Edited September 9, 2009 by Custer

[ilovepens123]

I purchased a blue one with a medium nib, and an adapter to use international Cartridges, last week from "Engeika" on ebay $6.00 free shipping. (no affiliation) it comes with 1ea platinum cartridge and the adapter which can be used on a standard converter. so you can fill it with "whatever" color. Jetpens is $3.00 + $5.99 shipping. and no adapter. these are the deals I like. Somebody will tell me how bad I got hurt but thats How we learn.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I finally got my 05 to write, but it's likely I'll be donating many of these whenever things get settled. Nice pens. I'll keep one or two.

[HenryLouis]

My 0.3 preppy is crazy dry!

[citystone]

Thanks for the pointer... I tried an un-used Parker convertor on it and it worked! Though it does feel weird that the convertor actually costs tons more than the pen itself...

 

Just to add on quickly to my experience.

 

I used an Aurora Convertor for the Preppy and it worked. It fitted inside the barrel nicely! Why an Aurora convertor? Cause I had one lying around and thought that i try to use it. And since Aurora convertors work. Im sure Parkers convertors work as well. You just gotta push the convertor in a bit with some force as i believe that the convertor is a tiny little too tight for the Preppy. But i think its no big issue!

[Dr.Octor]

THERE'S ADAPTERS FOR CARTRIDGES?!!!!?!!?!!?!!!?

[mr T.]

After the Pilot Petit1 fountain pens, US customers can now buy another disposable fountain pen from Japan, the Preppy fountain pen from Platinum.

 

The Platinum Preppy is made in China and is not from Japan. On the barrel is printed: "Imported by Platinum". It also not a disposable fountain pen.

 

THERE'S ADAPTERS FOR CARTRIDGES?!!!!?!!?!!?!!!?

 

Yes, there is an adapter that lets you use international cartridges with this pen (Platinum Adapter-100).

[Olafsen]

Hello, my Preppy after cleaning and refilling it with an eyedropper looks like the one in the post #13: the ink covers the sides of the "fins" of the feed but nothing more. It writes relatively dry.

After a while (a couple of days is enough) the feed gets full of ink, just as it is in the original photo of post #1 (third pen from the top. Is it normal? I filled the case for 2/3 or more, maybe the initial pressure is too high and then it will get lower while the ink gets used?

Are there risks of blotting? I read that those "fins" are specially made by the Platinum company to avoid blotting: when they get full, no more ink is drawn from the reservoir.

 

Any experience?