Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen

[Souldrifter]

Interesting pen! It looks like Japan is ready to compete with the Kultur, just in time for Waterman to stop production. How big is this pen compared to a Kultur?

 

I have both pens---the Kultur is very similar in length, though the Preppy appears to be a touch fatter around the barrel. The Kultur is rounded on both ends, and the Prep is a flat-top.

 

These are MY kinda pens! I ordered a green and a yellow.

 

Where to get the o-rings, btw, if I want to convert a few?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Interesting pen! It looks like Japan is ready to compete with the Kultur, just in time for Waterman to stop production. How big is this pen compared to a Kultur?

 

I have both pens---the Kultur is very similar in length, though the Preppy appears to be a touch fatter around the barrel. The Kultur is rounded on both ends, and the Prep is a flat-top.

 

These are MY kinda pens! I ordered a green and a yellow.

 

Where to get the o-rings, btw, if I want to convert a few?

 

I bought my o-rings at a hardware store for less than a dollar each.

 

Next time I'll probably take the pen along for a better 'match.'

[Sketchy]

Last week I bought Noodlers Boralis Black ink and it came with a free eyedropper fountain pen. I see now that it is a converted preppy. Other than the lightweight feel of the plastic barrel the pen writes wonderfully. They did use an O-ring to control the ink. It is kinda neat to see the ink sloshing around in the barrel.

 

I first started using fountain pens when I read that people were using the Pilot Varsity to sketch with. I didn't enjoy sketching with the varsity but I did find that I really liked writing with it. What I didn't realize was that the varsity is the proverbial "slippery slope". A few hundred dollars and a new found fascination with fountain pens later I get this free pen only to find that the EF nib on it is perfect for for sketching.

Edited July 22, 2008 by Sketchy

[Jersey Diabolo]

“Where to get the o-rings, btw, if I want to convert a few?”

 

“I bought my o-rings at a hardware store for less than a dollar each.

Next time I'll probably take the pen along for a better match.”

 

 

My question too. I love this answer! I always complicate things. No need to Google, search pen repair sites, exchange emails. You take your pen, get in the car, go down to the hardware store - problem solved. Clear thinking . Thanks for that

Edited July 24, 2008 by Jersey Diabolo

[Sailor Kenshin]

You're welcome---but I'm not sure how well they'll fit. Might need to end up Googling after all.

[superbleu]

Sam @ pendemonium.com has the o rings.

 

If you go looking for them, they come in many sizes and diameters, so it may take awhile to find them.

 

I thought about it, but the thought of getting the wrong size and having one of these coming loose on me is not very appealing.

 

 

 

“Where to get the o-rings, btw, if I want to convert a few?”

 

“I bought my o-rings at a hardware store for less than a dollar each.

Next time I'll probably take the pen along for a better match.”

 

 

My question too. I love this answer! I always complicate things. No need to Google, search pen repair sites, exchange emails. You take your pen, get in the car, go down to the hardware store - problem solved. Clear thinking . Thanks for that

 

[DrV]

Anybody happen to locate a converter that fits this pen?

 

I have successfully used the Platinum coverters with Preppy pens. The converter was from Swisherpens.com. I use converters because I do not want to chance a leak on my clothes.

 

Of note the blue-black ink in the Preppy is water resistant so it may contain a low percentage of iron gall. After 10 minutes of dry time, I ran water over the writing and most of the ink ran off, but a grayish color remained.

[Souldrifter]

Well, I had an order with Pendemonium for some penmanship books and a couple of cool Sheaffer lab beakers that I was tipped off to in their Midnight Madness letters. So, I sent an email in response to my order telling them precisely what I wanted to do. Sam wrote me back and said that I would need the large sized o-rings, and I got a pack of 10 for 9 bucks.

 

Pendemonium has the best service and the coolest people ever. I love them. *gush*

 

 

[ksskss]

I got a few of these after using the Noodler's Year of the pig free pen. I do agree that they yellow ink that comes with the Platinum preppy is pretty awful but the other cartridges are nice.

 

So I got some more and removed the cartridges and put o rings on them all and without any silicon grease, used them as eye dropper pens for all my new bottles of Noodlers, so now I have a dedicated preppy for each ink color. I bought some glass eyedroppers from the drug store. I haven't had a leak yet and put a fair bit of pressure on the O rings. I labelled each pen with a writing sample on a small piece of paper taped to the barrel, roughly matching the pen color to the ink color - the red I used for Nakita red and Waterman Red, The Black for HOD, etc. So far I'm quite pleased with the performance, especially considering the price. It gives me a 'standard' pen to compare various inks. I like finer nibs, so this is a good pen choice. I may try my hand at grinding a nib or two - at this price, I can learn without too high a penalty for failure.

 

I got the o rings at OSH hardware item #0533. It is pictured next to a disassembled pen. The ring is bigger than the rings that come from noodlers and you CAN feel them (I don't find it particularly annoying. I noticed that I'm missing my Hunter green one Hope it didn't make it to the laundry. That might be a bad test.

 

So far no leaks carrying it in my shirt pocket, etc. I'm lpleased so far.

 

Pardon the high resolution but when I scaled it back the handwriting samples (taped to the barrel) were just too degraded to see well.

 

http://www.kenss.com/pens/preppys.jpg

 

http://www.kenss.com/pens/preppys.jpg

 

 

Those pens without gaskets have the preppy refil installed. In instances of duplicate colors, one tip is the pen tip and the other is the highlighter felt tip. The very last pen has brown preppy ink with a marker felt tip ending as oppossed to a highlighter ending. Note in particular the two Year of the pig Yellow highli8ghter pens and notice the thin gasket which is supplied with the year of the pig pen as compared to the thicker gasket I'm using. I have not had a problem with either gasket., although you can put more pressure on the thicker gasket before it distorts, possibly causing some of the leakages previously mentioned (speculative). Also I've installed these gaskets in a number of my fountain pens (Waterman and Schaeffer) as extra protection against leaks with no interference with the caps fitting securely.

 

---

Ken

Edited August 29, 2008 by ksskss

[Sailor Kenshin]

Great post, great pics! Thanks.

 

I'm tempted to order more Preppys and try the eyedropper thingie!

[ksskss]

Well, while I had the pens out, I thought I'd do a brief writing sample from each. To me this shows the way the nib handles the ink and the colors that the pens come with as well, so, while it is an ink comparison, I consider it also a review of how well the pen itself can be used as a technique for forming a basis of comparison, ruling out or at least minimizing nib variations in the comparison. Note that several of these are highlighting inks and IMO except for the yellow, can be used to both highlight and to write text in margins. The highlighter inks work well for highlighting smaller print as well and especially for thin paper (Bibles, some medical books like the Merck Manual) reduce bleedthrough since less ink is depositied than with the highlighter tips.

 

http://www.kenss.com/pans/preppysample.jpg

 

---

Ken

[Sailor Kenshin]

More great pics!

 

Completely OT, but I have a set of pencil hilighters from Levenger's. NO bleed-though whatever.

[Possum Hill]

Well, while I had the pens out, I thought I'd do a brief writing sample from each. To me this shows the way the nib handles the ink and the colors that the pens come with as well, so, while it is an ink comparison, I consider it also a review of how well the pen itself can be used as a technique for forming a basis of comparison, ruling out or at least minimizing nib variations in the comparison. Note that several of these are highlighting inks and IMO except for the yellow, can be used to both highlight and to write text in margins. The highlighter inks work well for highlighting smaller print as well and especially for thin paper (Bibles, some medical books like the Merck Manual) reduce bleedthrough since less ink is depositied than with the highlighter tips.

http://www.kenss.com/pans/preppysample.jpg

 

---

Ken

I was trying to explain to my wife why I had so many Preppys. I'll just show her the collection in your photo.

[ksskss]

I was looking at a Pentel multi highlighter with 8 leads in it, but the closeups on them on paper look like wax crayons. I enjoy writing with a fountai8n more.

 

Possumhill, tell her I'm going to get some more (to do some ink swaps) That's very funny.

 

I filled that empty Preppy with Hunter Green (at the bottom).

 

---

Ken

[FavePen]

I was looking at this pen (Platinum Preppy) at Jetpens.com and noticed that they've been sold out for the last month or so. I've also googled to find them at pandemonium.com and found that they're sold out there as well.

 

Does anyone know if they're being discontinued or if more will be available later? Thanks.

[ksskss]

I was looking at this pen (Platinum Preppy) at Jetpens.com and noticed that they've been sold out for the last month or so. I've also googled to find them at pandemonium.com and found that they're sold out there as well.

 

Does anyone know if they're being discontinued or if more will be available later? Thanks.

 

I've seen them elsewhere, so perhaps it's just that I bought too many from Jetpens I'll get some more for some new inks when they get more in.

 

----

Ken

[Sailor Kenshin]

Well, while I had the pens out, I thought I'd do a brief writing sample from each. To me this shows the way the nib handles the ink and the colors that the pens come with as well, so, while it is an ink comparison, I consider it also a review of how well the pen itself can be used as a technique for forming a basis of comparison, ruling out or at least minimizing nib variations in the comparison. Note that several of these are highlighting inks and IMO except for the yellow, can be used to both highlight and to write text in margins. The highlighter inks work well for highlighting smaller print as well and especially for thin paper (Bibles, some medical books like the Merck Manual) reduce bleedthrough since less ink is depositied than with the highlighter tips.

 

 

---

Ken

 

Hold the phone! Some of your Preppys look like they HAVE highlighter tips.

 

[ksskss]

"Hold the phone! Some of your Preppys look like they HAVE highlighter tips."

 

You are correct.:

 

http://www.jetpens.com/index.php/cPath/447_574

 

---

Ken

[MinasTirithScribe]

http://www.jstationery.com still has cartridge Preppies. That's where I got mine. Converters are I believe available separately.

[Pink Ink]

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.