New: Platinum Curidas (Capless Type) Fountain Pen

[Driften]

Does anybody know what this bulge at the nib end is? It doesn't seem to be there in other specimen (the red one) in other pictures.

 

 

Strange... maybe it's a roll stop for when used without the clip? I also expect it's on all of the colors just not shown in the angle of the photos provided by Platinum..

 

Checking platinum's website it does show the hump in the design and in the little video they have it's present as well.

Edited January 27, 2020 by Driften

[JosephKing]

Does anybody know what this bulge at the nib end is? It doesn't seem to be there in other specimen (the red one) in other pictures.

It's just excited to be lying next to the pretty green pen; the bulge goes away when it's working or dunked in cold water.

[mke]

Why don't you ask the person on IG? He/she has it apparently.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B70LYjyjT10/

[OmegaMountain]

I looked at Pen Chalet's post on it and it looks like it could even function as a built in pen rest as well.

[WLSpec]

You know... after a seeing it for the first time, I thought badly of the design, but it's kind of growing on me. I really wish they come out with a steel music nib they could put in it, however far fetched that idea is . Maybe even some kind of stub like the VP/Decimo......

[sketchstack]

Looking at that mechanism... Have they said if it will accommodate a converter?

 

Looks like it'll work with a converter. Per usual, however, Platinum doesn't include a converter.

 

Overall I'm pretty excited about this pen. I'll have to settle on a Medium but I'll live. I'm glad to see another less expensive player in the retractable fountain pen market. I'm thinking urban sketchers will like the convenience without the higher Pilot VP price tag.

Edited January 28, 2020 by sketchstack

[Caeruleum]

Why don't you ask the person on IG? He/she has it apparently.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B70LYjyjT10/

I'm no IG user. Maybe you could ask if you're interested as well

[Honeybadgers]

for $65.... I'm really feeling the VP special alloy. You're getting the $150 VP body, just with a steel nib for like ten bucks more.

 

If this was closer to $35 or 40, I might be interested enough to give it a try. But at $65, I'm gonna pass unless reviews start calling this thing the second coming of Christ. Will be interesting to see what people think of it over time.

[penzel_washinkton]

for $65.... I'm really feeling the VP special alloy. You're getting the $150 VP body, just with a steel nib for like ten bucks more.

 

If this was closer to $35 or 40, I might be interested enough to give it a try. But at $65, I'm gonna pass unless reviews start calling this thing the second coming of Christ. Will be interesting to see what people think of it over time.

With this kind of mechanism, I feel Japanese branded pens will require some time to go under $50.

Chinese brands though is a different story.

[lMobiusl]

I feel like $65 is too much for the way this pen looks.

[penzel_washinkton]

I feel like $65 is too much for the way this pen looks.

 

It is not priced $65 mainly for it's look but for its mechanism and features

Edited January 29, 2020 by penzel_washinkton

[Theroc]

I was going to pass on this one. However, after watching the mechanism in action and given the pen's competitive pricing, it makes my shopping list for this year.

[Algester]

so its a knock type pen but the heart of the pen is basically that i think is the Preppy?

 

I'd give Platinum on probably not getting sued by Pilot this time but who knows...

 

so its essentially a CHONKed up preppy?

Edited January 30, 2020 by Algester

[Caeruleum]

so its a knock type pen but the heart of the pen is basically that i think is the Preppy?

 

I'd give Platinum on probably not getting sued by Pilot this time but who knows...

 

so its essentially a CHONKed up preppy?

As far as I can tell it's more than that. The inner workings contain a mechanism which retracts the nib and seals it. The pen seems to be bigger than a Preppy (i assume this based on the size comparison to a Twsbi Eco your can see some posts above).

The Preppy is made from polycarbonate, the Curidas from polymethylmethacrylate. Polycarbonate can be sensitive to UV light - aside from that I can't say much about the materials.

[Olya]

Here's an excellent video by PenChalet, explaining eg the long knock, how to take off the clip and more:

 

 

(Saw it first by lurking here https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ew0j99/platinum_curidas_fountain_pen_youtube/)

[BaronWulfraed]

Polycarbonate can be sensitive to UV light - aside from that I can't say much about the materials.

Interesting... Since one of the selling points for polycarbonate eyeglass lenses (besides somewhat reduced weight vs regular optical plastic) is that the material is an inherent UV blocker. No need to have a UV block coating on the lens.

[Driften]

I plan on ordering one of these and giving it a try. Not sure I care that much for the looks but if it functions as well as it seems it could be great to have around.

[Caeruleum]

Interesting... Since one of the selling points for polycarbonate eyeglass lenses (besides somewhat reduced weight vs regular optical plastic) is that the material is an inherent UV blocker. No need to have a UV block coating on the lens.

I'm neither a chemical scientist nor an engineer, so if someone more knowledgeable can provide more information, I appreciate it. I just looked up characteristics of some materials Platinum pens are made of since I noticed they name PC as material for the Preppy and PMMA for the Curidas.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Caeruleum

[A Smug Dill]

I feel like $65 is too much for the way this pen looks.

 

 

The Platinum Balance (in the "Cool" range of colours) with the same sort of see-through PMMA plastic, and nothing special about its design or function, not even the Slip-and-Seal mechanism or the "promise" of ink not drying out if the pen is left capped and unused for 12 months, is a ¥3,000 pen. The Platinum Curidas, with the functionality and features (e.g. removable clip to suit the user's individual preference, and even a supplied tool to facilitate safe and easy clip removal) it offers, and the design and engineering effort as well as mechanical parts that has to stand up to many, many thousands of nib deployment and retractions, is a ¥7,000 pen. I personally think the nominal 133% price difference is quite justified, especially when all that engineering is on display in the translucent body. If you consider the price at which the Platinum Balance at launch in North America (US$42.40, going by Goulet's blog^†), the 51% price difference from the Curidas is even more favourable in context.

 

Obviously, if one is going purely by "looks" at a glance, without using the prices of other Platinum, or Japanese, pens as a frame of reference and without appreciation of the operational and technical aspects, I can certainly agree there are plenty of cheaper Chinese pens in the market these days that look better, and US$64 can buy any number of pens that look more impressive.

 

^† Goulet packaged a Platinum converter into that price at launch, and I can't find information as to whether other US retailers also did so.

[JosephKing]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8H-5x1MixQ

 

That bulge looks like it could be uncomfortable for the middle finger of a tripod grip; might be a try before you buy affair.