Curious Case Of Curidas

[peroride]

Cut to the chase: Cult classic cuick click!

 

C'mon YetAnotherCuridasPenReview (YACPR ) on some glorified pushy Preppy!

 

Haven't we heard the last word from...

• Megathread Started by Olya
• the stellar 高畑正幸https://youtu.be/3x4uIQ2ZZnE
• inky.rocks https://youtu.be/SCfzXNQ511s
• alanlight https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353361-video-platinum-curidas/
• Tas https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/352260-a-brief-rambling-on-the-platinum-curidas/
• Inkdependence https://youtu.be/-sPjG_PzoCk
• Figboot https://youtu.be/06dYAhs8JLQ
• Carrots and Olives https://youtu.be/ucMpFMKjH-0
• Just Scribble https://youtu.be/anAw8IVqQf4
• and so many others...!

Yes, yes but this is indeed YACPR of this polarizing fugly VP wannabe because you're Curidas curious staying at home crunching on chips. What else you're gonna do, fiddle with your fountain pens?

 

During these hunker down times, I've gotten some intimacy with the curious Curidas.

States delivery hit retail right during Covid and that memory will be forever tied to the pen. It's here and it's good, not FP underground elite subculture skewed good, but bridge to mainstream good.

I almost broke it after unboxing, getting the fiddy bits locked up and trap door stuck. But after RTFM, all was right as rain. Then I dropped it, twice. It's tough, like a toy. That's a good thing.

 

Kudos to Platinum for breaking out of shell and putting something unexpected and modern. It seems like a gamble. The long knock, candy childish demo launch colors, price discount grumblings, do not make for a smooth worldwide debut. Over and over, I kept wondering, why. Why does this exist? Why are you reading this stupid review? What was the marketing team thinking?

We already have daily retractions... Pilot Capless rulez...?

 

The Chinese have the candy plastic, hommage-copy-cough-cough lower end. And there's Lamy - Safari, just pick a color.

And all manner of assorted flotsam and jetsam that spits ink decently.

 

What does Curidas bring to the table? Click, click, click...start of the modern fountain?

 

At the cost of a Pilot VP refill nib, my guess is this is a smart but calculated bridge to the mainstream, not fountain pen freaks.

 

Think Traveler Notebookin, BuJo, Hobonichy, Muji, ROTERFADEN TASCHENBEGLEITER (let's say that again ROTERFADEN TASCHENBEGLEITER), scrapbooking, IG portfolio spreadin koolkids fanbase.

 

What's like a pen but not a 'fountain pen'?

• Easy to use, and just does the job.
• A daily workhorse that works straight out of the box, doesn't lose a cap, pretty sturdy for the rigors of EDC...

Curidas is just like those cheap ballpoints but its not.

It's one of those pens that grows on you; the more I try, the more I like.

• I like the weight and the balance, surprisingly as girth and length do detract report the threads.
• Quick positive resounding satisfying ADHD deployment, not as mushy like VP
• I can drop it and not cry
• Converters, cartridges, 3776, Nakaya, oh my! Good standardization, interoperability

It's a pen! that happens to be a fountain pen!

 

Room for improvement:

• Deployment single handed is cumbersome because you guessed it, the knock pusher is so long, the ops are knock with thumb then grippy idle hand down to grip. Unlike the VP where it seems like the right length.
• Front business end plastic is so thin, running your finger over it is like nails on a chalkboard. It feels like a nose dive would crack it for sure. Black nib holder is kinda fragile and it was hard to mate with converter
• Undernub, just say no to undernub - you can't choke up the grip but must ride along side the clip so as not to chafe the middle finger. But Curidas can go for long sessions, untiringly, just like Pilot Capless

 

The skeuomorphic steampunky reminiscent design would salute H. R. Giger if they had came out in smooth glossy black. I'm waiting.

 

I think if the launch goes well despite the economic pandemic downturn, Platinum can iterate like it's 1965 again, OK!

[TSherbs]

What size nib is yours?

[peroride]

>What size nib is yours?

 

Fine, but different inks have different thickness

 

I like Carbon black in it

[TSherbs]

That looks like blue ink in the photo, and it looks like a medium...but that is why I asked....

[senzen]

Thanks, pretty interesting. I actually don't dislike the design, it's weird enough to be interesting, except I've finally reached my max number of pens (yeah, riiiiight...), I don't have much use for a clicker pen and I like big nibs, which by necessity this sort of pen can't have.

[peroride]

That looks like blue ink in the photo, and it looks like a medium...but that is why I asked....

I would have asked the same thing as it looks like a thick medium blue line.

 

The first photo shows 2 ink bottles: Waterman vintage blue black and Platinum Carbon black

I've tested both and to confuse the mix further, I've been swapping converter and blue cartridge on the other 3776

That is one of the nice aspects I enjoy: changing ink between pens but probably not a safe practice if one of the converters ever had fungus

 

I forgot to mention that the writing experience is very smooth and generous, not dry and surprising for a steel nib. And just today i dropped the pen again but no worst for wear

 

The fine is truly fine at least with Carbon Black and takes a while to drain the small converter, so someday I may get a Medium.

 

Like @SenZen i hit peak pen, but I consider Curidas more of a 'pen' vs a 'fountain pen'. Doesn't that sound like a good rationalization!

[TSherbs]

I would have asked the same thing as it looks like a thick medium blue line.

 

The first photo shows 2 ink bottles: Waterman vintage blue black and Platinum Carbon black

I've tested both and to confuse the mix further, I've been swapping converter and blue cartridge on the other 3776

That is one of the nice aspects I enjoy: changing ink between pens but probably not a safe practice if one of the converters ever had fungus

 

I forgot to mention that the writing experience is very smooth and generous, not dry and surprising for a steel nib. And just today i dropped the pen again but no worst for wear

 

The fine is truly fine at least with Carbon Black and takes a while to drain the small converter, so someday I may get a Medium.

 

Like @SenZen i hit peak pen, but I consider Curidas more of a 'pen' vs a 'fountain pen'. Doesn't that sound like a good rationalization!

It's all good! Thanks for the follow up.

[cgreenberg19]

Just bought mine today. I'm super excited for it. How does the medium nib stack up to one on the Vanishing Point?

[TSherbs]

Just bought mine today. I'm super excited for it. How does the medium nib stack up to one on the Vanishing Point?

You're asking *after* you hit the buy button?

[Bill P]

I have been using a Medium and a Fine Curidas for several days now....I really like them...Similar to a Pilot VP in terms of convenience for short term notes....for me it is easier to click to get the nib ready to write as opposed to unscrewing a cap or pulling off a snap cap...With the Curidas and the VP one handed click to be able to write...

 

I do NOT find it's length or the clip or the notch at the nib end to be bothersome at all...so far I am really enjoying the Curidas....I find it to be an excellent supplement to my threaded or snap cap Pens. One handed operation is very easy...

 

Breaking down the Pen for refilling or cleaning is not difficult...do it once and you won't need to look at the instructions again.

 

I have found the Curidas Fine nib to be similar to the VP Fine, and the Curidas Medium to be similar to the VP Medium.

 

Curidas is less expensive then the VP, and like the VP the nib assembly is easily transferred to another Curidas...

 

All in all I am very pleased and Happy that I purchased the Curidas...

[Driften]

I got my Curidas yesterday and so far I am liking it. The M nib is pleasant and the pen feels mostly nice in the hand. The under nub can bother my support finger, but the edge of the section on a 3776 does that as well. I just have to learn to hold slightly farther back and it's comfortable to use. The clip position makes the clip a non-issue I don't notice it while writing unlike the VP. I can see the Curidas taking up home in the pen slot of my cargo shorts. I'm not going to sell off my VP's but I may use the Curidas more then them.

[markh]

At the cost of a Pilot VP refill nib, my guess is this is a smart but calculated bridge to the mainstream, not fountain pen freaks.

 

 

Given how complex it is to take apart, either for a cartridge or converter, this doesn't sound likely to me.t

I like mine - feel is completely different than the Pilot version.

 

If the claims about the nib now drying out (certainly true in the 3776 pens with the spring loaded inner cap) that would be a nice advantage.

Edited May 4, 2020 by markh

[peroride]

Update: Durable, Curidas is a beater (to borrow watch parlance)

 

Dropped x2 more times and had a basket of fruit laid on top of it by accident

 

Worst, the last drop I had the nib open...

 

it bent sideways...

 

But the steel nib was strong enough that it was not worth the plier or nib burnish. And I didn't want to mess up re-aligning a fine point...

 

Thankfully it writes (almost) the same?! just a tad less wet as the tines got compressed a bit, but gosh I got lucky.

 

It would be nice to have a Platinum nib replacement system like Lamy which takes the cake for mainstreaming ease of use (point when taken @markh ) but not counting on it Maybe they should go full Pilot and offer nib unit replacements: EF to Stub?! but I think that will depend on sales.

 

Now I am more careful to just click to close as I was worried by the number of actuations decreasing the life of the main spring. It does make me wonder about longevity in design as there are many moving parts Pilot VP seems to hide them well.

 

We shall see!

[TSherbs]

Stop throwing your pens around!

[goodpens]

I want to want a Curidas, but it does not tempt me.

[hu-327]

If it weren't for the looks of the knock, I'd buy one immediately. Although all the positive reviews are starting to sway me...

 

>I can drop it and not cry

 

[Bill P]

I have had my Curidas now for several weeks....I use it every day.

 

After taking it apart once, it is VERY easy to disassemble...

 

The more I use it the more I like it.

 

The length of the pen has not been a problem, and I have no difficulty in extending or retracting the nib with one hand.

 

I have not removed the clip, and neither the clip nor the nub on the underside of the Pen have proven to be an issue...

 

So far, Real good.

[donnweinberg]

I received the smokey grey Curidas (medium nib) yesterday. I inked it with Noodler's Bernake Red. The instructions are easy to follow, and as others above stated, once you've gone through a filling and reassembly once, you don't need the instructions thereafter; one experience makes obvious what you need to do. The pen wrote right away very readily and smoothly. I also have no problem from the clip or under-side nub when writing. One hand is all I need to operate, and I have average size male hands and fingers. Based on my experience with this one, I have ordered the other four colors, one with a medium nib and three with fine nibs. As indicated by others, the nib units are interchangeable between the Curidas pens. For me, this is a fun pen that looks great and writes well.

[Honeybadgers]

The more I see it, the more I know I'd hate it, it just looks so cheap and toy-like, just like a sharpie tail knock, so thanks for sharing the pictures to help us make our choice!

 

I'll stick with a VP decimo and dialog 3. that 1960's version would absolutely be on my buy list if they made THAT again.

[PAKMAN]

Interesting enough that I have decided to try it. Have a blue one in Medium coming from Pendemonium