Jump to content

Platinum Plaisir - Cleaning Tips?


Esterfella

Recommended Posts

I recently acquired a new, Platinum Plaisir, as a "value pen." It's a nice "cheap" pen, with a colored nib that matches the barrell color. The grip section is clear, revealing the nib housing underneath it. For my first fill, I inserted the proper Platinum converter and then dipped the pen into a bottle of Visconti blue, nib first, and filled the pen. It works, but in doing so, I noticed that some of the ink creeped between the nib housing and the clear grip section, thus ruining the clear effect. I realize this result should not be shocking, and it is only a $13.00 pen, but I am wondering if anyone has had any experience separating the nib and grip housings on this pen, so as to facilitate a proper cleaning; any recommended cleaning tips would be appreciated. I don't know that conventional cleaning of nib, by repeatedly inhaling and exhaling water through it, will actually clean the area of the pen that I am referring to.

 

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 14
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Esterfella

    3

  • liverman

    2

  • inkstainedruth

    2

  • rdh

    1

Mine did this also. I took the converter out and ran water thru it the way you describe. I pushed the nib in a little firmer and it sealed better. I filled the converter by itself and reinserted the filld converter in the pen and had less (but not zero) ink go back in the same place.

 

Likely a cheap pen effect becasue my Bic FPs do this and does the Platinum Preppy (all 3 of these write really well in my opinion)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The photo below shows a Plaisir on top and a Preppy below. The Plaisir is uninked and the Preppy is inked. Both have exactly the same nib, section, feed and accumulator mechanism. You might say the Plaisir is a Preppy with an aluminum skin.

 

Do you see ink in area "B" (like my Preppy) or in area "A"? Ink in Area B is normal. Ink in Area "A" probably means the nib and ink channel tube are not properly seated or you've had a pressure event that has overwhelmed the feed and leaked ink through the forward vent hole

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447107/original.jpg

 

In the uninked Plaisir section, above, you can clearly see the grey feed. Note the fins. These are equivalent to and serve the same purpose as the fins on the black feeds we are used to in other pens:

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447688/original.jpg

On the usual black feeds, most of the fins are hidden inside the black nib assembly housing. If that housing were clear, we would see a lot of ink accumulating on the fins at the cartridge end of the feed. We try to keep our fingers from touching the exposed fins, too, because they are inky.

 

This is by design. The fins hold ink by capillary force - providing a ready accumulation to feed the nib when needed for writing. And to buffer against changes in inkflow out of the reservoir (cartridge, converter, piston, sac, etc.) due to pen angle or air pressure changes due to temperature changes or elevation changes.

 

The plastic tube attached to the nib on the Preppy/Plaisir serves to deliver the ink to the nib and is separate from the feed. In the design we are more familiar with (top), the ink channel is integrated with the feed.

 

Also, seeing the two side by side really illustrates what a big honkin' feed the Preppy/Plaisir has compared to the usual feed. The feed above is a #6 (6 mm in diameter) that is typically found on pens with nibs that extend beyond the pen by 23 mm (almost an inch). The Preppy/Plaisir feed has got to be at least 8 mm. That's Danitrio Densho territory! Evenb though the regular feed is 1.5 times as long as the Preppy/Plaisir feed, the Preppy/Plaisir feed still has a larger volume (14% more).

 

Greg

Edited by liverman

The more I know about computers, the more I like my pens.

 

Colorado Pen Show

5-7 October 2018

Denver, Colorado

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am wondering if anyone has had any experience separating the nib and grip housings on this pen, so as to facilitate a proper cleaning; any recommended cleaning tips would be appreciated. I don't know that conventional cleaning of nib, by repeatedly inhaling and exhaling water through it, will actually clean the area of the pen that I am referring to.

 

What I do:

  1. take the section off the pen, take the converter or cartridge off the section.
  2. Take the nib and feed tube out of the feed (pulls straight out the front, use a paper towel to keep from getting too inky).
  3. Hold the section under running cool to lukewarm (not hot) water. The flow of the water through the section will typically rinse all the ink out. You can leave it in a glass of water that has a little ammonia in it for a few hours to soak if needed.
  4. Hold nib under running water to wash ink off. Soak with the section if needed.
  5. Clean the converter first separately (in/out, in/out, repeat, repeat). Soak with section if needed.
  6. Assemble nib, section and converter, pull/push water through the assembly a couple of times. Should be all clear.
  7. I then take it all apart again and shake the water out of the section by holding it and snapping my wrist. This also gets water out of the onverster very nicely. If you are not re-inking immediately, leave dissassembled overnight or until all the parts are dry. Re-assemble and store.

Greg

The more I know about computers, the more I like my pens.

 

Colorado Pen Show

5-7 October 2018

Denver, Colorado

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The photo below shows a Plaisir on top and a Preppy below. The Plaisir is uninked and the Preppy is inked. Both have exactly the same nib, section, feed and accumulator mechanism. You might say the Plaisir is a Preppy with an aluminum skin.

 

Do you see ink in area "B" (like my Preppy) or in area "A"? Ink in Area B is normal. Ink in Area "A" probably means the nib and ink channel tube are not properly seated or you've had a pressure event that has overwhelmed the feed and leaked ink through the forward vent hole

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447107/original.jpg

 

In the uninked Plaisir section, above, you can clearly see the grey feed. Note the fins. These are equivalent to and serve the same purpose as the fins on the black feeds we are used to in other pens:

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447688/original.jpg

On the usual black feeds, most of the fins are hidden inside the black nib assembly housing. If that housing were clear, we would see a lot of ink accumulating on the fins at the cartridge end of the feed. We try to keep our fingers from touching the exposed fins, too, because they are inky.

 

This is by design. The fins hold ink by capillary force - providing a ready accumulation to feed the nib when needed for writing. And to buffer against changes in inkflow out of the reservoir (cartridge, converter, piston, sac, etc.) due to pen angle or air pressure changes due to temperature changes or elevation changes.

 

The plastic tube attached to the nib on the Preppy/Plaisir serves to deliver the ink to the nib and is separate from the feed. In the design we are more familiar with (top), the ink channel is integrated with the feed.

 

Also, seeing the two side by side really illustrates what a big honkin' feed the Preppy/Plaisir has compared to the usual feed. The feed above is a #6 (6 mm in diameter) that is typically found on pens with nibs that extend beyond the pen by 23 mm (almost an inch). The Preppy/Plaisir feed has got to be at least 8 mm. That's Danitrio Densho territory! Evenb though the regular feed is 1.5 times as long as the Preppy/Plaisir feed, the Preppy/Plaisir feed still has a larger volume (14% more).

 

Greg

 

 

Really useful diagram and explanation--thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would also add that the ink used could be important. Inks that use a lot of surfactants (detergents), will diffuse further into the feed. Although Visconti ink probably does not use a lot of surfactants, you might try one of the Waterman or Quink inks and compare their behavior to what you are seeing with the Visconti. At any rate, as Greg (liverman) so nicely illustrated, all inks are going to diffuse into the feed. It is how a fountain pen works. If you have a section that is a demonstrator, you will see it.

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Do you see ink in area "B" (like my Preppy) or in area "A"? Ink in Area B is normal.

This is fabulous, thanks. I just bought half a dozen Preppys in a mix of colours, and wondered why there was ink in the Area B as in your photograph. Now I know it needs to be there!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Greg: Thanks for your in-depth reply. Upon examination, I am pleased to report that my "issue" is akin to your Area B shot. So, I am relieved that this is normal. Your diagrams were really informative.

 

Thanks to everyone else's posts, too, all very useful. Glad that my Platinum is operating normally.

 

For a cheap pen, this pen is growing on me, and is a good knock around pen. I can feel the paper with the nib, but while I detest toothiness, with the Platinum this sensation is not at all "scratchy", per se, but rather engaged with the paper.

 

Thanks to all for their kind replies.

 

 

The photo below shows a Plaisir on top and a Preppy below. The Plaisir is uninked and the Preppy is inked. Both have exactly the same nib, section, feed and accumulator mechanism. You might say the Plaisir is a Preppy with an aluminum skin.

 

Do you see ink in area "B" (like my Preppy) or in area "A"? Ink in Area B is normal. Ink in Area "A" probably means the nib and ink channel tube are not properly seated or you've had a pressure event that has overwhelmed the feed and leaked ink through the forward vent hole

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447107/original.jpg

 

In the uninked Plaisir section, above, you can clearly see the grey feed. Note the fins. These are equivalent to and serve the same purpose as the fins on the black feeds we are used to in other pens:

http://www.pbase.com/liverman/image/141447688/original.jpg

On the usual black feeds, most of the fins are hidden inside the black nib assembly housing. If that housing were clear, we would see a lot of ink accumulating on the fins at the cartridge end of the feed. We try to keep our fingers from touching the exposed fins, too, because they are inky.

 

This is by design. The fins hold ink by capillary force - providing a ready accumulation to feed the nib when needed for writing. And to buffer against changes in inkflow out of the reservoir (cartridge, converter, piston, sac, etc.) due to pen angle or air pressure changes due to temperature changes or elevation changes.

 

The plastic tube attached to the nib on the Preppy/Plaisir serves to deliver the ink to the nib and is separate from the feed. In the design we are more familiar with (top), the ink channel is integrated with the feed.

 

Also, seeing the two side by side really illustrates what a big honkin' feed the Preppy/Plaisir has compared to the usual feed. The feed above is a #6 (6 mm in diameter) that is typically found on pens with nibs that extend beyond the pen by 23 mm (almost an inch). The Preppy/Plaisir feed has got to be at least 8 mm. That's Danitrio Densho territory! Evenb though the regular feed is 1.5 times as long as the Preppy/Plaisir feed, the Preppy/Plaisir feed still has a larger volume (14% more).

 

Greg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the information -- it's very timely since i was considering ordering a Plasir in the next week.

A lot of the threads I've been reading this morning seem to be hitting the synchronicity button for me, and this was one of them.

Or is it that I've just been paying more attention to threads that would be useful when I scan for new content? :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1333294113[/url]' post='2299559']

Thanks for the information -- it's very timely since i was considering ordering a Plasir in the next week.

A lot of the threads I've been reading this morning seem to be hitting the synchronicity button for me, and this was one of them.

Or is it that I've just been paying more attention to threads that would be useful when I scan for new content? :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Ruth: good luck with your new pen purchase. It looks particularly nice in blue or red. I own the blue, and my friend owns the red. I'd be curious as to your ultimate pick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1333294113[/url]' post='2299559']

Thanks for the information -- it's very timely since i was considering ordering a Plasir in the next week.

A lot of the threads I've been reading this morning seem to be hitting the synchronicity button for me, and this was one of them.

Or is it that I've just been paying more attention to threads that would be useful when I scan for new content? :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Ruth: good luck with your new pen purchase. It looks particularly nice in blue or red. I own the blue, and my friend owns the red. I'd be curious as to your ultimate pick.

 

Thought about the blue, but I wound up ordering it in violet. I may totally hate the barrel and cap color (it might turn out to be too light a color for my tastes), but the violet nib amused the heck out of me; the other pens on order are a Noodler's flex piston (King Phillip Purple demonstrator) -- and the clear body Guanleming (if I like the way it behaves well enough, I may go back and order the "Accountant" pen later on, because I like the look of it).

At some point I suspect that I will really need *something* red, but I'll wait and see how I do with these pens first (the two Parkers are, respectively, blue and matte black).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it behaves like my Platinum Preppy, which I believe has the same section, the ink will eventually work into the feed fins and have a fairly uniform dispersion of ink separated at each fin (similar to the middle fins in liverman's Preppy photo.)

Assume no affiliation to recommendations.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc453/NoodlersCreaper/sig0001.jpg

Alternative Noodler's Ahab Nibs

 

"Free" Custom Fountain Pen Cases

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 years later...

Necromancing the thread:

According to the diagram there, mine goes up to between A and B, as in the ring between the two is also stained with ink.

 

This is the only thing I don't like in the pen, honestly. I wish the section wasn't clear. Would make for a much better visual effect.

If you use the cartridge, however, as I did before using the converter, it goes in the fins in the feed only, apart from the closer section, with looks much, much nicer. I might try that, in fact - filling the converter separate from the nib unit and then putting it on the pen.

Edited by BergerDM
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the information -- it's very timely since i was considering ordering a Plasir in the next week.

A lot of the threads I've been reading this morning seem to be hitting the synchronicity button for me, and this was one of them.

Or is it that I've just been paying more attention to threads that would be useful when I scan for new content? :rolleyes:

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Oh this is a great mystery, Ruth. The great physician Sir William Osler, actually published a paper documenting his experience with seeing one case of a rare disease and then seeing two more cases in the next month or two -this concerning diseases a physician might never see in a lifetime in a busy practice. He had repeatedly experienced this phenomenon, and could neither deny nor explain it as a scientist.

 

Most of us have experienced this with an unusual word or phrase. Undoubtedly in those instances, sometimes it might simply mean we have had our brains "attuned" to see the word; but one does wonder if experience doesn't involve little whirlpools where certain things or events are concentrated.

 

The British biologist JBS Haldane once remarked, "[t]he universe is not only queerer than we know; it is queerer than we CAN know." Sort of puts it in a nutshell, does it not?

Edited by Brianm_14

Brian

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...