Introduction

As you can probably tell, I am a big fan of mechanical pencils. Until February, I’d had the same three fountain pens sitting in my desk for several years. I would get them out on occasion, but I never really saw the utility, or more so the majesty, of them. I have come to discover that writing with a fountain pen is like creating art. I feel connected to what I am writing when I use a fountain pen. It keeps me methodical and focused on what I am putting on the paper. There’s a reason that the concept of a fountain pen has been around for centuries.

The Pens

When I started getting into fountain pens, I had a list of four I wanted to start with. These are touted as the “best beginner fountain pens” and as I am a beginner, this was only fitting. These pens were the Platinum Preppy, Lamy Safari, Kaweco Sport, and the TWSBI Eco. I now have all four of these, and I thought I would review the one I have been using longest first.

Platinum Preppy

Overview

The Platinum Preppy is one of the cheapest fountain pens available, besides the disposable offering from Pilot, the Varsity. I picked one up a Preppy on Amazon for $9 USD, and received one as a gift. After around a month of use, I can safely say that it is an excellent pen. Since it is made out of polycarbonate, I don’t feel to guilty when I drop it or it falls out of my bag. It’s very light (only 13 grams) but doesn’t feel cheap, since it is balanced well. They come in a slew of colors with inks to match.

Pink, red, green, blue, purple, and black, oh my! As well as different colors, they are also available in three nib sizes: Extra Fine, Fine, and Medium. There is also a limited edition colorway called “Wa.” This run features Japanese patterns. From the Gentleman Stationer:

• Hanabishi Kikko. Featuring a tortoiseshell pattern symbolizing longevity, nobility and elegance.
• Ichimatsu. Featuring a green pattern of symbolizing prosperity.
• Sakura Tatewaku. We have to have a sakura pattern, no? Pink cherry blossoms are symbols of spring and new beginnings.
• Yagasuri. Featuring an arrow shape often used as a good luck charm.
• Urokomon. Yellow featuring a scaled pattern to ward off evil.
• Seigaiha. Featuring a beautiful blue wave pattern, to symbolize luck.

The one I have is the “Seigaiha.”

Features

Body

The polycarbonate body is sturdy enough, but I wouldn’t go around throwing this pen at the wall or anything. The label doesn’t seem to be all too prone to scratching, though I imagine it will wear off overtime. The grip section is made of the same plastic, and it is very comfortable.

Ink

As I mentioned before, each Preppy comes with an ink cartridge to match the barrel color. The cartridges are “Platinum *color* ink.” The before insertion, there is a metal ball that blocks the hole, and when inserted this ball falls back into the cartridge itself and helps keep the ink from clotting up. The ink is smooth, and this combined with the fine nib makes one cartridge last quite a long time. I have been using this pen almost daily for two months, and I’ve barely made a dent in the ink supply. I am thinking about converting this to an eyedropper fill system once the cartridge runs out, so I will update once I do that.

Nib

The nib is made of thin steel. It is pretty flexible, but doesn’t open up too much. I have never had any issue with too much ink flowing out at once or a false start, but I am sure this is down to be different on each unit. The feed looks to be made of plastic, and it does a good job of keeping the flow ready at a moments notice.

Conclusion

All in all, this is a great beginner pen. It is cheap, reliable, and sturdy, all good qualities in something you will be using everyday. Stay tuned for more fountain pen content!

Thanks for reading! Stay sharp!