This review format has been shamelessly copied from Jessy who copied it from Bob. 
Platinum Preppy
The Pen
The Platinum Preppy is one of several entry level fountain pens. While there are several that can be had for less (eg - Pilot Varsity), this one gives you the experience of being able to try different inks rather than being disposable. That's not to say this is a heirloom quality pen, it's clear resin pen that feels quite good in the hand.Specs
Color: Clear with black feed and nib, smoke tip of the cap and clip.Body Material – Resin
Grip Material – Slightly smaller than the barrel
Internal Parts –
Filling Scheme – Cartridge/Converter, eyedropper
Nib - Black steel nib
Furniture –
Diameter Body – 12 mm
Diameter Cap and Clip – 17 mm
Diameter Grip – 9.96 mm
Body Length– 122 mm (nib to end; uncapped)
Cap Length– 59.69 mm
Capped Length - 138 mm
Nib Length -– 14.5 mm
Body and Cap Weight – 13 gm
Ink Capacity – ?
Fit and Finish
Fit and finish is good for this price point and doesn't feel overly cheap. The feed section screws to the barrel securely and the cap clicks on solidly. Eventually, I suppose the plastic can weaken and crack rendering the pen unusable, but with reasonable care I don't see why the Preppy won't give you good service for quite a while.A word needs to be said about the cap - inside where there is a spring loaded sleeve that seals the nib from the air. This is the secret to Platinum's claim of the pen writing after sitting for a prolonged period of time, I've heard up to a year. I haven't had the pen long enough to test this out yet.
The clear body of the pen has labels silk screened on that cover most of it and I found it detracted from the otherwise simple lines of the pen. A few minutes work with a paper towel and 92% rubbing alcohol cleaned the unwanted labels with no damage to the barrel. Much nicer now.
The Nib
The nib is a basic medium steel nib. Nothing fancy but it's miles better in feel than the Pilot G2 Gel pens I came from. It starts writing as soon as the tip gets on the paper and delivers a clean line. The feed keeps up with the fast drills from the Palmer Method.
Hand Feel
As noted above, it's plastic, but doesn't feel so cheap that it feels like it's about to fall apart. Even with the light weight it will write with just the pen weight.Ink Capacity
The converter holds probably a standard amount of ink, and eyedroppered it holds 3.5 - 4 ml. The converter is probably overkill for this pen, but I think the gold trim looks pretty nice.Price Point/Purchase Options
This is most definitely an inexpensive entry level fountain pen that sells at most places for under $4. It's more of an add on purchase when buying from an online store as the shipping alone will run double or more than the pen price. The converter is around $7 and doesn't make real good sense to buy with the Preppy, but I did it anyway thinking I would eventually upgrade to the aluminum bodied Plaisir in the future.One of the more interesting aspects of the Preppy is the nib is able to be pulled straight out of the feed and can be replaced with a highlighter or marker tip, sold two for $3. With the appropriate ink, it can even write on white boards, making this quite the versatile pen.
Summary
This is a pen that is suitable for an introduction to fountain pens or as one that is taken to the rough-and-tumble job site where a more expensive pen is not an option.Bottom Line
Good inexpensive pen that is an acceptable writer and a step up from the roller ball pens I had been using.
Last edited:
