Posts filed under Platinum

The Masuya Monokaki Pocket Notebook and the Platinum Plaisir Fountain Pen: A Good Everyday Carry Set

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

I received the Masuya Monokaki Pocket Notebook several months ago from JetPens, but I have so many notebooks, I hadn’t had a chance to use it until now. The pocket notebook is an interesting size (14.0 cm /5.5 inches in length and 8.6 cm /3.4 inches in width), and it has 64 sheets printed on both sides with 0.7mm graph lines.

The notebook has a soft cardboard cover with a cool design on the front, and it is thread and glue bound.

The cream-colored paper is fountain-pen friendly, but it is also very thin, so if you don’t like your writing to show through, you will not like this paper. I tested it with several different nib sizes and inks. There was no feathering or bleed-through. However, as you can see in the second photo below, there’s plenty of show through.

I also tested the paper with various gel pens, rollerballs, and pencils. It works well with all of them, but, once again, show through is obvious.

The Monokaki notebook is the perfect size for purses, satchels, and backpacks. But, the soft cover is easily bent, so you’ll want to put it in a pocket or sleeve to protect it. The notebook does not lay flat when open, which is a weakness. The 7mm graph lines almost seem too large for a notebook this size, and since show through is unavoidable, you probably won’t want to write on both sides of the paper. You will get the best results from fine nibs and/or pencils.

You can purchase the Monokaki Pocket Notebook from JetPens for $7.75.

The Platinum Plaisir fountain pen is an aluminum pen with a stainless steel Preppy nib. It is available in a wide array of colors that have a beautiful iridescent finish.

The pen comes with one black Platinum cartridge (which is proprietary, so you’ll have to buy extras), but you can use a Platinum converter (not included) if you prefer. I wanted to use an orange ink with my Plaisir, so I put in a converter.

The Platinum Plaisir is an inexpensive pen at $14.25. That’s not bad for a metal pen. It’s comfortable to hold, especially since the grip is plastic not metal. It’s a small pen unposted (4.8 inches). Posted it is 5.8 inches, and capped it is 5.6 inches.

The grip is transparent, so you can see the ink filtering down to the nib. Although you can remove the nib to clean the pen, the ink pools in the threads in the grip, and it doesn’t rinse out so easily.

The cap snaps on securely and it is postable. It’s got a basic steel clip and a large steel cap ring with the words “Platinum Plaisir Japan.” The pen is quite beautiful.

The fine nib is smooth but rigid. I tested it with Kyo-iro 04 Higashiyama Moonlight (reviewed here), and that ink was simply too dry for this fine of a nib. Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki flowed much better.

Although the pen is meant to be rugged, I noticed dents in the body and scratches. This pen has not been roughly handled, and I didn’t let it loose in my purse where it could get scratched. I think the dents may have come from posting the cap. Regardless, the pen is definitely not as durable as you might expect.

The Platinum Plaisir comes in a whole rainbow of colors and you can get each color with either a fine or medium nib. You can purchase the Plaisir from JetPens for $14.25.

The Monokaki Pocket Notebook and Platinum Plaisir are a perfect match for one another if you are looking for an everyday carry set.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on April 6, 2018 by Susan Pigott and filed under Monokaki, Platinum, Pen Reviews, Notebook Reviews.

Platinum Pro-Use 171 Drafting Pencil 0.9 mm Review

While Platinum may be primarily known in pen addict circles as a manufacturer of fine fountain pens, did you know they also make high-quality drafting pencils as well?

The Platinum Pro-Use 171 is the latest to hit the market, and the best I have tried from a very good Platinum bunch. It is important to get the feel right in a drafting pencil: Weight forward towards the tip, light up top, both working together for ultimate pencil control. Platinum nails the feel with the 171.

The lightly-knurled metal grip section looks, feels, and functions great. It has some weight to it, which it should for proper balance. The knurling provides enough grip without being too aggressive, which would tire out your fingers. It also functions to engage and disengage the pressure-absorbing spring mechanism in the pencil, which helps prevent lead breakage. With a lead as wide as 0.9 mm breakage issues aren’t all that common. I can see this coming into play more with 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm lead widths.

Another feature the 171 has is an adjustable lead pipe sleeve length. This pencil does it differently than other mechanical and drafting pencils I have used with this feature. Instead of twisting to retract or extend the sleeve itself, the nose cone on the Platinum twists up and down to cover the sleeve. Functionally it’s fine, but aesthetically it’s not my favorite look when the sleeve is completely covered. It breaks up the clean lines of the pencil design.

The stock lead the 171 ships with is not noted specifically, but it feels and performs like an stock HB lead. It’s dark and smooth and doesn’t break down too easily. The eraser is shockingly good. I never expect much from small mechanical pencil erasers, but this one takes away the marks completely and cleanly.

I chose the 0.9 mm size to review since I have been enjoying wider lines to sketch with. The Pro-Use 171 also comes in 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.7 mm width, each with a different barrel color to denote the tip size. At $19 I can see avid users of drafting pencils buying the full set. The build quality of the pencil is top-notch and should last for years through heavy use. I may have to pick up the 0.3 mm to add to the collection myself. They are that good.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on February 12, 2018 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Platinum, Mechanical Pencil, Drafting Pencil, Pencil Reviews.

Platinum Balance Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Platinum Balance fountain pen is made of resin with gold-plated accents and a gold-plated steel nib. The pen is a simple cigar shape with a snap on cap.

It comes packaged in a rectangular box with a clear plastic top. One blue-black cartridge is included with the pen.

The pen is quite light (18 grams) and is small to medium-sized at 5.5 inches capped, 5.0 inches uncapped, and 6.0 inches posted. People with larger hands will probably find this pen much too small, but I think it will suit most users well. Posting the pen adds a bit more heft, but it also throws off the balance in my opinion.

I like the pen’s classic styling with gold-plated trim around the cap’s base, around the tip of the grip, and where the grip and barrel meet. These are nice details on a pen at this price point.

The resin is a deep green with beautiful chatoyance.

Although the pen comes with a cartridge, I had an extra Platinum converter, so I loaded it up with Robert Oster Peppermint (review here). For those of us who like matchy ink and pens, the Peppermint is a perfect choice.

I honestly wasn’t expecting much from this medium steel nib, but it is incredibly smooth and juicy.

Although it doesn’t have the springiness of gold Platinum nibs, it does offer a bit of line variation if you press into the nib. Overall, it’s a fantastic writing experience.

This is an elegant pen at a reasonable price (under $40). If you’re looking for a great starter pen for yourself or as a gift, the Platinum should be on your list. It would make an excellent stocking stuffer or gift, especially if you pair it with a bottle of Robert Oster Peppermint ($17.00 at Jet Pens).

The Platinum Balance is available in several colors: green, blue, wine red, black, shine crystal, crystal blue, and crystal rose. It comes with nibs in fine or medium. You can buy it at Jet Pens for $36.50. I suggest picking up a Platinum converter as well for $8.25.

Pros

The Platinum Balance is elegant and beautiful. It reminds me of Visconti Van Gogh pens (which, of course, are much more expensive) with its shiny resin and shape. The Platinum lacks the heft of those Visconti pens, but it’s hard to argue with its price in comparison.
The cap is easy to snap on and off, and it posts securely.
Although the clip is simple, without any adornment, it is quite functional and will clip easily to a shirt pocket or tablet.
The best part of this pen is the stellar steel nib. I can’t get over how nicely this nib performs. It isn’t rigid like the steel nibs on Lamy Safaris and other pens. Rather, it has some give to it and even offers a bit of line variation. It is smoother than many of my very expensive, gold-nibbed pens.

Cons

The Platinum Balance does not come with a converter, and adding a converter to the cart will put this pen over the $40 price.
I wonder how well the gold-plated trim will hold up over time. I’m especially concerned about the trim near the nib, since it will come in contact with ink. Will the trim corrode over time?

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