Asking for feedback on Pilot Prera vs Platinum Procyon vs Sailor Tuzu

[rodia77]

Hi all,

 

I want to explore Japanese pens more and I'm stuck deciding among these three. There are reviews on each of them but I would appreciate any feedback on how they compare against one another from people who actually handled any two or all three of them. Apart from how good of writers they are, I'm also interested in how cheap or solid they feel in hand.

 

I have three Pilots: Cavalier, MR and G78+, so I more or less know what to expect from the nib and feed on the Prera. (I know it's short but I'll only be able to tell if it's too short for me when I actually hold it; I prefer writing with pens unposted). And the G78+ impressed me so much, esp. at its price, that it's the reason why I want to give other plastic pens a chance.

 

It's not unlikely that I'll end up getting all three of them, but even if so, I want to take it slow. Regardless of which of the three I choose, I'll most likely get a Profounte of top of it, so there would be my experience with Platinum (I know it has the same nib/feed assembly as the Preppy and Plaisir but different than the Procyon).

 

TIA.

[Merrick]

I own the Procyon and the Prera.

 

The Procyon will be the most premium feeling of the three as it's made of aluminum and has a nice treatment on it, although I have heard complaints about the finish getting scratched easily. The section is plastic. The nib on the Procyon has the thinnest width of all three, the M option feels like a Japanese F to me and I didn't even try the F nib. It's a nice sized pen so wouldn't need to be posted. It has Platinum's slip and seal cap which they advertised as preventing dry out in your pen for up to a year. I quite like the Procyon but whether you will depends on how fine you like your nibs. If you prefer a more western style nib width, I'd recommend the Prefounte or Plaisir instead.

 

The Prera is all plastic but doesn't feel cheap. The snap cap is extremely satisfying. Unless your hands are absolutely tiny this will have to be used posted, it is designed to be used posted. It's too small for a CON-70 converter so if you want a larger quantity of ink you'll need to buy or fill cartridges. Posted it feels nice in the hand although the section is a little small for me personally. I do think it's very good value for money if it's a good fit for your hand. To me this pen really works best as an on the go EDC type pen, because it's smaller and the snap cap allows for easy open and close. If you want a full length pen that uses the same nib and feed as the Prera you can try the Lightive. It's a slight downgrade in the quality of plastic, probably at the level of a Prefounte, but can hold a CON-70 and would far better fit your desire for writing unposted. It's also a snap cap so you still have that convenience for on the go.

 

Unlike the other two I have not owned the Tuzu but I did try it at a pen show. The plastic feels lower grade than the Prera but not as cheap as a Preppy. The Safari style section was not to my taste so I didn't spend much time with it. Personally I think if you want to get into Sailor you should blow right past the steel nibs and go for a gold nib, to me Platinum and Pilot produce much better steel nibs and pens for their steel nibs. However I've seen many glowing reviews from people who were pleasantly surprised by the Tuzu so don't just take my word for it. The pen is full sized and can be used unposted.

 

[rodia77]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, @Merrick.

 

  On 10/31/2024 at 8:25 PM, Merrick said:

The Procyon will be the most premium feeling of the three as it's made of aluminum and has a nice treatment on it, although I have heard complaints about the finish getting scratched easily. The section is plastic. The nib on the Procyon has the thinnest width of all three, the M option feels like a Japanese F to me and I didn't even try the F nib. It's a nice sized pen so wouldn't need to be posted. It has Platinum's slip and seal cap which they advertised as preventing dry out in your pen for up to a year. I quite like the Procyon but whether you will depends on how fine you like your nibs. If you prefer a more western style nib width, I'd recommend the Prefounte or Plaisir instead.

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My sweet spot for nibs seems to be Japanese F / Western EF. The very reason why I got the 78G+ was that it was supposed to be an F nib donor for my MR. When I first started writing with the MR, the quality for the price blew me away anyway, the M nib size was OK anyway, and the only curious thing I noticed (or maybe imagined) was that it was feeding more ink as the cartridge was getting emptier.

 

I read about the "lacquer" chipping on the Procyon, haven't seen any pictures documenting that, though.

 

  On 10/31/2024 at 8:25 PM, Merrick said:

The Prera is all plastic but doesn't feel cheap. The snap cap is extremely satisfying. Unless your hands are absolutely tiny this will have to be used posted, it is designed to be used posted. It's too small for a CON-70 converter so if you want a larger quantity of ink you'll need to buy or fill cartridges. Posted it feels nice in the hand although the section is a little small for me personally. I do think it's very good value for money if it's a good fit for your hand. To me this pen really works best as an on the go EDC type pen, because it's smaller and the snap cap allows for easy open and close. If you want a full length pen that uses the same nib and feed as the Prera you can try the Lightive. It's a slight downgrade in the quality of plastic, probably at the level of a Prefounte, but can hold a CON-70 and would far better fit your desire for writing unposted. It's also a snap cap so you still have that convenience for on the go.

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I don't EDC fountain pens so I don't need a compact one for that purpose. The Prera is tempting me because so many people praise its build quality and I'm curious about the difference of feel compared to eg my 78G+ (which, as a plasticky thingy, doesn't feel bad to me at all in hand). The posting is something I'd have to convince myself to do, though.

 

  On 10/31/2024 at 8:25 PM, Merrick said:

Unlike the other two I have not owned the Tuzu but I did try it at a pen show. The plastic feels lower grade than the Prera but not as cheap as a Preppy. The Safari style section was not to my taste so I didn't spend much time with it. Personally I think if you want to get into Sailor you should blow right past the steel nibs and go for a gold nib, to me Platinum and Pilot produce much better steel nibs and pens for their steel nibs. However I've seen many glowing reviews from people who were pleasantly surprised by the Tuzu so don't just take my word for it. The pen is full sized and can be used unposted.

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I chose Tuzu as a Sailor representative after discarding the Compass/Profit Jr, Lecoule and ProColor, as I read too many reviews with "quality not there", and also 1911 Casual and Light. I think it'll be long before I want to try gold nibs, if ever.

 

Thanks again.

[A Smug Dill]

Hmmm.

 

I own multiple units of all of those models.

 

I personally find the… ergonomics(?) of the Platinum Procyon annoying, even though I “wisely” avoided the variants with matt finish, of which I've seen (multiple units) first-hand in pretty poor shape in a local bricks-and-mortar shop. Those pens had been mostly staying in a display cabinet for 12 to 18 months, with occasional handling by staff and/or curious shoppers who want to inspect the pens more closely; and there was irreversible chips and scuffing on those, such that I couldn't bring myself to buy them at a steep discount from RRP. As for the pristine ones I have, the raised rim at the open end of the barrel just annoys my grip no end. My wife now has the Porcelain White, which of course doesn't have a matt lacquer finish and isn't susceptible to the same sort of cosmetic damage, and she doesn't seem to mind the rim on it that much. I have a champagne-coloured one that is more expensive, but so far it hasn't been inked. Maybe one day ,… if my wife is interested.

 

The Sailor TUZU Adjust is a different beast. I love it. I'm ready to buy more colours of it, if/when the price is right; and it's on my “watch list” on Amazon. But, I'm not going to lie, the plastic body on it feels cheap. It's a very competent writing instrument that doesn't look or feel like it's worth its retail price; and that's the “paradox” of it.

 

As for the Pilot Prera (Iro-ai), I bought three of them in different colourways, with the intent of fitting (Italic) F, M, and B nibs “donated” by Pilot Plumix pens into them. Those three are still new-in-box, some four or five years later. They feel fine in my hand (and I've written with some inked-up Prera pens in shops and such), better than the Platinum Procyon in fact, but I just don't and can't trust them to seal well against ink evaporation when capped and undisturbed.

[rodia77]

  On 11/1/2024 at 12:53 PM, A Smug Dill said:

I personally find the… ergonomics(?) of the Platinum Procyon annoying, even though I “wisely” avoided the variants with matt finish, of which I've seen (multiple units) first-hand in pretty poor shape in a local bricks-and-mortar shop. Those pens had been mostly staying in a display cabinet for 12 to 18 months, with occasional handling by staff and/or curious shoppers who want to inspect the pens more closely; and there was irreversible chips and scuffing on those, such that I couldn't bring myself to buy them at a steep discount from RRP. As for the pristine ones I have, the raised rim at the open end of the barrel just annoys my grip no end. My wife now has the Porcelain White, which of course doesn't have a matt lacquer finish and isn't susceptible to the same sort of cosmetic damage, and she doesn't seem to mind the rim on it that much. I have a champagne-coloured one that is more expensive, but so far it hasn't been inked. Maybe one day ,… if my wife is interested.

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So which colourways aren't matt? My first choice would be persimmon orange but that looks pretty matt to me in pics. Not a fan of colours like white or champagne on pens myself (love champagne dials on watches, though).

 

  On 11/1/2024 at 12:53 PM, A Smug Dill said:

The Sailor TUZU Adjust is a different beast. I love it. I'm ready to buy more colours of it, if/when the price is right; and it's on my “watch list” on Amazon. But, I'm not going to lie, the plastic body on it feels cheap. It's a very competent writing instrument that doesn't look or feel like it's worth its retail price; and that's the “paradox” of it.

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Again, in pics I don't like the prominent 'collar' at the bottom of the grip section, but that may or may not be an issue in person. You haven't mentioned it so I figure you find the grip comfortable.

 

Thanks a mill for your insight.

[A Smug Dill]

  On 11/1/2024 at 7:28 PM, rodia77 said:

So which colourways aren't matt?

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Out of the PNS-5000 models, only Porcelain White isn't matt. I'm not sure whether the finish on the new Shadow Mica and Carmine Red colourways has improved. The PNS-8000 models don't have that matt finish.

 

  On 11/1/2024 at 7:28 PM, rodia77 said:

in pics I don't like the prominent 'collar' at the bottom of the grip section, but that may or may not be an issue in person.

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I don't grip the pen that close to the nib when writing.

[rodia77]

  On 11/1/2024 at 9:23 PM, A Smug Dill said:

Out of the PNS-5000 models, only Porcelain White isn't matt. I'm not sure whether the finish on the new Shadow Mica and Carmine Red colourways has improved. The PNS-8000 models don't have that matt finish.

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Thank you. It's not listed in your links but the persimmon orange still belongs to the PNS-5000 line. Funnily enough, the porcelain white doesn't look any different to other matt ones in pics, but I believe you it's not.

[A Smug Dill]

  On 11/2/2024 at 9:34 AM, rodia77 said:

It's not listed in your links but the persimmon orange still belongs to the PNS-5000 line.

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It has been discontinued, along with the yellow one. The turquoise is in the process of being discontinued, which is why Platinum notes that it is of "limited quantity"; it was not a limited edition, but Platinum simply isn't producing any more of it.

 

See also: 

 

[rodia77]

^^^

Cheers!

[eatandoph]

I only have experience with the Prera, but I'll throw in my two cents. Mine (M nib, slate grey) is one of my favorite pens, perhaps my favorite with a steel nib out of 20 or so I've owned. It's both light and really solid, and as already mentioned the capping is very satisfying. I had a Metropolitan with a medium nib that was one of my first pens — nice to write with but a little frustrating in that the cap would come unposted sometimes. When I got my Prera the nib wasn't quite as well-tuned as the Metropolitan's, so I swapped them. I never use the Metropolitan anymore but keep the Prera in steady rotation. The slate grey pairs very nicely with Iroshizuku Kiri-same (which can be a little too light in other pens but comes out darker with the Prera).

 

Incidentally, when I first got it I really loved my Cavalier, but over time I've come to find it too slender. The Cavalier's nib is narrower and seems a bit more nail-like than that of the Prera/MR/Explorer/78G. 

[rodia77]

Thanks for chiming in, eatandoph!

[Dillo]

The Tuzu has a spring loaded inner cap like Platinum uses in their slip and seal pens. It uses a very different design than other Sailors. I've been enjoying mine. I have the navy blue and you can see the spring and the inner cap if you shine a bright light on it. In my experience it seems to be more protected from dryout than my Sailor High-Ace which also has a snap cap. I also enjoy the LeCoule, and have a clear one, but in a way the Tuzu is somewhat nicer.

[rodia77]

Thanks for your input as well, Dillo!

[Driften]

I have the Tuzu in F and Prera in M. I like both pens but the like Prera more. The F on the Tuzu is great on bad papers, but too fine for me on better papers. But that's just me. It's not a fair comparison for nibs as they are very different. For the feel of the bodies the Prera edges out the Tuzu for me but they are both really good. I like them both more than a Pilot 76g as a step up in materials. 

[rodia77]

Thanks, Driften!

[rodia77]

Result!

 

 

Of course, the Tuzu is the main purchase here, the Prefounte is a side, and the cute Kakuno is an extra gift for wifey. TBH, I surprised myself with this choice, but I think my thinking went something like "I know what Pilot is about and I have no doubts the Prera would deliver but I hate posting; the Procyon, I don't feel like being disappointed by the poor lacquer quality; the Tuzu, looks OK, is rather praised, has that interesting grip gimmick and this way, with the Prefounte on the side, I'll get to know all the three major Japanese players in their lower price ranges". So here we are.

 

I haven't inked them yet but impressions so far:

- the Prefounte feels incredibly cheap and even if it writes like $1M, that still won't mitigate the cheapness

- the Tuzu feels OK, kind of on par with my 78G+, not sure if I'll like its substantial girth, we'll see

- the Kakuno, I expect it to be there on par with the above, but it hasn't been opened yet

 

Meanwhile, funnily enough, my 78G+ has become my fave? I'm now thinking of getting more of them, curious if the opaque versions use the same good-feeling plastic as the demo or something lower-grade.

 

Thanks everyone for your input again, and thanks for being to the point and NOT trying to derail the thread by suggesting something vintage.