Platinum Preppy-How Do I Make Mine More Crack Resistant

[cabbie]

I recently purchased several Platinum Preppys to convert to eye droppers, highlighters, and fiber markers for use at work. I want to be more eco-friendly by replacing my highlighters and sharpies with instruments that I can refill and give me a wider selection of colors.

 

I know Preppys have a reputation of cracking. Does anyone have any suggestions to increase the durability of the barrels as I plan to carry these on my person at work and anticipate dropping them and using them as daily workhorses.

 

I am toying with the idea of wrapping the outside of the threaded end with a strip of electrical tape to cushion any impacts and minimize cracks.

 

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[dcwaites]

It's the cap that tends to crack.

I just wind a couple of turns of 1/2 inch clear sticky tape around the base of the cap.

Pull it tight, but not too tight, as that will stop it clicking on.

[FLZapped]

I've thrown two out. Not worth the hassle, especially since they don't write all that well.

[Water Ouzel]

Another option would be to switch the section/feed/nib over to a Plaisir body. You can't use it as an eyedropper, but cartridge and converter still work properly.

[fabri00]

Another option would be to switch the section/feed/nib over to a Plaisir body. You can't use it as an eyedropper, but cartridge and converter still work properly.

Why a Plaisir cannot be used as eyedropper ?

 

The ink will not be visible, but I don't see any reason to not use it as eyedropper...

[rwilsonedn]

You could just buy an Indian ED pen for a similar amount of money and use it with no worries.

ron

[fabri00]

You could just buy an Indian ED pen for a similar amount of money and use it with no worries.

ron

There are many pens working well for cheap price, but only preppy and plaisir offer the click and seal cap, which helps very much in case of difficult inks like BSB or in case of no use of the pen for a while.

 

As example, I'm out from office from about 10 days now for a business trip, and my preppy loaded with BSB at office will start writing immediately next Monday, while an other pen will be blocked from BSB.

This is a big advantage of these pens.

[Shaggy]

Why a Plaisir cannot be used as eyedropper ?

 

The ink will not be visible, but I don't see any reason to not use it as eyedropper...

The ink would be in contact with the metal body, and the metal would corrode.

[Arkanabar]

Platinum cartridges can be refilled using a standard disposable 3ml polypropylene bulb pipette; no syringe is necessary. That's how I refill my Plaisirs.

[Mangrove Jack]

I have stopped using Preppys and love the Plaisir.

[ink-syringe]

I have stopped using Preppys and love the Plaisir.

 

 

Plaisier is a great pen. I stopped buying Preppies, Metros, Safari after getting mine. The new Orange one is getting a lot of pocket time. Cap is great (pen never dries out). and I just re-fill the cartridge. Finish is super on these pens. Not your usual anodized finish but somehow creamier.

 

I will never understand why the Plaisier doesn't more love. Love the beefy section. Very cozy pen. Pretty much my favorite cheapie since the Sheaffer Nononsense.

[Flaxmoore]

I've been using an ED Preppy loaded with some business-acceptable ink for over a year. Never seen the first hint of a crack, though if it does, it's only $5 for a new one.

[Dragonmaster Lou]

Plaisier is a great pen. I stopped buying Preppies, Metros, Safari after getting mine. The new Orange one is getting a lot of pocket time. Cap is great (pen never dries out). and I just re-fill the cartridge. Finish is super on these pens. Not your usual anodized finish but somehow creamier.

 

I will never understand why the Plaisier doesn't more love. Love the beefy section. Very cozy pen. Pretty much my favorite cheapie since the Sheaffer Nononsense.

 

I heard there are several reasons why it doesn't get more love, at least relative to the Pilot Metropolitan. I'm not sure how accurate or not these reasons are, but it is what I've heard:

1. It typically costs more than the Metropolitan, at least here in the USA. Oddly enough, the Metropolitan is more expensive than the Plaisir in Japan.
2. It doesn't come with any sort of converter, whereas the Metropolitan at least comes with a squeeze converter.
3. The nib/feed in the Plaisir is the same as in the Preppy, which puts it on par with something in the Pilot Varsity. The Metropolitan has a better nib/feed unit.

Again, I'm not sure how correct these statements are, but they are what I've heard.

[PAKMAN]

The Cap is what I have had crack. A wrap of clear tape around the cap fixes this for mine.

[bobje]

Another method of cap / barrel reinforcement might be some version of this, a bamboo pen created by Ken Cavers, using thread and nail polish or lacquer. John Mottishaw's website says this is called tsukamaki, based on the wrapping of Japanese swords.

 

http://www.nibs.com/nakaya-piccolo-writer-shu-unpolished-wrapped-in-thread.htm

 

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_8602_zps7cec803b.jpg

[Mangrove Jack]

[*]The nib/feed in the Plaisir is the same as in the Preppy, which puts it on par with something in the Pilot Varsity. The Metropolitan has a better nib/feed unit.

Again, I'm not sure how correct these statements are, but they are what I've heard.

 

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The nib and feed of the Preppy and the Plaisir are great. After a number of years of using them I have not had a single issue despite never flushing, flossing, adjusting tines, etc in any of them, which is something I cannot say about my more expensive pens. Bullet proof nib, feed system IMHO.

[ink-syringe]

 

I heard there are several reasons why it doesn't get more love, at least relative to the Pilot Metropolitan. I'm not sure how accurate or not these reasons are, but it is what I've heard:

1. It typically costs more than the Metropolitan, at least here in the USA. Oddly enough, the Metropolitan is more expensive than the Plaisir in Japan.
2. It doesn't come with any sort of converter, whereas the Metropolitan at least comes with a squeeze converter.
3. The nib/feed in the Plaisir is the same as in the Preppy, which puts it on par with something in the Pilot Varsity. The Metropolitan has a better nib/feed unit.

Again, I'm not sure how correct these statements are, but they are what I've heard.

 

 

I love the Pilot Metropolitan. I have had a dozen or so and they were all great right out of the box. The gold one I have now is a great little pen. Metros are a really nice quality pen that does somehow feel more deluxe than a Plaisir and is probably a better looking pen but the Plaisir writes great and I like the beefier .5 nib you can get that is larger than the Metro's largest option.

 

Plus the Plaisir wins on ergonomics for me. I love the classic retro styling of the Metropolitan but the section is skinny and there is that big step down. Not a deal breaker for me but not as cozy as the Plaisir. Is the Platinum a little cheesy looking? I don't really like the cap band or the clip. I prefer the classic styling of the Metropolitan but the Plaisier is more fun to write with is just as reliable and is more comfortable to use. And if you don't like fine nibs at least you get one genuinely decently Medium line option if you get one of the .5 nibs. Look at the tip of a M Pilot Metro and the 05 nib on the Platinum. If you don't like thin spidery little lines then the Plaisir is a genuine medium nib.

 

Converter? Metro only gives you that bare bones squeeze converter anyway and I just refill the cartridge.

 

Here the Plaisir is cheaper and readily available. The Pilot not.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Thanks to the posters who suggested using cellophane tape to deal with the cap cracking issue on the Platinum Preppys. I'll try that.

 

As for the Pilot Metropolitan v. Plaisir v. Preppy issue, I think that the Metropolitan feels better in my hand when I'm writing. As has been pointed out, the Plaisir and the Preppy use the same Platinum nib/feed/section assembly. The Platinum section is almost perfectly cylindrical, which makes it less comfortable to me for writing. It also makes it so that the collector cannot be removed from the section for cleaning, although the nib and feed slip out easily. I find the Pilot Metropolitan more comfortable to write with.

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/ink_stained_wretch_scribbling.png

I have so far tested two Preppys, and still have more to test out from a batch I bought last year, and so far the Preppy nibs are 50/50. One was very scratchy, the other was all right. The nib on the Plaisir was all right too, and I speculate that Platinum pays more attention to QC on the nibs they put on the Plaisir than to the ones they put on the Preppys.

 

To me all that the Plaisir does is give you a nicer looking barrel, a basic color instead of a transparent plastic barrel with a lot of verbiage on it, than the Preppy. And it does this at a multiple of three of four times the price of the Preppy .

 

I'll continue testing out the Preppys that I have, and I'll see if the good to scratchy nib ratio improves, or gets worse. I will say that for the price point the Preppys are so far pretty good, in comparison with other similarly priced fountain pens I've bought in the past.

[ink-syringe]

 

To me all that the Plaisir does is give you a nicer looking barrel, a basic color instead of a transparent plastic barrel with a lot of verbiage on it, than the Preppy. And it does this at a multiple of three of four times the price of the Preppy .

 

 

All your other points are, of course personal preference and entirely understandable but here you are undervaluing the Plaiser.

 

You get a solid very sturdy anodized cap and barrel. Maybe not bomb proof, but close. This sucker is not going to dent up like an Al Star and the cap has a wicked great seal.

 

Solid colors, but okay, have you held one?

 

I have not seen creamy anodizing like that before. I am not sure what their finish process is but the colors are better and the pens have a really nice silky feel too them. I frankly found it hard to believe they were merely anodized aluminum. The colors pop.

 

The new Nova Orange is gorgeous.

[Pichak]

I used to be a Preppy lover but sick of the crack problem. When I said I want workhorse pens that mean I dont want to take care of them too much. Later I switch to the Platinum Plaisir and Pilot Metropolitan. I love them both but I choose the Plaisir as my new workhorses because I can use all of my old Preppy as parts.