Jump to content

Platinum Procyon New Model


Olya

Recommended Posts

Sorry Jon, but this is another one where I'm going to argue with you through having opposing experiences. Mine soft-fine was frankly unacceptably poor. It was very easy to find too many other people suffering the same experience, however the thread on here was constructive and following it through I was able to get my nib sorted and it's now a sweet pen. As mentioned, my soft-medium was the opposite experience and was a dream out of the box.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 139
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • penzel_washinkton

    32

  • JonSzanto

    13

  • minddance

    9

  • dan in montreal

    8

Sorry Jon, but this is another one where I'm going to argue with you through having opposing experiences. Mine soft-fine was frankly unacceptably poor. It was very easy to find too many other people suffering the same experience, however the thread on here was constructive and following it through I was able to get my nib sorted and it's now a sweet pen. As mentioned, my soft-medium was the opposite experience and was a dream out of the box.

 

I get that. My SF was very nice from the get-go. Already we're at 50-50, not "they make such crappy nibs"; nonetheless, here we have differing experiences, both valid. I shouldn't claim to know the entirety of the issue. People with problems have reason to post and complain AND help each other find solutions; people who are already have an exemplary experience have less reason, and the posts get less notice.

 

I'm not saying there aren't issues, as that may well be the case. What I am stating is that without any kind of data whatsoever, save anecdotal, no one has justifiable cause to slam the entire line. Platinum produces thousands of pens annually and has been doing so for a while, which rarely occurs with abysmal track records as some would have people believe. If they are the most problematic of the Big Three in Japan, that may be - someone has to hold that spot.

Edited by JonSzanto

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I get that. My SF was very nice from the get-go. Already we're at 50-50, not "they make such crappy nibs"; nonetheless, here we have differing experiences, both valid. I shouldn't claim to know the entirety of the issue. People with problems have reason to post and complain AND help each other find solutions; people who are already have an exemplary experience have less reason, and the posts get less notice.

 

I'm not saying there aren't issues, as that may well be the case. What I am stating is that without any kind of data whatsoever, save anecdotal, no one has justifiable cause to slam the entire line. Platinum produces thousands of pens annually and has been doing so for a while, which rarely occurs with abysmal track records as some would have people believe. If they are the most problematic of the Big Three in Japan, that may be - someone has to hold that spot.

 

I agree that people seem to have had differing experiences, and I think we should all be allowed to share them without having our honesty called into question.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I agree that people seem to have had differing experiences, and I think we should all be allowed to share them without having our honesty called into question.

 

Indeed. I certainly hope my responses did not come off in that light (questioning honestly), only to add balance. Always difficult to compare conflicting experiences.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have been a moderator for this group since day one and have read countless posts. That said, it may not count for anything.

 

My guess is a substantial number of readers buy their pens without the opportunity of giving them a test drive first. This is very different from Japan where most try pens in department stores or stationary shops where one can try out every pen in the shop until satisfied. This makes a huge difference in satisfaction.

 

Buying online, despite how reputable the dealer, has limitations. A good number of readers purchase pens from ebay or whoever has the cheapest price in the universe. There is nothing wrong with that however, opportunities to return pens are limited.

 

As noted earlier, Japanese write primarily in kanji and kana as opposed to cursive. There is a difference in how one holds a pen to paper. I suspect the angle to the paper is slightly greater than that required for cursive. Japanese pen makers primary market is Japan, not America, Europe, or anywhere else.

 

I am left-handed and one of the best pens I have is a Nakaya Piccolo with a nib tuned by Mr. Yoshida. My writing style includes powerful upstrokes writing against the natural flex of the nib. It is darn difficult to find nibs that work well for me, especially music and flexible types. BTW, the Nakaya nib is the same as the Platinum. Comes off the same machinery. Same thickness and profile.

 

There is also a Danitrio specimen with Medium BIG super smooth flexible nib in my collection. It is too flexible for my daily use. However, the weight and balance and how the pen writes works well for me.

 

I have found two music nibs out of about 500 test drives that work for me. A Pilot 74 and a 1950s Platinum. I've had both 14K and 18K Platinum nibs. 14K is supposed to be smoother and more flexible. Not always. It's darn tough finding a music nib that does not tear up the paper.

 

Fine and finer nibs will always (well almost) be scratchier than a Medium. My almost is a Sailor UF with needle point ground by Mr. Yoshida. It writes incredibly narrow with some flex and no scratchiness. Almost impossible to find such a nib out of the box.

 

Whenever I go to Japan I always try out pens of interest. The last Sailor I bought was scratchy. It was within my parameters of acceptable. My wife bought a similar model with same nib. Hers is scratchier to me. she is Japanese and writes mostly in Japanese and has no issues.

 

Someone mentioned quality control. I strongly doubt this as an issue. QA/QC control for nibs is incredibly high.

 

Sorry. I digressed to make a point. There are a number of factors to consider. The bottom line is personal taste and writing style.

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone mentioned quality control. I strongly doubt this as an issue. QA/QC control for nibs is incredibly high.

 

Sorry. I digressed to make a point. There are a number of factors to consider. The bottom line is personal taste and writing style.

 

Most xlnt post, especially from a unique perspective. One point you mentioned reminded me that I often forget that I'm left-handed and that needs to be taken into account. As you note, we actually end up having a worse time with some of these nibs due to our stroke direction and pen orientation.

 

I also not only agree with the QC statement but would add the following: take a perfectly good nib and just slightly mis-align the nib on the feed and you can make a perfectly smooth nib start to catch the paper (esp if a very fine nib). As such, a well-made nib from the factory can be made to feel less-than-perfect for reasons other than manufacture.

 

Thanks for an informative post.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's the Internet. You can find people complaining everywhere about anything.

...and sometimes everywhere complaining about nothing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have two 3776 pens, one a Balance with SF nib and one a Century with UEF nibs and while the UEF not surprisingly isn't as smooth as the SF, both are among my favorites. As a comparison, my Pelikan M200 EF cost more, writes wider than the SF and yet isn't anywhere near as pleasant to write with. If I handed all three to someone else he or she might say that the bird is superior to the Platinums. I suspect people tend to underestimate how much their personal taste and writing style weighs in when talking about how good the quality is.

Another factor is that I mainly use the pens to practice Chinese characters (at this rate, I'll probably be able to read a typical newspaper within three hundred years!) which is of course what Kanji is a branch of.

 

To get back to the original topic, it looks like some more of my money is going to end up in Platinum's bank account :-)

Слава Україні!

Slava Ukraini!

 

STR:11 DEX: 5 CON:5 INT:17 WIS:11 CHA:3

Wielding: BIC stick of poor judgment (-3,-5) {cursed}

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As another lefthander, I find I often have a better experience with finer and flexier nibs than many righthanders. To me it seems the experience is often how light is the touch and open is the writer to different experiences with nibs.

 

And since I am particularly fond of Sailor and Platinum, I've been following this thread and saw this today. Perhaps someone can post the image. Otherwise, follow this link for details on the pen, nib, filling system...

 

http://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/e_fountainpen_procyon.html

 

I wonder if that dark violet ink has any water resistance. This mixable blue and black do.

 

eta. grammar

Edited by cattar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ohh.. That's what I call a modern design, minimalistic and all business (the dark blue color).

 

If the price around is not far off the price sold in Japan (5000 Yen I believe?), I might be buying it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a right hander I never thought I'd be in the minority :D

 

On the QC - it just seems to be on the soft-fine nib (and then only the 3776) - now as Jon says, people use forums to complain and it's is a popular nib amongst enthusiasts, many of whom seem to think it will be a flex nib, where as the spring is more for the end 'flick' on characters. Can't say my (ever more rusty) kanji and hiragani is any better than my rather poor English.

 

One thing to bare in mind with Nakaya is they hand tune any nibs to a high standard so a dry one or a misaligned one would not be an issue, just require a little expert and very experienced work. By the time a Nakaya arrives in our hands any imperfections will have been long gone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forums can be used to complain - absolutely - and also to promote and advertise. Or more diplomatically put, "share pleasant experiences".

 

As long as two sides can exist peacefully, both sides can voice their opinions :)

 

I do not think Platinum has a QC problem. The dryness and feedback might exist for good reasons and are systematic.

 

Dry: can be used on absorbent and cheap papers. And tolerates slower, smaller stroke-by-stroke writing without putting alot of ink onto paper. They are also good for presenting the paler shades/undertones of inks.

 

Feedback: for grip of paper, traction, and precision and control.

 

These are not necessarily bad qualities and ought to be reported to help readers make decisions.

 

As always, buy from vendors who back their products and have good return/refund/exchange policies, especially with controversial pens or pens with strong personalities.

Edited by minddance
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Forums can be used to complain - absolutely - and also to promote and advertise. Or more diplomatically put, "share pleasant experiences".

 

As long as two sides can exist peacefully, both sides can voice their opinions :)

 

I do not think Platinum has a QC problem. The dryness and feedback might exist for good reasons and are systematic.

 

Dry: can be used on absorbent and cheap papers. And tolerates slower, smaller stroke-by-stroke writing without putting alot of ink onto paper. They are also good for presenting the paler shades/undertones of inks.

 

Feedback: for grip of paper, traction, and precision and control.

 

These are not necessarily bad qualities and ought to be reported to help readers make decisions.

 

As always, buy from vendors who back their products and have good return/refund/exchange policies, especially with controversial pens or pens with strong personalities.

 

Most people complain about the features of a pen and started to think it's a QC problem when it is not clear on what is happening behind the scenes.

Unless of course, if the problem is quite apparent like misaligned tines or bent nibs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of criticism of Chinese and Japanese nibs made fordomestic markets comes from the fact that the nibs and feeds are tailored for writing relatively straight short strokes or ones with a couple of right angles. The flowing loops of many western scripts are not seen in Chinese or Japanese. If you write in styles with strokes similar to Chinese or Japanese strokes, you will find the pens writing more to your satisfaction. I imagine writing Chinese with a Western Medium nib, will result in Chinese users hating western nibs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A lot of criticism of Chinese and Japanese nibs made fordomestic markets comes from the fact that the nibs and feeds are tailored for writing relatively straight short strokes or ones with a couple of right angles. The flowing loops of many western scripts are not seen in Chinese or Japanese. If you write in styles with strokes similar to Chinese or Japanese strokes, you will find the pens writing more to your satisfaction. I imagine writing Chinese with a Western Medium nib, will result in Chinese users hating western nibs.

 

Excellent point.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Otherwise, follow this link for details on the pen, nib, filling system...

 

http://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/e_fountainpen_procyon.html

 

 

 

I was concerned it would be too heavy but at 23.3 g it should be okay. I prefer not to post so I'm curious what the unposted length is.

 

It's certainly not a look we haven't seen before but I find it looks quite nice. It has enough shape to the body and cap end that I prefer it to the Lamy Aion for example. If I have any misgivings about the looks it's that the shiny metal threads seem a bit in-your-face (visually loud). It's like the pen is proclaiming loudly and proudly it has threads. Maybe that's normal for metal pens. I'm used to plastic pens where the threads don't call so much attention to themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I was concerned it would be too heavy but at 23.3 g it should be okay. I prefer not to post so I'm curious what the unposted length is.

 

It's certainly not a look we haven't seen before but I find it looks quite nice. It has enough shape to the body and cap end that I prefer it to the Lamy Aion for example. If I have any misgivings about the looks it's that the shiny metal threads seem a bit in-your-face (visually loud). It's like the pen is proclaiming loudly and proudly it has threads. Maybe that's normal for metal pens. I'm used to plastic pens where the threads don't call so much attention to themselves.

 

I don't particularly like the metal threads either, but they remind me of Sheaffer's metal threads! So that tones the dislike a bit down :sm_cat:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to double post but it seems GPC and PenChalet has put the pens on their site although it's not being included in new releases.

 

i think they will announce it next week, the release date only states "August" with price of $52.8.

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...