Platignum Italic Set

[Billy295]

Hi y'll:

 

The other day I ran across an unused Platinum italic set with five nibs made in England in mint condition. I have always thought calligraphy was beautiful, so I bought the set and three books. The books highly recommended this set so I assumed that in 15 minutes my writing would be transformed into a work of art. You guessed it. Didn't work out like I planned.

 

I can't figure out how to use the things. Heck, I can't even figure out how to put ink in the pen. Does this set use cartridges or what? If cartridges, what kind and where can I buy some? If a converter, where do you get one that will fit the pen. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. If I can figure out how to load the pen with ink, maybe I could use my new books.

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Silly Billy

[Ebberman]

Platignum invented the ink cartridge. The hole diameter was 2.6mm. Jinhao, Duke and Baoer still use this standard. It's called the International Standard, and is the main one. You can buy them on Amazon. Aliexpress sell 30 for £1, p&p free.The other Standard is the Parker one. They wanted to be different so that you would have to buy their cartridges for their pens.

I'm fairly certain that you have a cartridge pen. I had one of those sets, and by then they had given up on squeezy rubber bladders.

The cartridges to avoid are 3.4mm diameter hole. They fit Lamy and Parker.

[Billy295]

Dear Mr./Mrs,/Ms. Ebberman:

 

Thanks so much. I owe you a cup of coffee or is it a cup of tea?

 

Sincerely your,

Billy

[Ebberman]

Billy, I'm a guy and yes, it's tea.

[dapprman]

Errr Platignum carts are propriety, not international, both the originals and the modern variant. I have an italic set from the early 1980s and based on advice possibly from here, found that cross carts do fit, sort of. International though, no.

[Ebberman]

Vintage - yes, perhaps my answer was too simplistic. I have Platignum pens that take International (2.6mm), but some are very hard to fit. I thought that the cause was tolerance - imperfect size. I have just now measured the prong of a Platignum calligraphy nib. It's not round. It's 2.44 - 2.75mm.

The real solution for Billy is to find Platignum cartridges and to keep filling them with a syringe. I have some, but postage is expensive if you're not posting a flat letter.

Does anyone in the USA have an empty Platignum cartridge or two for Billy?

[dapprman]

If it's like mine

http://i.imgur.com/q7iyfoS.jpg

 

then a cross cartridge will fit - again international do not and were never the right size - which is why presumably you found them hard to put in.

[Billy295]

Thank to everybody for the information and advice. I have some Montblanc cartridges that I thought were international standard cartridges. They didn't fit.

 

Billy

 

 

[dapprman]

Montblanc carts are international short.

[galem]

You are so lucky to have found this set! If you manage to find the cartridges mentioned, I wanted to suggest something. I use cartridges in my Pilot parallel calligraphy pen. Since I don't like their runny inks, I rinse out the empty cartridges and save them. When I need refills, I refill them with an ink I like by using a syringe (minus the needle). I then "seal" them by using blue painter's tape. I only do a couple at a time because they might dry out. Hope this helps!

Edited July 23, 2018 by galem

[Ebberman]

Galem, I hope this doesn't seem rude but why take the needle off? I find it easier to put the needle in and not worry about spill, not to mention getting the ink out of the bottle when it's not full. Blunt wide-bore needles are available for this very purpose. I don't seal my cartidges after filling, they go straight away into the pen. That's why I have no experience of drying up, but it does in the ink bottle!

I don't throw away empty cartridges. They take up so little space.

I've advised Billy to buy some Chinese calligraphy pens. It's a much better idea. Platignum pens were affordable and of their time. Sometimes they would leak if carried in the breast pocket. I suggested Jinhao 0.7, 1.5, 2.5 and all for $5. (£1.25 each for me) and postage free. The advantages are that you have three pens rather than one, they come with converters and they accept 2.6mm cartridges. Plus, Jinhao is a well-respected brand and rightly so in my opinion. The nibs are always smooth writers.

If anyone wants a link for the pens mentioned, just ask.

Edited July 23, 2018 by Ebberman

[Billy295]

I decided to take Mr. Ebberman's advice and bought the Jinhao 990 pens in several sizes. I'm still looking for cartridges that will fit the italic set. I plan to attend the Fall Dallas pen show in Texas. Maybe I'll find something there. I'm much too stubborn to give up.

 

Billy