Platinum fails to get the gold

[tntaylor]

+

I'll start off with personal praise. I love the light texturing on the barrel, cap, and clip. It's not enough to hinder writing or to be distracting while writing, just a nice subtle feature. The "pattern" is a glossy black on a matte black background (immediately putting me in mind of Hotblack Desiato's ship in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy [Restaurant at the End of the Universe, I think]: "Every time you try to operate one of these weird black controls, which are labeled in black on a black background, a small black light lights up black to let you know you've done it.").

 

And the pen is metal. What can I say, I like a metal pen.

 

I do wonder if, over the course of time, and with the considerable wear I intend to inflict upon this pen, the black might chip or scratch off. I wonder what's beneath it. Well, Sharpie to the rescue, I suppose, should that happen.

 

The simplicity of the nib both works well with and contrasts nicely against the body of the pen. The pattern on the pen is quite understated, easy to miss unless you really look at the pen, which is a good match for the nib. Yet, the black patterning is there and is so lace-like that an intricately designed nib might give an overly gaudy appearance to this pen.

 

 

 

 

-

On the down side, the nib has about as much "give" as a Parker Vector (although it has yet to skip on me and ink seems to maintain contact with paper quite easily). Also, I'd have been in heaven had the nib been silver in color - the gold-plate doesn't thrill me, but it's not at all unattractive.

 

The biggest negative for this Platinum pen is that the cap, although it snaps on securely when the pen is closed, does not even try to remain in place when posted. Slides right off. Ah well.

(September 17, 2005) EDIT! EDIT! EDIT! I have just been instructed on the correct method of seating the cap on the end of the pen and YES, this Platinum pen DOES post! Quite nicely, as a matter of fact. So, scratch one negative.

 

 

Overall impressions:

 

Appearance: reserved, subtle, funereal (but not in a bad way)

 

I like this black Platinum for what it is. A fine-nibbed pen that will serve one purpose alone: editing works in progress with an extremely cruel red ink. Cleaning out the cartridge was a @#$%!! and there are still traces of blue (although Platinum refers to the color as violet) in it, so the red I'm getting isn't quiiiite red, but eventually it will be.

 

Definitely worth more than (ok, but not like much more than) the $15 I got it for.

 

(I just noticed the diluted ink flushed from the cartridge. It really is violet. Not blue at all)

 

What's that you ask? What are the specifications? Heck if I know. Weight? You're joking. It's lightweight, but feels very sturdy. I just ran a simple (keyword: simple) test. I coshed myself over the head with the Platinum, then repeated the same action with an Estie (on a fresh bit of forehead). The Platinum hurt more.

 

Ok, fine, the least I can do is get a tape measure...

 

-capped, the pen is just shy of 5 1/4" (about 13.2 cm)

 

-posted, the sucker would be almost 5 7/8" (14.9 cm)

 

-nib to bum it's about 4 1/2" (11.5 cm)

 

-nib length 5/8" (1.6 cm)

 

-width just over 3/8" (1 cm) diameter

 

-at the base of the cap, in a very faint grey, are the centered words:

PLATINUM

JAPAN

 

-yes, this is my first review

 

 

 

Working on pictures now. Fingers crossed...

 

t!

 

Edit: One thing about the cartridges - they are sealed with a metal ball, which, when the cart is inserted, gets pressed inside and rattles around when the pen is tipped up and down. Not really annoying, because how often does one tip a pen up and down, but I've certainly never experienced this with any other pen cartridge. I wonder if it serves a purpose. Perhaps its moving through the cart keeps the ink from gunking or solidifying?

Edited September 17, 2005 by tntaylor

[Ray]

Nice review, T. Looking forward to pics.

 

Ray

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

If you use a Platinum piston convertor, you can eliminate the rattling.

 

Dillon

[tntaylor]

Hi,

 

If you use a Platinum piston convertor, you can eliminate the rattling.

 

Dillon

Is it not the case, though, that converters hold a good deal less ink than cartridges?

 

Perhaps maybe I've considered that to be an across-the-boards rule (having based the assumption on the Namiki Vanishing Point, which has a converter that only holds a woefully titchy amount of ink), but it might not be.

 

t!

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

It holds about half as a cartridge.

 

Dillon

[tntaylor]

It holds about half as a cartridge.

Sod that, then. Lol!

 

t!

[southpaw]

What's that you ask? What are the specifications? Heck if I know. Weight? You're joking. It's lightweight, but feels very sturdy. I just ran a simple (keyword: simple) test. I coshed myself over the head with the Platinum, then repeated the same action with an Estie (on a fresh bit of forehead). The Platinum hurt more.

T, thanks for the review. I must say, that new test you invented gave me quite the chuckle. We must think of a name for this new test, perhaps the Taylor Cranial Impact Comparision Test, or better yet, the Taylor Noggin Test (TNT for short) !

 

Great review, especially for a first effort. THANKS again, southpaw

[Guest Denis Richard]

Great review t!... very entertaining

 

Does that model have a name ?

 

Denis... wondering if you are related to Mr.T :blink:

[TheNobleSavage]

Greetings and a wonderful review!! I have a few Platinum pens and I love them!! I always use converters, they might hold less than a cartridge but at least I wont have to special order cartridges and only use Platinum ink. Using the converter gives me the freedom to use whatever ink I wish to use and cleaning is SOOOOOOOOOOO much easier!!!

 

Good Job

 

TNS

[tntaylor]

Does that model have a name ?

 

Denis... wondering if you are related to Mr.T :blink:

Hey D. If the model has a name, I don't know it. Actually, I don't think I've seen any model names on the older Platinums I've come across for sale. If anyone knows the model of this pen, I'd be much obliged if you could share with the class.

 

Mr. T and I would get on famously. He digs gold and my thing is silver.

 

t! (see, I'm a little t - although I've heard it refered to as "T-Bang!")

 

 

 

Edit: If you read Japanese, or know anyone who can translate for you, perhaps this Catalog page will yield information on the make of the pen. It's the second from the bottom (apparently the pen exists in both black and burgundy), but the picture doesn't pick up the texturing very well.

Edited September 17, 2005 by tntaylor

[Maja]

Thanks for the review and the photos, t!

When I read your review and got to the price, I thought it would be a more expensive pen. It's nice to see that folks can get good value for not a lot of cash