New: Platinum Curidas (Capless Type) Fountain Pen

[penzel_washinkton]

Remember when TWSBI showed off their Click model? I wonder whatever happened with that?

Haven't even heard of it previously since I just got into the hobby from 2018.

Was that below $50? Saw it at a FB forum , it looks very similar physically to the VP although TWSBI claim that the sealing contraption is different to avoid patent issues.

 

Not sure if Platinum could avoid a legal dispute with Pilot with the Curidas.

[nakiana]

I might check one out at a pen store when they hit the market. The VP was a bit small for me. If this one is larger in diameter it might be worth a try. I am not sure what I think of the long knock. It isn't very appealing visually, but if I am carrying the pen in my pocket it won't be visible, and if it is out of my pocket I will be writing with it and the knock length won't be an issue

[Olya]

Haven't even heard of it previously since I just got into the hobby from 2018.

Was that below $50? Saw it at a FB forum , it looks very similar physically to the VP although TWSBI claim that the sealing contraption is different to avoid patent issues.

 

Not sure if Platinum could avoid a legal dispute with Pilot with the Curidas.

I'm doubting there'll be a legal dispute. Someone on reddit commented that likely Pilot's patent expired, so now Platinum is back in on the clicker-fp action. After all, they released one ages ago and if I remember right, had to withdraw it because Pilot was suing them.

I don't think they went into the clicker-fp market again without being sue-proof this time and I'd imagine that the speculation is right, Pilot's patents expired. Platinum was likely working on this for ages, biding their time and adjusting their model through market watch until they could release it without legal troubles.

 

I know none of this for certain though.

 

I wonder whether and/or when Sailor will strike with a clicky-fp, the Big 3 are very competitive, can't imagine one of them not having such a unique model and levelling the field alongside the other 2...

[mke]

IF there was a patent, then it was in the beginning of the capless. Patents have a lifetime of only 20 years. So it would have expired long ago.

 

"In 1964 Pilot's engineers created many new products to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics. The greatest of their achievements was the Pilot Capless fountain pen."

[Honeybadgers]

It has the long knock like the Sharpie ultra fine knock. No different.

 

THAT'S what I was trying to figure out. it looks like a sharpie click. That's why I hate it.

[penzel_washinkton]

I'm doubting there'll be a legal dispute. Someone on reddit commented that likely Pilot's patent expired, so now Platinum is back in on the clicker-fp action. After all, they released one ages ago and if I remember right, had to withdraw it because Pilot was suing them.

I don't think they went into the clicker-fp market again without being sue-proof this time and I'd imagine that the speculation is right, Pilot's patents expired. Platinum was likely working on this for ages, biding their time and adjusting their model through market watch until they could release it without legal troubles.

 

I know none of this for certain though.

 

I wonder whether and/or when Sailor will strike with a clicky-fp, the Big 3 are very competitive, can't imagine one of them not having such a unique model and levelling the field alongside the other 2...

That might be the case.

Competitive is good and all but after seeing the pricing on the new Capless LS, I don't understand the way Pilot are going.

[Olya]

That might be the case.

Competitive is good and all but after seeing the pricing on the new Capless LS, I don't understand the way Pilot are going.

I find many of Pilot's decisions baffling, like prohibiting vendors from selling certain models, certain colours, restricting sale based on geography and restricting fpen sales on Amazon (and what now seems eBay, try finding the Prera on German Amazon, seems other European Amazon sites are just as affected and eBay seems headed the same way when I did a quick search the other day) and much more...

[eharriett]

I’ll be very interested when this comes to a US retailer.

 

Always wanted a VP but been very unsatisfied with the clip against my finger. This one holds promise.

[mke]

> Someone on reddit commented that likely Pilot's patent expired

Why do people always need to speculate without knowing any facts?
Before assuming and guessing and speculating, better check first if Pilot really had a (or several) patent(s) on the VP? From when was it/were they? When did it/they expire?

[Honeybadgers]

> Someone on reddit commented that likely Pilot's patent expired

 

Why do people always need to speculate without knowing any facts?

Before assuming and guessing and speculating, better check first if Pilot really had a (or several) patent(s) on the VP? From when was it/were they? When did it/they expire?

 

Patents expire differently depending on where they were issued, but you are likely right, unless pilot has changed the mechanism slight, just enough to renew a patent.

 

That's what drug companies do.

[mke]

> That's what drug companies do.

I know but they need to convince then the patent office that it is something new and inventitive. That is not so easy, even as a Japanese company in Japan.

Next week, I am looking into the patents from Pilot. Let's see what I find. It should be around 1963 as they apparently started selling the VP in 1964.

 

> Patents expire differently

I think this is now everywhere the same - 20 years. If it is "only" a registered design, it might be extendable until today - this is also something which need to be checked.

Edited January 19, 2020 by mke

[Caeruleum]

No matter how good and popular the Curidas will be in the end I'm glad to see Platinum is willing to try out new models and innovate.

[penzel_washinkton]

IF there was a patent, then it was in the beginning of the capless. Patents have a lifetime of only 20 years. So it would have expired long ago.

 

"In 1964 Pilot's engineers created many new products to celebrate the Tokyo Olympics. The greatest of their achievements was the Pilot Capless fountain pen."

They did filed a patent in 1966 as per this link but it has expired since the 80s :

 

https://patents.google.com/patent/US3399946A/en

[mke]

Thanks. That is exactly what I thought, expired since long.

This US patent cites a priority patent: JP1635166. That is certainly the first patent regarding the capless.

[toymachine]

Love Platinum pens and excited for the Curidas. Anyone pick one up yet? I'd get one from rakuten but seems like prices could drop a bit?

 

btw- some good curidas spes and details if anyone is still searching info

[penzel_washinkton]

Love Platinum pens and excited for the Curidas. Anyone pick one up yet? I'd get one from rakuten but seems like prices could drop a bit?

 

btw- some good curidas spes and details if anyone is still searching info

Like mke said, the item on Rakuten is pre-order right?

[mke]

> JP1635166

That is a misleading number, 66 at the end actually means 1966. It is also only the application number. The patent was laid open in 1969 as JP-S44-13781.

 

There are more patent applications from Pilot regarding retractable pens/writing tools.

[mke]

> Like mke said, the item on Rakuten is pre-order right?

 

Selling start: March - apparently.

[bluebellrose]

I guess they heard about the complaints people had about the pilot vp clip

[Marioferu]

Oh my goodness! I'm afraid to say that pen is not at all for me. Nonetheless, it will be an interesting addition to the capless fountain pen family, which I recognise as VP and Decimos, Lamy Dialog 3, and Visconti Pinifarina Iridium/Carbon Graphite (though I don't know if I can count those because of how limited and expensive they were). Am I missing any? (There is the Montblanc Boheme retractable but that still has a cap, which kind of takes away the point )

Yes, you missed the Stipula DaVinci Capless.