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After I had tried out the Pilot Desk pens and was wowed by their performance, but frustrated by the lack of matching desk bases for the lovely pens, I decided to find out what the Pilot competitors in Japan had to offer. I turned to Platinum and saw from their Japanese website that they had a good variety of desk pens and best of all, a wide variety of matching desk bases on offer. Ranging from heavy marble bases to the lightweight(and cheaper!) acrylic and resin bases. I decided to go for the gold nibbed KDP-3000A series pens and the Resin two tulip DPD-1500E desk base. This review covers the following model nos: KDP-3000A #1 in Black with F 14k nib. KDP-3000A #10 in Red with F 14k nib. DPD-1500E two pen desk base in Resin. The widest nib available in the KDP-3000A series is the F nib!! They do have some models with the steel M nib but the MOQ packing quantity was 10 pieces so the choice was automatically limited. When I ordered the items from the dealer, I was advised that it might happen that both the tulips are black when delivered since Platinum had discontinued the one red and one black tulip production. I said, OK. Anyway, between my order and today, the one week Japanese holiday came in between, so the items were shipped only after that and today I have received the items in hand. Here is my review documenting these models. The desk base first: Very simple packing: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8859.jpg http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8860.jpg http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8861.jpg http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8862.jpg Removed from the box: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8863.jpg Glad to see that I was able to get the one red and one black tulip to match with the ordered pens. http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8864.jpg The pens in a simple cardboard shipping box: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8865.jpg http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8866.jpg No converter was supplied, but matching colour cartridges were provided. http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8868.jpg Opened: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8867.jpg Golden Tails http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8869.jpg The 14k Nibs: pretty standard, nicely done: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8870.jpg http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8871.jpg Translucent feeds: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8872.jpg Metallic threads!! http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8873.jpg The base with the Platinum pens: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8874.jpg The tulips are quite well made. They are fitted with spring loaded inner caps: http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8875.jpg The best part, the Pilot desk pens fit in the Platinum tulips perfectly!!! see http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/PlatinumDeskPens/IMG_8876.jpg I am very happy to have discovered this. In fact, now the desk stand sits on my desk carrying a Pilot DP-500 and a red Platinum F nib loaded with the red cartridge, the Platinum red color is also quite pinky bright!! nice color and the F point is typical Platinum, perfect!! Cost: That is the best part with these JDM (Japan domestic market) goodies. The pens cost me only approx 30USD each(yes, for a brand new fountain pen with a solid 14K gold nib) and the desk base came to just around 23USD. I hope the review is of some help to others considering these lovely goodies. Cheers! Hari