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Platinum Sheepskin


de_pen_dent

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A month ago, I had ordered some pens from Engeika's local subsidiary and then promptly left for vacation. I got back after a few very enjoyable weeks and the post-holiday blues were on hold, as I had a bunch of new toys to play with. One of them was this pen, the Platinum Sheepskin.

 

Given how useful the reviews on FPN have been, I thought I'd start repaying the collective. I choose to start with this pen, as I havent come across a lot of info on it online. I apologize in advance about any lack of detail or mistakes in my reviewing format - this is my first review.

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 8/10

 

The pen itself came in a typical dark blue Platinum blue box.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img833/8522/pilotss5.jpg

 

Inside was the pen, sitting happily as it awaited use, along with an ink cartridge & some papers, which, true to the Code of Men, I refused to read. If my pen explodes, I'll know I made a mistake in judgement in here.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img32/593/pilotss6.jpg

 

Overall, the initial impression was one of quiet efficiency, a pen that would get out there and do its job - write well, write lots and write without any drama.

 

 

APPEARANCE AND DESIGN: 8/10

 

The pen itself is a long, slim thing in medium tan sheepskin, with gold (plated) cap, band and end. The words "Platinum Japan" are written on the band in extremely fine print.

 

I generally prefer chrome finish to gold (with the exception of some black pens), but for the most part, the pen looks smart without looking ostentatious or bling. In fact, when I first looked at it, it looked somewhat plain and I remember being a little underwhelmed by it. However, once I held it in my hands, it felt like a solid, well-built tool, as opposed to jewellery.

 

The more I use the pen, the more it is growing on me. It manages to look somewhat under-stated (unlike, say, the in-your-face pens from Montegrappa or Aurora), and yet at the some time stands out, due to its unusual texture and colors. The leather is, despite its bright color, somewhat understated (not sure if that comes across in the photos or not). The trim/furniture manages to look tidy and neat, without inspiring oohs and aahs. When you compare it to other, comparable pens (eg, a Sailor 1911), the furniture seems a little subdued, but on close inspection, you can see that it is not poorly-made by any means.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img593/7985/pilotss1.jpg

 

The cap clicks on/off. It locks in a fairly secure way, and I have no fear that the cap is going to come off; however, the mechanism is not uber-smooth. Part of the locking grip comes from resistance on the inside of the cap, as you have to force the section into it with a little more force than you'd expect. This is probably part of the design, but feels as though something is wrong with the dimensions of the cap. Once everything is snugged on, there is no play anywhere (Visconti, are you reading this? Your clips could use work!).

 

You can use the pen posted or unposted (well, I can, anyway) - the cap posts and locks on via friction and does so quite securely. And it feels fairly well balanced both ways - unlike some pens with very heavy caps, this one is well behaved with the cap on and doesnt feel top-heavy.

 

Overall, the pen feels nicely solid in the hand - not too heavy, not too light, and definitely not cheap or plasticky. However, it isnt going to wow anyone with the quality of its finish. There are other pens in its price range that are better built in terms of finishing quality, but obviously, made of a more mainstream material. For what I paid for it, the finishing quality is acceptable.

 

WEIGHT AND DIMENSIONS: No Score

 

[My apologies but I do not have physical measurements on me right now - I will post an update when I do]

 

Size-wise, it is long enough to hold unposted, but posts fairly securely, with the leather providing a very confidence-inspiring grip. Overall, I'd have preferred a slightly thicker pen. I wear a L glove, and have long, somewhat slender fingers: while I can hold and write well enough, I get a little more fatigue than I would have with a thicker pen.

 

Below, I compare it with a few other pens (from L to R, a Lamy 2000, a Visconti Van Gogh, a Sailor 1911M, a TWSBI 540ROC and the Platinum Sheepskin). As you can see, it is the thinnest of the pens, about the same length and size

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img837/4811/pilotss3.jpg

 

It is reasonably heavy for its weight (the term heavy being used relatively!), presumably due to metal underneath the leather. The cap and the body are well balanced, weight wise, which is what gives this pen its well-behaved ergonomics, regardless of whether you use it posted or not.

 

Whoever designed this pen paid attention to usage.

 

I am not giving it a score for weight/dimensions, because it is a subjective matter. I found the pen a little thinner than ideal for me, but that was made up by the well-thought out weight.

 

 

NIB & PERFORMANCE: 9/10

 

The pen sports a smallish 14k gold nib - plain and unadorned, except for the "P" logo, the gold rating of the nib and the size (in Japanese).

 

It is, in keeping with the rest of the pen, a workman-like nail which puts out a decently-wet line for a F nib, and writes smoothly with a reasonable amount of paper feedback. The feedback is consistent and the nib feels smooth along the paper despite that - think skating on freshly-zambonied ice. I happen to like a little bit of feedback and so for me, this nib works very well.

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img571/6607/pilotss2.jpg

 

True to form, the F Japanese nib is very fine indeed. This is about the limit of what I can use comfortably, but again, that's my preference and I knew what I was getting when I ordered the pen.

 

In summary, this is a writer's nib. Not really suited for calligraphy or flowery scripts, but great for writing page after page after page.

 

 

FILLING SYSTEM: 9/10

 

I like converters. They contain the right amount of ink (for me) & they are easy to replace in case something goes wrong (useful for someone like me, who lives/works on a small island about 1000km away from any kind of civilization, let alone a nibmeister).

 

The converter on this pen is one of the nicest, most solid-looking jobbies I have encountered. Very little play in the plunger, screws on securely with minimal wiggle and once on, stays there (unlike the converter on my Parsons Italix, which got knocked loose and made a mess inside the pen).

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img835/7332/pilotss4.jpg

 

 

COST & VALUE: 8/10

 

I paid about $140 for this pen. In this price range, you can get some really nice writers (Sailor 1911M, Platinum 3776, etc) as well as some very unique designs (Conklin Crescent Mark Twain, Lamy 2000).

 

As far as writing ability goes, this is as good as any of my other benchmark-standard F-nibbed writers. The Sailors are slightly smarter looking pens overall, in terms of fit and finish - the gold furniture on those pens looks a little more elegant than on the Platinum (although the Platinum, taken by itself, doesn't look bad either).

 

It is obvious that the use of sheepskin as a cladding on the pen has lead to some compromises in other areas. These compromises only become obvious when compared to other comparably-priced pens: this pens looks a little more utilitarian, compared to other pens in this price range. However, that is neither unusual nor unexpected: for a given price, if you get more in one area, you are going to give up somewhere else. Thankfully, the Platinum does NOT make compromises where it matters - in writing quality - and the compromises it HAS made are ones that I can live with (ie, it doesnt look shabby or low-quality).

 

There are plenty of regular acrylic pens around, with nice, shiny lacquer finishes. This one is a little unusual, as far as looks go, and that is what made me get it. Overall, I am very happy with this purchase and this pen is in my regular rotation that I use for work.

 

I am happy to answer any questions people may have about this, as well as get feedback on how to make my reviews better.

 

Cheers.

Edited by de_pen_dent

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

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I've had one of these for years -- in the burgundy -- but haven't had it out for a very long time. And the converter is, as you say, very good, which is a good thing, as I've discovered that Platinum cartridges can completely dry out over not too long a time.

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Burgundy, eh? Would you mind posting photos, please? I'd love to see variants of this pen. How does your pen write?

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

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<snip> I'd love to see variants of this pen. <snip>

 

Very nice review! Glad to see these pens talked about. They are great.

Here's my black version from the 1970's (next to a Sailor Magellan and a Pilot pen):

 

http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/pps.jpg

 

The 14K nib is "F" yet writes more "M." Otherwise very smooth nib and well-constructed pen.

In the earlier versions these pens also can be found with18K nibs. I still think Platinum pens

are very good deals for gold nibs. I paid $80 for mine which was used but well-cared for.

 

 

 

Nice review, thanks. I didn't know that Platinum converters screwed into the section.

 

They don't actually. Perhaps the OP didn't mean literally? happyberet.gif

Edited by jde

...writing only requires focus, and something to write on. —John August

...and a pen that's comfortable in the hand.—moi

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I have a confession to make - I just kinda gave the converter a little tug, and it was fitting so snugly/securely that I just assumed it was screwed on. Once the pen was inked, I didnt feel like pulling it on/off and inking up my hands, and in any case, nothing in the inking process made me re-visit that assumption: so I just went with it.

 

Mea culpa!

 

jde - I do like that black version as well. Is the finish as glossy as it appears on the photo, or more matte? I assume these pens are mainly for the Japanese market, as I've seen them on the Platinum website but not anywhere else.

Edited by de_pen_dent

True bliss: knowing that the guy next to you is suffering more than you are.

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jde - I do like that black version as well. Is the finish as glossy as it appears on the photo, or more matte? I assume these pens are mainly for the Japanese market, as I've seen them on the Platinum website but not anywhere else.

 

The shine is a result of my poor photography! It's more quiet in person, probably like yours. I too assume the same about the market for these pens. In the catalog photo from the 70's catalog I've attached below, only 2 colors were available. Today there are 4.

 

Today's catalog: http://www.platinum-...tain_sheep.html

 

 

http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/Platinum%20Pen%20Catalog%20Circa%201970s/cat08.jpg

...writing only requires focus, and something to write on. —John August

...and a pen that's comfortable in the hand.—moi

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