Regular Shape Fountain Pen Replacement For Platinum Desk Pen & Carbon Black Ink

[AAAndrew]

I love my Platinum desk pen with the carbon black ink. I use it all the time for labeling boxes covered in brown, kraft paper, which no other fountain pen can work with. I love the ultra fine nib and the carbon black ink with all of its characteristics, but I wish I could find a regular non-desk pen in which I could get the same combination.

 

I've read that Platinum 3776's might work. They might, but it would be even better if I could find a slightly less expensive pen. I hesitate to spend that kind of money on an experiment, if it's not clear they will really work. I also need the extra fine nib as I'm writing on the ends of small boxes and a "fine" just will not work.

 

I have cartridges for the desk pen, but would be willing to buy bottled carbon black ink if the pen didn't fit cartridges. I'm willing to possibly use other brands, but I'd have to be convinced that the feed and nib would work with the ink.

 

Suggestions?

 

thanks

[sciumbasci]

You can saw off the long tail and plug the hole in the back with the plug that comes with Pilot V5 rollerballs. There is a handy guide on how to do it online, complete with pictures.

[A Smug Dill]

I love the ultra fine nib and the carbon black ink with all of its characteristics, but I wish I could find a regular non-desk pen in which I could get the same combination.

Which objective characteristics specifically? Obviously not the physical dimensions or the shape and geometry of the pen body, but then neither the market price (which is sorta objective, but that depends also on where you are, and how and from whom you're comfortable buying pens, which makes it subjective) nor how willing you're to 'risk' a pen by filling it with a pigment ink should be part of the individual reader's criteria in trying to find a match to suggest to you.

 

I'm happy with the results of (bottled) Platinum Carbon Black ink in my A$100^† Lamy Studio Lx All Black (with a Z52 steel EF nib) and my A$1000^† Pilot 'Hannya Shingyo' (with an 18K gold #10 F nib), in which I keep the ink long-term. I don't see why the ink might fail to deliver when used in a $10 Pilot Kakuno with a steel EF nib, if you aren't picky about the writing experience itself but are focused only on the outcome on kraft paper. Or a suitable sub-$10 Chinese pen with an EF nib, for that matter.

 

---

^† The prices I quoted are close enough to what I paid for the pens (at different times), within 20%.

[AAAndrew]

I like the fineness of the nib and the ability to use this ink. I thought you needed a specific feed to handle the ink.

[A Smug Dill]

Not that I'm aware. I've used the ink "successfully" in $10 Plaisir and $1000 pens with their stock standard plastic feeds. The EF ("02") nib on the Plaisir failed to deliver the fineness that I want, but the F nib on my Pilot 'Hannya Shingyo' does much better in that regard.

 

Edited November 10, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[Honeybadgers]

Supposedly the reason the carbon desk pen has that huge feed is that it's because the pen is in an environment where it can dry out.

 

I use platinum carbon ink from a bottle in lots of different pens without issue. I just don't use it in pens that I can't remove the feed from and clean with a brush because pigmented inks always will leave residue over time.

 

Even felt feed pens seem to handle the carbon ink just fine though, I've used it in my platinum felt tip bush pen several times and had zero issue.

 

That said, I just find platinum carbon black to be very prone to feathering on less than great paper. Do you guys notice that as well? I don't like signing checks or envelopes with it because it feathers sooooo badly.

 

I haven't tried the sailor carbon black, do you know if it's any better in that regards, gil?

Edited November 10, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Mongoosey]

 

That said, I just find platinum carbon black to be very prone to feathering on less than great paper. Do you guys notice that as well?

 

I haven't tried the sailor carbon black, do you know if it's any better in that regards, gil?

 

Yes, I noticed that Platinum Carbon Black is prone to feathering on less than great paper. I was disappointed with that.

_____________________

 

Sailor Carbon Black, Kiwa-Guro, is one of the best inks on cheap paper, as long as the pen isn't dry. For example: I've found it works great with anything with a Jowo nib unit (Ranga, Franklin-Christoph), but is dry in many beginner level pens (Metro, TWSBI).

_____________________

 

I basically use two inks right now: Kiwa-Guro and Noodler's Walnut, and possibly Noodler's Black if I need to write on cheap paper and Kiwa-Guro runs dry in the pen,

 

But I'll even use Walnut on cheap paper for personal writing because it only feathers a little and writes so smoothly, surprisingly enough. It's one of those inks Noodler's did very well with, IMO.

[A Smug Dill]

I don't have a lot of occasion to use Sailor kiwaguro pigment ink to write on cheques, envelopes or rough fibrous paper, Colin. All I can say is that it is less likely to feather and more apt to sheen than Platinum Carbon Black ink, but then PCB has the advantage of being completely waterproof whereas kiwaguro isn't.

[AAAndrew]

Interesting. One of the things I’ve liked about the carbon black is that it hasn’t feathered on even office copy paper, and the rough, brown kraft paper on the cardboard boxes won’t tolerate other fp ink. Maybe it’s the combo of the extra fine nib and the ink. Whatever it is, it’s working for me and I was just wondering if they had a non-desk version where I could get the same combination.

 

I also like the waterproof part.

 

I have a needle-point Chinese pen I may try with the ink. If it clogs, it’s as cheap as a preppy, no not a big loss.

[BaronWulfraed]

For the fine points... I believe the Platinum PTL-5000a is available in EF, and it is relatively cheap for a gold nib.

[A Smug Dill]

I don't like signing checks or envelopes with [Platinum Carbon Black ink] because it feathers sooooo badly.

 

I haven't tried the sailor carbon black, do you know if it's any better in that regards, gil?

Just for you, since I had occasion to fill in an official form today over which I have no control of the quality of the paper, and I asked for a whole bunch of those forms to hold in reserve for future ink giveaways:

 

The writing on the left hand side was all done with Platinum Carbon Black ink, and the writing on the right hand side was done with Sailor kiwaguro pigment ink.

[AAAndrew]

Interesting to see. Thank you. It shows me that the Preppy extra fine is not so very fine, comparatively.

[tamiya]

Love the PCB deskpen 800!

 

Been thinking of trying PCB in an EF Kakuno; if that works I'd rehouse that EF into a Metro body. I'll get around to it one day...

 

 

Recently inked up a Platinum Desk Pen 700 (nonCarbon)... it's very dry, very fine needley sharp point nowhere as pleasant as the Carbon Inked 800. Nib & section on 700 looks more like from the Preppy.

[A Smug Dill]

Nib & section on 700 looks more like from the Preppy.

 

 

But of course they do. The nibs and sections on the Platinum DPQ-700A are interchangeable with the Preppy, and they even come with the same Slip and Seal mechanism in the cap. The DP-1000AN desk pens are the ones that share the DP-800S's design.

[tamiya]

But of course they do. The nibs and sections on the Platinum DPQ-700A are interchangeable with the Preppy, and they even come with the same Slip and Seal mechanism in the cap. The DP-1000AN desk pens are the ones that share the DP-800S's design.

Ahh good info thanks! I haven't yet been able to compare the 700 to a Preppy.

 

So is the 1000 feed/nib same as 800?

 

Whilst browsing at Tokyu Hands Changi last week noticed Platinum had different desk stands for 700 & 800.

[A Smug Dill]

I think the DPD-1200G desk pen stand — which is the only one listed as supported the DPQ-700A desk pen – is designed to provide the superior sealing, but it isn't compatible with any other model of desk pen.

[tamiya]

ok I think the 2 I saw are the 1200E and 1200G

 

(Hmm, there exists a DPQ-700A and a DPQ-700 without 'A'?)

 

I *think* I brought back the 1200E with the diagonal slant cut since I've got more 800 pens

 

Looked at the 1200G with the squared cut trumpet... and there's no insert inside the trumpet. Come to think of it don't think either trumpet has any insert. For the 700A looked like it was suggested that you stuff inside the trumpet the flimsy blowmolded nib packing cup that most ppl would've thrown out with the blister card.

 

At least it sorta seals the 700A pen. Same blowmolded cup comes with the 800 pack but it's no way close to capping the 800.

[tamiya]

Ok I flicked over to https://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/products/deskpen/edeskpen1.html

 

Site not very updated the DPQ-800S is shown in bagged packaging not the current blister card.

 

Also says only EF available, whilst I saw Medium 800S being sold in SG last week.

[A Smug Dill]

Site not very updated the DPQ-800S is shown in bagged packaging not the current blister card.

 

Also says only EF available, whilst I saw Medium 800S being sold in SG last week.

 

The Japanese web page for the domestic market is more up to date:

https://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/deskpen_03.html

[AAAndrew]

I got a Preppy with EF nib and so far it’s working well with the Carbon Black.