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A number of Platinum Curidas fountain pens on Amazon for under $50. Most notably the Urban Green one with Fine nib for $37: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08443VTWW Not the most popular pens, I know, but at less than half retail it's an opportunity, if you want to scratch that itch on the cheap.

Platinum Curidas LE Matte Black circa 2023 Here is a lazy review to match a lazy redux. The new 2023 Platinum Curidas is a ... wait for it... Curidas in a new suit or dress, if you prefer. If you liked the previous PMMA clear crystal pen housing that unique quick push to deploy smooth writing experience, you'll probably like this one too! Past review still holds sans broken feed QC issues. So now that we got that out of the way, a Curidas is a Curidas is a Curidas What's different? 🤔 Body: You like the feel of matte slick smooth rubber? Hard to describe but definitely preferred over the clear plastic shell. Feels like seal-healing if I poked it with a pin. Length is the same (left to right: Procyon, Curidas LE, Curidas ye olde) Any differences other than furniture? Spring looks shinier maybe oxidation from age or new parts supplier? Note the nib unit with the converter is the new LE version loaded with Pilot Black Clip: cannot confirm if it is plastic coated metal or just plastic, looks like is is removable but I keep mine on. Nibs: restricted to F or M but since it's a Curidas, swap with old clear versions for an EF. I chose Fine and it also writes smoothly in reverse. NO CRACKED FEED ! I think Platinum is probably hyper vigilant with quality control given the previous incidents with feeds. Is it worth it? Since it is 2023, here's what large language model Bardy Bard has to say about... Prompt: What's new with Platinum Curidas? (human edits) Platinum Curidas is a retractable fountain pen that was first released in 2020. (TRUE!) It has been well-received by fountain pen enthusiasts (EH?), and in 2023, Platinum released three new matte finishes for the Curidas: Matte Blue, Matte Black, and Matte Red. (Yep!) These new pens are sold as a set that includes the pen, a converter, a cartridge of ink, and a bottle of Platinum Aurora Blue Mix-Free Ink. (too lazy to shoot these accessories, think pen + extras = the $96 USD asking price) In addition to the new matte finishes, Platinum has also made some minor improvements to the Curidas. (darn straight!) The clip is now slightly larger and more comfortable to use (uh, you'll need a micrometer to see a difference), and the inner cap has been redesigned to prevent ink from leaking. (I can't see it) The Platinum Curidas is a great choice for anyone who wants a reliable and stylish retractable fountain pen. (YES!) The new matte finishes offer a more modern look, and the minor improvements make the pen even more comfortable to use. (smooth and silky, is it worth the extra? only if you like the original Curidas) Here is a summary of the new features of the Platinum Curidas: Three new matte finishes: Matte Blue, Matte Black, and Matte Red Larger and more comfortable clip (no clip difference) Redesigned inner cap to prevent ink leakage (unable to dissect) The Platinum Curidas is a limited edition pen, so if you're interested in getting one, I recommend acting soon. (AI is becoming sentient or this large language model probably been scraping again) Finally this PSA from Luxury Brands via PenChalet: Keep the spring on! Lest be bent or lost

This is a review and comparison of competing brands of essentially the same fountain pen -- the Platinum Curidas and the Lanbitou 3088. After Platinum began selling its relatively recent Curidas model in 5 transparent colors, the Chinese pen maker, Lanbitou, came out with it's version of the Curidas, which Lanbitou designated the "3088." In virtually all respects, except the badging, the two brands offer identical pens. The biggest difference is the retail pricing; the Curidas sports an SRP of $90, but the 3088 can be purchased within a range, in USD, of around $9 and a bit more. The question is whether the Curidas is 10-times better than the 3088. It is not. In fact, in my estimation, the two pens are so comparable in appearance, build quality, and performance that the 3088 is the much better value. However, the 3088's resale value, if you try to sell one, will be much less than that of the Curidas, primarily because the Curidas is a Platinum product. I recently purchased all 12 color options of the 3088, but will compare its transparent teal version with the transparent teal version of the Curidas. Notwithstanding the color variation in the first two photos, in fact the color of each pen is virtually the same, and I would describe it as a greenish-blue or teal. Held to the light, it appears that the Curidas' color is a bit more saturated than that of the 3088. The third photo of the middle-inside of each pen is provided to show one (surprising?) difference between the pens. Notice that the Curidas has a plastic sleeve over its converter, while the less-expensive 3088 has a metal (brass? copper?) sleeve in the same location. Perhaps the metal on the 3088 accounts for the 1 g weight difference. Other than that difference, the pens work exactly the same inside in terms of filling by converter. Here are some objective comparisons: Weight empty: Curidas 24 g ; 3088 25 g. Weight after filling, expelling air and filling twice: Curidas 28 g ; 3088 26 g ; did the 3088's converter not work as well as the Curidas'? Length: exactly the same -- approximately 5 7/8 inches. (Sorry to mix metric and English systems) After filling each pen, each with a fine nib, each wrote immediately. The Curidas writes a bit wetter-thicker than the 3088. There is no question in my mind that the Curidas' fine stainless steel nib has more give (albeit limited) and feels better than that of the 3088, the nib of which is extremely firm and perhaps nail-like. When clicking the button to hide the nib, the Curidas manifested some hesitation (even after I removed and returned its spring), but did close, whereas the 3088 clicked closed immediately. If price is no object, I prefer the Curidas for its slightly more saturated color, its better-feeling nib, and its higher market value. However, for those not concerned with market value and slight color saturation difference, the 3088 is a superior value by far. As I mentioned earlier, I purchased one of each of the 12 colors of the 3088. In addition to the four transparent colors (whereas the Curidas offers five transparent colors, also including a true blue), the 3088 offers 8 solid colors (not offered at all in the Curidas line). The Curidas transparent colors offered are: clear, grey, red, teal, and blue. The 3088 transparent colors offered are: clear, grey, red, and teal (why not blue?). The 3088 solid colors offered are: black, grey, white, blue, red, pink, cocoa, and light green. I purchased my twelve 3088s on Ebay from a seller who shipped for free. When I checked today on Ebay about pricing, it appeared that the price of the 3088s increased, but that impression may have been mistaken. I noticed that just about every Ebay seller of the 3088s from China "advertised" a lower price than actually is charged when one "selects" the color and nib (either EF or F), which is disturbing; one cannot actually find the pen with the advertised price. On the other hand, the real price was so inexpensive for what I got that I didn't quibble.

Cut to the chase: Cult classic cuick click! C'mon YetAnotherCuridasPenReview (YACPR ) on some glorified pushy Preppy! Haven't we heard the last word from... Megathread Started by Olya the stellar 高畑正幸https://youtu.be/3x4uIQ2ZZnEinky.rocks https://youtu.be/SCfzXNQ511salanlight https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353361-video-platinum-curidas/Tas https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/352260-a-brief-rambling-on-the-platinum-curidas/Inkdependence https://youtu.be/-sPjG_PzoCkFigboot https://youtu.be/06dYAhs8JLQCarrots and Olives https://youtu.be/ucMpFMKjH-0Just Scribble https://youtu.be/anAw8IVqQf4and so many others...!Yes, yes but this is indeed YACPR of this polarizing fugly VP wannabe because you're Curidas curious staying at home crunching on chips. What else you're gonna do, fiddle with your fountain pens? During these hunker down times, I've gotten some intimacy with the curious Curidas. States delivery hit retail right during Covid and that memory will be forever tied to the pen. It's here and it's good, not FP underground elite subculture skewed good, but bridge to mainstream good. I almost broke it after unboxing, getting the fiddy bits locked up and trap door stuck. But after RTFM, all was right as rain. Then I dropped it, twice. It's tough, like a toy. That's a good thing. Kudos to Platinum for breaking out of shell and putting something unexpected and modern. It seems like a gamble. The long knock, candy childish demo launch colors, price discount grumblings, do not make for a smooth worldwide debut. Over and over, I kept wondering, why. Why does this exist? Why are you reading this stupid review? What was the marketing team thinking? We already have daily retractions... Pilot Capless rulez...? The Chinese have the candy plastic, hommage-copy-cough-cough lower end. And there's Lamy - Safari, just pick a color. And all manner of assorted flotsam and jetsam that spits ink decently. What does Curidas bring to the table? Click, click, click...start of the modern fountain? At the cost of a Pilot VP refill nib, my guess is this is a smart but calculated bridge to the mainstream, not fountain pen freaks. Think Traveler Notebookin, BuJo, Hobonichy, Muji, ROTERFADEN TASCHENBEGLEITER (let's say that again ROTERFADEN TASCHENBEGLEITER), scrapbooking, IG portfolio spreadin koolkids fanbase. What's like a pen but not a 'fountain pen'? Easy to use, and just does the job.A daily workhorse that works straight out of the box, doesn't lose a cap, pretty sturdy for the rigors of EDC...Curidas is just like those cheap ballpoints but its not. It's one of those pens that grows on you; the more I try, the more I like. I like the weight and the balance, surprisingly as girth and length do detract report the threads.Quick positive resounding satisfying ADHD deployment, not as mushy like VPI can drop it and not cryConverters, cartridges, 3776, Nakaya, oh my! Good standardization, interoperabilityIt's a pen! that happens to be a fountain pen! Room for improvement: Deployment single handed is cumbersome because you guessed it, the knock pusher is so long, the ops are knock with thumb then grippy idle hand down to grip. Unlike the VP where it seems like the right length.Front business end plastic is so thin, running your finger over it is like nails on a chalkboard. It feels like a nose dive would crack it for sure. Black nib holder is kinda fragile and it was hard to mate with converterUndernub, just say no to undernub - you can't choke up the grip but must ride along side the clip so as not to chafe the middle finger. But Curidas can go for long sessions, untiringly, just like Pilot Capless The skeuomorphic steampunky reminiscent design would salute H. R. Giger if they had came out in smooth glossy black. I'm waiting. I think if the launch goes well despite the economic pandemic downturn, Platinum can iterate like it's 1965 again, OK!