Platinum Procyon

[MuddyWaters]

Forgive my flip-flopping but I am considering one of these again. I have been trying most of my pens in a rapid rotation using the same dry black ink. The pen in my collection that seems to have the most reliable nib with enough feedback is the Platinum Preppy. The cylindrical body leads to my grip cramping my hand after a while though (this is one reason I have held back against buying a Plaisir which does not fix this issue). So I returned to thinking about this pen, that looks a bit more bulbous than the Preppy.

 

Since my last posts in this thread, I tried the:

 

• Cross Peerless - nib is awesome but the body is so heavy
• Platinum 3776 - returned it because the body felt like cheap plastic and I didn't think the fine gold nib was superior to other steel fine nibs I may have or could find (though it was extremely reliable like the Preppy)
• Platinum President - the medium nib did not write properly (baby's bottom? sensitivity to angle? the 3776 nibs that I had tried in store seemed vastly better)
• Faber Castell e-motion - comfortable but gets heavy and feels short over time
• Lamy 2000 - good pen overall but not as comfortable as I would like
• Faber Castell Loom - what were they thinking with that body?
• Lamy Al Star with cheap Chinese EF nib (as on the Wing Sung 6539) - close second to the Preppy
• ...and a bunch of others.

 

[MuddyWaters]

I tried a Procyon in a store a few months ago. I forget the tactile feel of it. Is the aluminum/paint material slippery or grippy?

[jchch1950]

grippy.

[hot cocoa]

Have you considered the Sailor Lecoule? The flow is excellent, and the nib has just enough feedback to grab the paper. The experience is close enough to the Sailor 14k nib that it surprised me in a good way, but there you have it. Overall writing with it is very pleasant: well balanced, light but not flimsy.

[MuddyWaters]

3 hours ago, hot cocoa said:

Have you considered the Sailor Lecoule? The flow is excellent, and the nib has just enough feedback to grab the paper. The experience is close enough to the Sailor 14k nib that it surprised me in a good way, but there you have it. Overall writing with it is very pleasant: well balanced, light but not flimsy.

 

I considered it but I think the lecoule might be too small. I've ordered a sailor copy from China just to see the body size. Thanks for the suggestion!

[A Smug Dill]

On 1/12/2021 at 7:18 AM, MuddyWaters said:

… the lecoule might be too small. I've ordered a sailor copy from China just to see the body size.

 

Which one is that?

[MuddyWaters]

12 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Which one is that?

 

I think it was the jinhao 992. Does that fit analogically?

[A Smug Dill]

11 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

I think it was the jinhao 992. Does that fit analogically?

 

Oh, I thought you were replying to @hot cocoa and therefore specifically talking about a Chinese-made copy/clone of the Sailor Lecoule, which has flat ends while the Jinhao 992 is cigar-shaped.

[MuddyWaters]

I was speaking quite loosely as you can tell

[MuddyWaters]

Bump. So I ended up ordering a platinum plaisir in the end. I enjoy those preppy nibs that are 0.3mm. I'm not sure if the plaisir will be much of an upgrade in feel given the preppy's major setback for me is the cylindrical body. 

 

I still wonder why the Procyon is not more popular, as an attractive solid pen. I think the main issue is likely the price point, at least here in North America. It is too close to the 3776. Yet, platinum does not have any other true steel nibbled EDC pen. I wonder what the sales would have been like had the Procyon been maybe 40-50$ usd. Sure, that would be way cheaper than what other solid steel nibbed pens from diplomat and Faber Castell goes for, so maybe it is a fair price in the end. 

 

Anyway, if I continue to enjoy this preppy/plaisir nib, I may just end up biting the bullet on this. With the pandemic and the lack of trying pens before buying, I don't think I want to buy a gold nibbed full size japanese pen for what they go for. 

[bone215]

Prefount

by Platinum

 

upscale preppy

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

11 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

I still wonder why the Procyon is not more popular, as an attractive solid pen. I think the main issue is likely the price point, at least here in North America.

 

Yes, I'd say price is the main factor, but more closely related to how much more expensive it is than a Platinum Plaisir/Prefounte/Preppy, than how close it is to the price of an ‘entry-level’ gold-nibbed Platinum #3776 Century.

 

11 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

It is too close to the 3776.

 

The ‘basic’ Procyon is a ¥5,000+tax pen, while the ’basic’ gold-trimmed #3776 Century with translucent resin are (now) ¥13,000+tax, so they're not even close in objective terms, as opposed to how people perceive pricing subjectively in terms of tiers (no, that wasn't a misspelling) and back-pocket pain. Even if we're just looking at North America, I'll use Goulet Pen's prices — not that I'm inclined to ever buy anything from that retailer, precisely because I've formed the impression that it doesn't offer discounts beyond the ‘standard’ 20% off MSRP of Platinum products in the region to push sales — the Procyon is US$60 and the #3776 Century Chartres Blue with gold trim is US$176, still so nearly threefold.

 

12 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

Yet, platinum does not have any other true steel nibbled EDC pen.

 

I don't see why a violet Plaisir wouldn't satisfy the criteria for a “true steel nibbed EDC pen”, as a robust, down-to-earth and reliable writing instrument, even for the straight professional man who happen to need to write a lot of words daily.

 

12 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

I wonder what the sales would have been like had the Procyon been maybe 40-50$ usd.

 

I don't think the ‘street price’ for the Procyon, if you ignore the likes of Goulet and only look at retailers to offer not-funded-or-sanctioned-by-the-distributor discounts, is that far off US$50.

 

12 hours ago, MuddyWaters said:

Sure, that would be way cheaper than what other solid steel nibbed pens from diplomat and Faber Castell goes for, so maybe it is a fair price in the end. 

 

I can get a Faber-Castell Essentio with aluminium (or carbon fibre, if you prefer) body, or even a ’basic’ Ambition model with black resin body, for less than US$50.

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks for biting, I appreciate the discussion. You are totally right. I am comparing prices from different countries which is unfair to platinum. The platinum 3776 is available from Amazon for 140 cad, whereas the Procyon is available for 110 cad in local stores (not on Amazon). The difference is minimal, but that's mostly an artifact of Amazon sourcing these pens from overseas; there lies the anomaly. 

 

Any reason a violet plaisir would be more suitable for EDC ? I ordered the cheapest option which was the yellow. I should receive it tomorrow. I agree with you that this is a pen without objective fault .. I just think it will have limited use for long writing sessions due to its lack of ergonomic bulge, which the Procyon provides. But anyway, I think I will try to use it as much as possible and get used to it. 

[doclocs13]

Thanks for the great review and amazing pictures!!

[maclink]

I got myself a Procyon with a M nib.  I already have three 3776's and a Cool to compare.  Then I found this thread after deciding on sharing my impressions.

 

I like it a lot more than the Cool.  While I'd buy a TWSBI Eco in a heartbeat over a Cool, I wouldn't really say so with the Procyon since the nib on the Procyon, the highlight for me, performs quite similarly to the 3776, and I really like the 3776.  It's one of those grinds that you have to hold in a particular way and with a feedback that slows my writing so that it's actually better.  There's a slight stubbiness as well, I think...

The 3776 M nib txt is with Diamine Oxblood and the pen has been inked for over 1yr.

The Procyon M nib is inked with Rohrer and Klingner's Dokumentus Brown.

 

The nib is nail-like in stiffness.  Quite similar to the 3776 actually.  The nib on the Cool, I thought was OK, and actually puts down a thicker line than the Procyon/3776. 

 

The Procyon comes with the slip/seal capping, so I haven't really done any testing for drying out as I did with the Cool which unfortunately, didn't go well.  

 

What I did find interesting is that the uncapped and capped lengths of the Cool, Procyon and 3776 are all the pretty much the same.  Where the nib is shorter, the barrel length compensates etc.  So from an ergonomic standpoint, they seem quite convinced about this length to have it implemented across these models.  I don't have a Plaisir, Prefounte or Preppy to compare.

 

I do prefer the Procyon uncapped to the 3776 uncapped.  The thicker barrel, along more of it's length, makes all the difference.

 

Overall, I have no regrets having gotten it and would highly recommend it.

 

I got this one from Cultpens.  It came with no ink cartridge or converter.  I don't know if the nice pack of 3 cartridges was a promotional thing or was overlooked. 

[A Smug Dill]

18 hours ago, maclink said:

I got this one from Cultpens.  It came with no ink cartridge or converter.

 

I'm sure the Procyon retail package from Platinum includes a (i.e. one) blue-black ink cartridge.

 

18 hours ago, maclink said:

I don't know if the nice pack of 3 cartridges was a promotional thing or was overlooked. 

 

The inclusion of a 3-pack of Platinum Mixable Ink cartridges was a promotion to reward/entice early adopters of the Procyon line, and you only missed the boat by about a year.

 

Source: Platinum Pen

 

 

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks for your post maclink. It was very timely for me I think. I was contemplating buying a platinum 3776 in the last few days. One of them was even in my Amazon cart, a fine nibbed one, just like the one I ordered a few months ago and returned. 

 

That which made me hesitate before buying was the body size uncapped. My hand prefers longer pens because it can stay open and more relaxed. So the 3776 is probably still too short. The Procyon is cheaper and indeed, I am not convinced the gold nib offers too much more over the Procyon fine nib. The slightly bigger and heavier body seems more comfortable. 

 

 

[maclink]

58 minutes ago, MuddyWaters said:

Thanks for your post maclink. It was very timely for me I think. I was contemplating buying a platinum 3776 in the last few days. One of them was even in my Amazon cart, a fine nibbed one, just like the one I ordered a few months ago and returned. 

 

That which made me hesitate before buying was the body size uncapped. My hand prefers longer pens because it can stay open and more relaxed. So the 3776 is probably still too short. The Procyon is cheaper and indeed, I am not convinced the gold nib offers too much more over the Procyon fine nib. The slightly bigger and heavier body seems more comfortable. 

 

 

I've grown to be quite fascinated with, and pay more attention to, pen dimensions, as well as weight and how they interact to influence ergonomics.  I'm quite sensitive to small differences.  You seem to be the same.

 

I dislike using the Platinum 3776 unposted because the barrel tapers too much.  Looking at the Procyon, side by side with the Platinum, the thicker barrel, only along about a half of its length, is evident, but for me, the ergonomics are different.  I can use it unposted, although I would still prefer if it were a bit longer, and by only a few millimeters. 

 

I think the Platinum pen producers believe in the ergonomics of the capped length in their pens.  For my hand and preference, I find it a touch long, although it's OK for sure and one could easily grow to be fully comfortable with it.  I say a touch too long because I checked by personal benchmark in posted length, that of an M200/400 and it's a mere 7mm shorter and lighter too.  

 

A Sailor 1911L is so much similar to a MB 146.  However, I find the MB more comfortable because I use them both un-posted, and the MB doesn't taper as sharply as the 1911L.   It's noticeable but not a huge difference, so I have both pens and use them.  However, the MB gets the nod.  When both MB and Pelikan keep getting small things right in ergonomics, I begin to realise it's no accident.  The Japanese manufacturers do pay a similar attention, but I do feel that Platinum designed their pen, especially the 3776, to be used posted.  The Procyon's thickness, OTOH, does allow for a satisfying experience un-posted.

[MuddyWaters]

55 minutes ago, maclink said:

I've grown to be quite fascinated with, and pay more attention to, pen dimensions, as well as weight and how they interact to influence ergonomics.  I'm quite sensitive to small differences.  You seem to be the same.

 

I dislike using the Platinum 3776 unposted because the barrel tapers too much.  Looking at the Procyon, side by side with the Platinum, the thicker barrel, only along about a half of its length, is evident, but for me, the ergonomics are different.  I can use it unposted, although I would still prefer if it were a bit longer, and by only a few millimeters. 

 

I think the Platinum pen producers believe in the ergonomics of the capped length in their pens.  For my hand and preference, I find it a touch long, although it's OK for sure and one could easily grow to be fully comfortable with it.  I say a touch too long because I checked by personal benchmark in posted length, that of an M200/400 and it's a mere 7mm shorter and lighter too.  

 

A Sailor 1911L is so much similar to a MB 146.  However, I find the MB more comfortable because I use them both un-posted, and the MB doesn't taper as sharply as the 1911L.   It's noticeable but not a huge difference, so I have both pens and use them.  However, the MB gets the nod.  When both MB and Pelikan keep getting small things right in ergonomics, I begin to realise it's no accident.  The Japanese manufacturers do pay a similar attention, but I do feel that Platinum designed their pen, especially the 3776, to be used posted.  The Procyon's thickness, OTOH, does allow for a satisfying experience un-posted.

 

Sensitive to small differences indeed... 

 

I personally avoid using my pens posted. I prefer the unposted almost at all costs. The Japanese pens in their standard sizes unfortunately don't always accommodate this (maybe for smaller hands they do). The Procyon indeed is just on the border of acceptability. It is by no measure a "long" pen; in the end it is roughly equal to the 3776 but has a thicker hold. 

 

I know you compared the nibs of the Procyon to those of the Twsbi, but I wonder if it might be useful to compare the dimensions of these pens (source: gouletpens.com):

 

Procyon

grip diameter: 10mm

body length (unposted, including nib): 118.6mm

 

3776

grip diameter: 10.1mm

body length: 120mm

 

TWSBI 580

grip diameter: 10mm

body length: 130mm

 

TWSBI Eco

grip diameter: 9.1mm

body length: 131.6mm

 

I wonder if I should not buy a Twsbi 580 instead... 

 

[maclink]

 

7 minutes ago, MuddyWaters said:

I know you compared the nibs of the Procyon to those of the Twsbi, but I wonder if it might be useful to compare the dimensions of these pens (source: gouletpens.com):

 

Procyon

grip diameter: 10mm

body length (unposted, including nib): 118.6mm

 

3776

grip diameter: 10.1mm

body length: 120mm

 

TWSBI 580

grip diameter: 10mm

body length: 130mm

 

TWSBI Eco

grip diameter: 9.1mm

body length: 131.6mm

 

I wonder if I should not buy a Twsbi 580 instead... 

 

 

If I were to choose one, I'd definitely give the nod to the TWSBI.  The 580 is a very comfortable pen un-posted and the nibs of the TWSBI's have been impressive out of the box.  I haven't had to tune any of the 8 nibs I've worked with (most on pens purchased and others, different nib size purchases).  They have also been very reliable writers.  I am a fan of theirs.  3x580s', 3xEco's, 3xVac700x's, 1xGo, 1xDiamond Mini, 1xClassic. I used them a lot in the past, but my enthusiasm has shifted..... the nature of the hobby... but this hasn't diminished my respect for the brand.

 

ALBEIT, the Procyon is a great pen as well, with the qualities being just different.  It's fun experiencing them both and hope you get a chance.  🤑  The choice and experience is great among makers who pay close attention to usability features rather than flare and bling.... the flare is good, but please, not at the expense of ergonomics and reliability.