Platinum Plaisir

[Vargouille]

I did this review on another site, which is HERE. Like I said on the blog, pictures should be coming, along with a writing sample.

 

I recently got this pen from Goulet Pens, who are a very good seller, and if you buy a pen from them during this Christmas season, you get a free ink sample of 2ml with every purchase under $50. Anyhow, following that shameless plug for a fantastic seller, who also have a blog, Ink Nouveau, here is the review of the Platinum Plaisir fountain pen, which I chose in the red color, and with what is either a 03 nib, or supposedly a 0.3mm nib, and it even came with a free cartridge, although no real packaging except a little plastic bag and bubble wrap, as well as my ink sample of Diamine Indigo, which I have yet to try. I do love those little boxes, although I suppose I will survive. It cost 20 USD, and had 5 USD shipping charge, which I suppose is not too bad. Anyhow, onto the review, whose layout I have “borrowed” from the FPN.

 

Appearance & Design (9/10) – This pen is quite attractive, with a halfway shiny exterior of what I believe is anodized aluminum. The clip looked odd to me, with a center stripe of red, and although it was not spring-loaded, it was not too bad. The center band appears to have chrome trim to my unexperienced eyes, but someone else may disagree. The center band is quite wide, and says Plaisir, then some interlocking rings, then the Platinum logo, then PLATINUM JAPAN, then more interlocking rings. Above and below the engraving are two textured rings the jut out slightly from the band. Although I could not see it, the top of the cap is engraved “03″. The section is siimilar to that of the Pilot Varsity, and apparently, to the Platinum Preppy, and is clear, showing the gray feed and collector, attaching to the cap via a snap mechanism. The only bad part, in my opinion, is the fact that when in the pocket, the cap tends to jut out a little more than a centimeter. All in all, not too bad.

 

Construction & Quality (9/10) – It is very sturdy, with an aluminum body, and although I am loath to drop it, should it drop, due to its rather slick body, I am confident that it would suffer no more than a few scrathes. The only reason it doesn’t get a perfect it due to the slickness.

 

Weight & Dimensions (9/10) – Although I am only using a ruler, it is 5 1/2″ long capped, 4 11/16″ uncapped, and 5 15/16″ posted, making it, just by a hair, my longest pen, longer than the TWSBI Diamond 530. According to the Goulet Pen Company, it is 15.4 grams, and feels very light to me. The only trouble here is that I prefer a pen with a bit more heft to it.

 

Nib & Performance (8/10) – It is a orange-reddish color, and has no breather hole, only an engraved circle where the breather hole would be. Underneath that is the Platinum logo, and then 03, the designation for nib size. From what I have seen, the nib is a little scratchy, and is a little small for my tastes, but that’s small potatoes, as long as it writes well, which it does.

 

Filling System & Maintenance (7/10) – It’s the run-of-the-mill cartridge/converter filler, with the interesting Platinum cartridges, which have the little metal ball in them. I do prefer piston-fillers and other kinds, but this is fairly good. The extra point comes from the much touted ability of it to last an entire year without losing any ink due to evaporation.

 

Cost & Value (9/10) – Being that it costs 20 USD, this is a good price, and it is a good pen, considering the other offerings at this price point.

 

Conclusion (~8.5/10) – Not a perfect pen, by any means, but is quite good, and although I would never need their “year-long-evaporation-prevention”, it is always nice to know that a pen company is trying to make a pen for the Average Joe. I wholeheartedly support the purchase of this pen.

[SamCapote]

Thanks for your post. I saw this presented in Pen World Magazine, and also just ordered one from Goulet Pens because I cannot imagine a pen sealing as well as they claim, preserving the ink for a year from evaporation. Maybe they did...but for this price, it's worth taking a "look-see."

[pmrogers]

I was also curious about how well the "no drying out" bit would work. I've had one for about 2 weeks now, and so far it hasn't impressed me as much on that front as I'd hoped (though the nib is quite nice, better than the steel nibs I've tried from Lamy or Aurora).

 

I have twice let it rest for 3 days, once nib up the other time horizontal, and then gave it a test spin. It did not start immediately either time. It wasn't at all dried out-- I was able to start it by simply holding the the nib to paper with a bit of pressure, no running water in the sink or other supplemental moisture required-- but it definitely failed the reliable writer test. Now I'm going to let it sit for a month. If it behaves the same way, no moisture required to get it going, I'll consider the marketing justified. And if not, then well, it wasn't exactly a major investment.

 

-Paul

[PacificCoastPen]

I have a yellow Platinum Plaisir and am very pleased with it. 0.5mm. I would buy another(s). There aren't any pens with nibs that match like that.

[SamCapote]

I got the blue one.....you sure can't beat the price. Been running the black cartridge that came with it, and for not having a vent hole, it really flows very well. I agree the quality of the Medium nib is much better than I expected. The only thing I would change on this if I could is the outside surfaces are so slick, it's a bit hard to hold onto when removing cap. Otherwise, I give high marks.

[inkpenguin]

Seriously, I would like to know how different that pen is from the Preppy as the section, nib and feed seem identical. Can anybody verify that?

[Vargouille]

They look very similar. I took a look at it, and I found that I could give it the Preppy cap, and the Preppy the Plaisir cap. The major difference is that this pen has an aluminum body and cap, and has the fancy "no-dry out" thingummy. I don't really like the Platinum ink that comes with it, so I may have to get a converter at some point.

[jandrese]

I just received my Plaisir and it is pretty nice for a cheap pen, especially the nib, which is as good or better than Lamy Safari nibs. Anyway, as advertised the cap fits very tightly and removing it can suck some ink out leaving traces of ink in the cap. If then you post the cap the ink can get on the barrel and your hands.

[Robert Alan]

Seriously, I would like to know how different that pen is from the Preppy as the section, nib and feed seem identical. Can anybody verify that?

 

The Preppy and Plaisir nib unit and section are identical. I just acquired a Plaisir for my collection. In Japan, these sell for about ten bucks, and I do not think they are worth $20. I have used Preppy fountain pens and felt-tipped pens for quite a while and they have not dried out (I use them as ED pens filled with carbon black & pigment blue)! Considering the cost, I am disappointed with the Plaisir.

 

You can buy, basically, the same pen--and definitely the same writing experience for $3.

 

BTW, someone complained about the slickness of the barrel and the difficulty of gripping the pen to remove the cap. For this kind of pen, or most "snap-cap" pens--especially fountain pens--a person should use the one-handed method of cap removal and there should be no "slippery" problem. With one's dominant hand, grasp the cap band with thumb and forefinger while gripping the barrel with the other three fingers. Pull up with the thumb and forefinger and the cap should easily snap off. If you pull the cap off with one hand while gripping the barrel with the other, you risk damaging the fountain pen nib. If a cap is especially tight, you should only use the other hand to assist with the cap removal, and never wildly pull off the cap with one hand going one way, and the other hand flying off in another direction. When I see a clerk at a pen store incorrectly remove a snap cap on a fountain pen, I quickly realize they don't know much about pens (it's my litmus test). One-handed snap cap removal is safer, efficient, and cooler.

 

/Robert

[Thornton]

I just received my Plaisir and it is pretty nice for a cheap pen, especially the nib, which is as good or better than Lamy Safari nibs. Anyway, as advertised the cap fits very tightly and removing it can suck some ink out leaving traces of ink in the cap. If then you post the cap the ink can get on the barrel and your hands.

 

This was my experience as well. Ended up with Diamine Majestic Blue on my hands.

 

Honestly, I am not overwhelmed with this pen. The nib (0.5) squeaks on all kinds of paper and does not flow consistently. I think I might buy a 0.3 nib Preppy and switch out the nib and section on my Plaisir. I like the look and finish of the pen, but not how it writes.

[SamCapote]

BTW, someone complained about the slickness of the barrel and the difficulty of gripping the pen to remove the cap. For this kind of pen, or most "snap-cap" pens--especially fountain pens--a person should use the one-handed method of cap removal and there should be no "slippery" problem. With one's dominant hand, grasp the cap band with thumb and forefinger while gripping the barrel with the other three fingers. Pull up with the thumb and forefinger and the cap should easily snap off. If you pull the cap off with one hand while gripping the barrel with the other, you risk damaging the fountain pen nib. If a cap is especially tight, you should only use the other hand to assist with the cap removal, and never wildly pull off the cap with one hand going one way, and the other hand flying off in another direction. When I see a clerk at a pen store incorrectly remove a snap cap on a fountain pen, I quickly realize they don't know much about pens (it's my litmus test). One-handed snap cap removal is safer, efficient, and cooler.

 

/Robert

 

Well now that is very useful to read. I didn't know that, and it makes perfect sense. Thank you sir.

 

Now I can look less stupid with such pens in public.

 

Considering the cost, I am disappointed with the Plaisir.

 

You can buy, basically, the same pen--and definitely the same writing experience for $3.

 

Now I am back to feeling stupid again. :embarrassed_smile:

 

Well at least the outside of the Plaisir looks a lot nicer than the $3 Preppy.

[Robert Alan]

BTW, someone complained about the slickness of the barrel and the difficulty of gripping the pen to remove the cap. For this kind of pen, or most "snap-cap" pens--especially fountain pens--a person should use the one-handed method of cap removal and there should be no "slippery" problem. With one's dominant hand, grasp the cap band with thumb and forefinger while gripping the barrel with the other three fingers. Pull up with the thumb and forefinger and the cap should easily snap off. If you pull the cap off with one hand while gripping the barrel with the other, you risk damaging the fountain pen nib. If a cap is especially tight, you should only use the other hand to assist with the cap removal, and never wildly pull off the cap with one hand going one way, and the other hand flying off in another direction. When I see a clerk at a pen store incorrectly remove a snap cap on a fountain pen, I quickly realize they don't know much about pens (it's my litmus test). One-handed snap cap removal is safer, efficient, and cooler.

 

/Robert

 

Well now that is very useful to read. I didn't know that, and it makes perfect sense. Thank you sir.

 

Now I can look less stupid with such pens in public.

 

 

Pardon me. I never meant that anyone would look "stupid." It is all about carefully removing the cap in order to protect the nib of a fountain pen.

/Robert

[Donald594]

I know that my Plaisir's nib is one of my best. It outwrites my Viscontis, my Falcon (but I got a bad apple on that one), and my Cross Apogee. Maybe mine was accidently put in the tuning room with the presidential pens

[ladycaruso]

Thanks for the review, this was very helpful!

[Mangrove Jack]

Considering that the cap of the Preppy fits the Plaisir and vice versa, is it correct to presume that the Preppy has the same nib sealing mechanism to prevent nib dry out that the Plaisir is advertised as having ?

[graystranger]

"Considering that the cap of the Preppy fits the Plaisir and vice versa, is it correct to presume that the Preppy has the same nib sealing mechanism to prevent nib dry out that the Plaisir is advertised as having ?"

 

Mangrove Jack - Yes the Plaisir pens do have the same inner caps as the Preppy pens. The Plaisir is the same pen as the Preppy but with aluminum body and cap instead of the acrylic plastic of the Preppy pens. Plus, I understand it has a nicer quality nib (not too sure of that).

 

I have had Platinum Preppy pens sit capped and inked for several weeks unused and they started up immediately. Multiple times. I keep Blue Ghost ink in two Preppy FP's and two Preppy Marking pens and they have been capped for a month or more several times with no start-up problems. They are laying on their sides usually. If I ever get another Preppy that I don't keep ink in, I will ink it up and let it sit for a year and see what happens. I'll report it on FPN if I do that.

 

I bought a Platinum Balance and a Platinum Cool pen because I can remove the nib and feed out the back of their grips for thorough cleaning. They write as well as many $200 pens with gold nibs. Similar inner cap sealing design as the Preppy and Plaisir pens. I can believe they can go for months without drying out. A big step up costing $42 (with a $12 Platinum converter included). I prefer to use Platinum cartridges as they hold more ink, last a very long time, and I like the little ball in the cartridge that breaks any surface tension problems in the ink flow. The Balance (opaque plastic with gold trim) and Cool (translucent with silver trim) make wonderful EDC pens. Only come with Platinum F and M nibs in the US, which may be too fine for some people.

 

Another plus, the Platinum ink cartridges are quite translucent and it is very easy to see how much ink remains. This may depend on the ink used, some highly saturated inks may settle slower in the cartridge. Again, the little ball helps the ink to settle in the cartridge quickly.

 

And I agree with Vargouille that Goulet Pens is a great place to buy pens, inks, and accessories. I received an order from them yesterday and another order is coming Monday. Write On!

[Mangrove Jack]

Graystranger, thank you. Good info for me. I wonder why then they advertise the Plaisir as having a hi tech cap preventing nib drying, but do not mention this regarding the Preppy.

 

The nibs are the same on both the Preppy and Plaisir. I have interchanged them and tested and compared them against each other and they are the same.

 

It is strange that the converter does not have the small ball inside it, like the cartridge has.