Platinum Pocket Pen: What Happened?

[AlexLeGrande]

Something strange happened with my Platinum Pocket pen.  I had just bought a Platinum Century 3776, and purchased an aftermarket Platinum converter for it.  I was surprised when the new pen arrived with a converter included.  Then I thought, "Oh, perhaps this converter will fit into my Platinum pocket pen."  I opened the pen and removed the cartridge and sure enough, the converter fit!  But I couldn't find the piece that screws unto the back of the section of the pen into which the converter has been seated.  After a fruitless search, I attempted to insert the nib section of the pen back into the long cap, and it wouldn't fit.  What?  The nib section was either too fat, or the cap section diameter too small. I shined a flashlight into the cap section but could see nothing much.  I then tried to wedge out whatever might be taking up space in the cap section, but no luck there, either.  What happened?

[Number99]

6 hours ago, AlexLeGrande said:

 I opened the pen and removed the cartridge and sure enough, the converter fit!

Hi, I have a question.

Do you mean that after installing the converter in the nib section of the platinum pocket you closed the barrel of the pen?

If you have a picture of the pen it would be helpful.

[inkstainedruth]

@AlexLeGrande I'm wondering sort of the same thing as Number99.  

I know that I've had some issues with "International Standard cartridges and converters NOT being as "standard" as claimed.  And part of the issue is whether they are long or short ones (some of the "long" ones are too long for the barrel to fit over correctly).  

As an example of what I mean, I got a pen that was a Cross sub-brand at an antiques store and was told that it took International Standard cartridges and converters -- and I tried one of the Pelikan long cartridges of Edelstein Amethyst (swag from the first Pelikan Hub) in it.  It fit correctly over the back of the feed but the cartridge was too long to fit in the barrel of the pen (making it VERY awkward to write with).  I then trailed around pretty much every table at the Ohio Pen Show that fall, trying to find a converter that would work -- and NONE of the "International Standard" converters worked in it -- but a Cross converter worked just fine (go figure).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Ironically, the Cross converter cost WAY more than I paid for the pen to begin with (more than 7 TIMES the price I paid for the pen).  OTOH, I recall it being a pretty decent writer, although I've got to figure out what to use to re-glue some of the rubberized coating on the barrel.  And even with the cost of the converter, it still counts as a relatively inexpensive pen.

[Dillo]

If you look in the cap of the pen, is the barrel of the pen stuck inside it? I've seen that occasionally people will stick the barrel of the pen inside the cap, and it will disappear in there. If that's the case, you won't be able to cap the pen. Take a look inside and see.

 

You may not be able to screw the barrel back on the pen with the converter fitted. The converter fits in the grip section but is too long for the barrel to close.

[Number99]

I am not expressing any view; I believe the situation is different if the OP succeeds in closing the barrel and if he fails to do so.

[PithyProlix]

FYI: in general, the Platinum converter is too long for Platinum pocket pens. It can be altered to fit, though: instructions here: Adapting a Platinum Converter for Pocket Pens • RichardsPens.com

[Number99]

To further add to the general information about Platinum pocket fountain pens, it is also possible to install a Kaweco mini converter using the "PLATINUM European Type Cartridge Converter Conversion Adapter".

The above product has already been discontinued, but seems to be still available in Europe.

This is another option, although the cost is not worth it.

Image materials are from Amazon Japan.

https://amzn.asia/d/hv3CV6X

 

Edited 37 minutes ago by Number99