Luxe

Pen review. Platinum Silver Cap pocket pen.


1. General impression. Introduction. (8/10)
This is a pocket pen. Its short barrel and long cap says so, but it also seems a long pocket pen as well. It is also a luxury pen—the cap is made of silver, and the nib, of white 18 K gold.

This pen, I guess, dates back to the 1970s, the heyday of pocket pens. A time when the three major pen companies in Japan made luxury products in small containers.


2. Appearance. (7/10)
Silver and black are the colors of this pen. And despite the silver cap, it does not look ostentatious. Might it be because of the natural patina of silver, in my opinion, this pen is more “shibui” than “hade”.

Barrel and section are made of plastic, but the overall impression is of good quality. The clip, in black plastic, seems to be the less attractive detail on this pen. Cheap is the word for the clip.


3. Design, size, weight. (6.5/10)
As it was already mentioned, this is a pocket pen. The main feature of this particular one is the sterling silver cap that makes it heavier than most of its size. For instance, a Platinum pocket pen of similar dimensions weights only 11 grams versus the 18 grams of this one with silver cap.

But this silver cap accounts for more than 60% of the total weight of the pen. This alone would make this pen quite unbalanced when posted for writing. However, this unbalance is far from extreme. The cap reaching relatively low on the pen, close to the nib, distributes the cap weight more evenly than in a regular sized pen.

These are the physical dimensions:
Diameter: 12 mm.
Length capped: 126 mm.
Length uncapped: 106 mm.
Length posted: 149 mm.
Weight: 18 g.

In comparison, a smaller Platinum pocket pen is just 116 mm long when capped and weights only 11 g.

The adjustment between cap and body —capped or posted— is excellent with no sign of becoming loose, or of wear despite its age.


4. Nib and writing performance. (7.5/10)
The nib is an 18 K white gold medium. Barely flexible. Very smooth. Excellent constant ink flow. This is a nib for those who favor smoothness and reliability over line variation and expressivity and character.



5. Filling system. (8/10)
Platinum used to manufacture short converters for their pocket pens, but that is not the case anymore. Therefore, Platinum pocket pen owners are bound to use Platinum proprietary cartridges.

Nonetheless, there exist the possibility of modifying the current converter to use it in these short pens.

There are also adapters to use international cartridges. I have no experience, but I understand they become very firmly attached to the pen, transforming it into an "international cartridge" pen to all effect. And there are aerometric converters that fit inside of these Platinum pocket pens in combination with this adapter.


6. Cost and value. (7.5/10)
Pocket pens are not expensive in the Japanese second hand market, and this pen is a good value given the nice appearance and the nib performance.


7. Conclusion. (44/60 = 74/100)
Nice looking pen although not the best pocket pen in the market. Scores high on looks and performance. Balance and size take points away.

(Platinum Silver Cap pocket pen – Platinum brown, cartridge)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, June 30 2010)
[labels: Japón, Platinum]

More Platinum Music

Pocket pens, also known as mini and as long-short pens, were introduced in Japan in 1963 by Sailor 1964 by Platinum, and remained in the market until the 1980s. Later on, though, Pilot released other pocket pen models—the limited edition M90 in 2008, and the entry-level Vortex, still on production.

A selection of pocket pens from six different manufacturers. Their nibs are made of steel, yellow gold of purities between 14 K and 23 K; white gold and the not-so-unique Platinum alloy.

During the twenty years or so of existence, these small pens were made in a variety of looks and styles—from formal and black to colorful and casual; for women and for men; for students and for successful professionals. And their nibs were matched with this variety: steel, gold in many different grades, white gold… And, finally, nib points were not limited to the traditional F and M. Other points were not that common, but existed.

A formal looking pocket pen--black with golden accents.

The following pen is an example of an unusual nib point. This Platinum pocket pen is equipped with a three-tined music nib. It follows the wing-flow design of nibs still on production, albeit this music nib is no longer available in current pens. Its feed has two ink channels, one per slit, and it is specific for this nib. The nib is dated on its reverse as having been made in 1973.

Previous Platinum music nibs did not implement specific feeds. Such was the case, for instance, of the unit from 1969 shown on the Chronicle entitled “Sixties Music”. That music nib, also installed in pocket pens, had a single ink-channel feed, like the rest of nibs of that design.

The feed with the double ink-channel.

This pocket pen is on the big size, and has a very formal look: black with golden accents. These are its dimensions:
Length closed: 125 mm
Length open: 109 mm
Length posted: 149 mm
Diameter: 13 mm
Weight (full ink cartridge): 18.3 g

The filling system is by cartridge. The current Platinum converter does not fit inside the barrel, although a small adaptation would make it fit at the expense of reducing the already small capacity of the ink converter (0.53 ml if untouched). Therefore, the ink cartridge, new or refilled, remains a sensible option (ink capacity, 1.2 ml).

All in all, this pen shows that a small container can be matched with an exciting nib. However, its size, and the policy of Platinum on the matter, limited the options for the filling system.

Pilot Vpen, F nib – Sailor Jentle Yama-dori

Bruno Taut
Yokohama, June 7th, 2013
etiquetas: Platinum, plumín, plumín musical

More Pocket Pens

The recent release of the Pilot Elite 95 has raised some brows among those less familiar with the idea of pocket fountain pen, Japan style. This is not the first time pocket pens are revived—five years ago, Pilot replicated the all-steel Myu-701 with some minor differences as the limited edition Pilot M90. The original Myu, let us note, was a very original pen: nib and section are just the same thing, and the reissued M90 could not be mixed up with any other pocket pen. Or, in other words, the new version M90 had one and only one original precedent.

Now, with the Elite 95, the situation is different. The original Elite pocket pen was far less original and unique. All three big pen manufacturers in Japan made formal-looking pocket pens and the curiosity raised by the new Elite 95 actually points out at all of those. Sailor even created some models with quasi-inlaid nibs very much alike to those re-made by Pilot.

Two Sailor pocket pens with (quasi-)inlaid nibs.

The white gold nib of the stripped pen, in detail. It is not perfectly aligned with the section.

I know of two such models by Sailor: a black pen with a 14 K gold nib, and a black-stripped unit made of steel with an 18 K white gold nib. On both cases, the pen body is metallic. These pens can be equipped with current Sailor converters if shortened. The drawback is a reduction in the already small ink capacity of those. As usual, refilling ink cartridges is a perfectly sensible option.

The nibs are geometrically identical, but not so their materials--yellow 14 K (M, number 4) and white 18 K gold (F, number 2).

These are the dimensions of these pens:
Length closed: 121 mm
Length open: 104 mm
Length posted: 139 mm
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 14.4 g (black, empty converter), 18.3 (stripped, empty converter)
Ink capacity: 1.2 ml (cartridge), 0.5 ml (adapted converter)

Some Platinum pocket pens worth to revisit in one way or another.

In conclusion, this new Pilot Elite 95 created a renewed interest on pocket pens, but it might backfire to Pilot. Would this not be a good chance for Platinum and Sailor to release their own re-issues of pocket pens? Both brands had very interesting models to copy, and Platinum still produces some of the nibs used on them.

And the same goes for this model. The wingflow nib is still on production.

Sailor Profit Senior, Naginata Togi nib – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Kawasaki, August 20th 2013
etiquetas: Platinum, Sailor, Pilot, mercado

DIY

Para mis amigos estilófilos del Foro de Relojes.

Platinum pocket pens are easy to find in the second hand market in Japan. Originally, these pens could be used with either cartridges –Platinum proprietary cartridges— or converters. But this company stopped producing the short aerometric converters suitable for their pocket pens and now we are bound to refill their cartridges.

However, there is an easy way to adapt a current platinum converter to fit in a pocket size pen.

The first picture shows all the parts of the converter. On the top side, the modified, short converter. The original, regular length, at the bottom. To disassemble the Platinum converter, simply unscrew the golden metal part from the transparent ink deposit.

The only piece that needs to be modified is the hollow cylindrical handle that operates the internal screw and moves the piston up and down. This screw must NOT be cut—those last threads make the piston to reach the bottom end of the converter.

The modified cylinder is 7 mm. shorter than the original.

The final picture shows how the screw can pass through the cylindrical handle. When used in a pocket pen, this screw should not be pulled all the way out—just to the end of the cylinder. Needless to say, the converter will not be filled to its maximum.

In a number of pocket pens, this converter has the whole transparent window hidden by the pen section, thus hiding the amount of remaining ink. But modified, this converter can be used in any Platinum pen.

(Platinum Silver Cap pocket pen – Platinum Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, June 26 2010)
[labels: Platinum, conversor, soluciones técnicas]

Platinum Converters

I already mentioned the fact that Platinum pocket pens cannot use the current Platinum converter. However, there are some options to this clear inconvenient:

From left to right, empty Platinum cartridge, current Platinum piston converter, modified Platinum converter, and old type Platinum converter for pocket pens.

— Use Platinum proprietary cartridges, either new or by refilling them.

— Use an adapter to use short international cartridges or short converters (squeezer type).

— Adapt the current Platinum piston converter to fit inside the pocket pen, as was already described on these chronicles.

— Finally, find an old Platinum converter.

The following table summarizes the cost of these options:

Prices in yen without taxes. Those of the old Platinum converter and the adapter for international cartridges are taken from the Internet. These prices can change a lot among sellers.

The old converter is hard to find, expensive and poorly made. But it holds more ink that the current converter, especially when the later is modified to fit in a pocket pen.

My choice is pretty straightforward—I refill cartridges with a syringe.

(Pilot Décimo – Sailor Yama-dori)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, February 27-28th, 2011)
[labels: Platinum, conversor]

Formal

Pen review. Platinum black pocket pen with soft fine nib.


1. General impression. Introduction. (6/10)
This is a formal pocket pen, black with gold accents. Very typical in he conservative attitude of the Japanese white collar worker –the sarariman (salary-man). The big three Japanese pen companies made similar pens in the seventies—small, black, formal.


2. Design. (8/10)
This is a handy and convenient pocket pen—short and compact when capped, and regular size and comfortable when posted for writing. Pens like this need to be posted to write comfortably unless the user’s hands were very small.


Clip and central rings are made in plastic, painted in gold color. The quality, however, seems good. The adjustment between cap and section and between cap and barrel is perfect despite its age. The V-mark engraved in the barrel has lost its color and is barely visible.


3. Size, weight. (8.5/10)
This is a regular sized pocket pen. It is light and well balanced.

These are the physical dimensions:
Diameter: 12 mm.
Length capped: 118 mm.
Length uncapped: 100 mm.
Length posted: 147 mm.
Weight: 11 g.


4. Nib writing and performance. (8/10)
The nib is a nominally soft fine in 18 K gold. Not really flexible, but it shows some nice springiness. But in actual terms, there is barely any line variation when pressing down. Springy, maybe; flexible this is not.


I rather very smooth nibs, but the feedback –some might call it toothiness— this pens shows is perfectly bearable. The flux in this very thin writer is perfect—it never misses a bite and it does not become dry easily. This is, in my opinion, the great virtue of Platinum pens—perfect flow.


5. Filling system. (7.5/10)
All I said about the Silver Cap Platinum filling system applies here.

Platinum stopped producing the pocket pen converters long ago and we are bound to use Platinum cartridges or to modify the current converters. A third option is to use the international cartridge adapter with those cartridges or with a short aerometric converter.

At the end, what used to be a problem has become a virtue by means of the inventiveness and resources of the users of these pens. But this is not the merit of the manufacturer.


6. Cost and value. (8.5/10)
Cheap pen in the second hand market in Japan. Great writer. Excellent value.


7. Conclusion. (46.5/60 = 77.5/100)
Boring looking pen, at least for those who are used to pocket pens. But inside there is a very reliable and pleasant writer.

This pen scores high in the design, nib and value departments. Looks took points away

(Platinum Black Pocket Pen – Platinum blue black)

Bruno Taut
(Inagi, July 06 2010)
[labels: Platinum, Japón]

The Platinum Logo

Not much detailed information there exists about fountain pens. A lot of research must still be done and, as a consequence, we all are subject to make mistakes.

Such was my case when I spoke about pocket pens one year ago (May 17, 2010). Despite my initial doubts, I ended up publishing a chronicle in which I said that they were invented by Pilot in 1968-69. Well, I was mistaken.

This Platinum pocket pen was made before 1968, as the nib shows through the logo on the nib.

The old Platinum logo.

Again, the old Platinum logo on a nib from, probably, the 1940s. The nib shows both the brand name —Platinum— and the name of the company —Nakaya (Seisakusho).

Now (as of July 2011) I read on the Platinum website that this company had released the first pocket pen in 1964—and that makes some sense. That explains, for instance, how the old Platinum logo –that of the world globe– can be seen on a pocket pen. The new logo –the stylized P— was introduced in 1968, according to the same website, and this contradicting some claims dating this change in 1963.

The new logo on a B nib.

The Nakaya logo, on the box and on the nib, resembling the old Platinum logo.

Later on, in the early 2000s, the old Platinum logo was revived to create that of the Nakaya line of pens.

(Slim purple eyedropper – Diamine Amazing Amethyst)

Bruno Taut
July 14, 2011
[labels: Platinum]

Platinum Pocket Nibs

After Sailor had released the first Japanese pocket pen in 1963 –the Sailor Mini— Platinum soon followed suit with its own line of compact pen.

Pocket pens were very successful and became a workhorse in the lineup of the companies. Platinum, on its side, showed this by implementing a wide variety of nib points in them.

Eight different nibs for a single model. And there might have been some more nib points. Clockwise from top, music, soft fine, fine, sign, manifold, script, medium, and extra fine.

Such is the case on display today—eight different nib points in one single model. And there might have been some more.

The Platinum pocket model. Albeit with minor variations, this model was in the Platinum catalog for about 10 years around 1970.

Out of those, four are labeled in English—music, sign, manifold, script. But how do they write? Are they significantly different to those we usually encounter?

All these five nibs were made between 1967 and 1969. Their points are music, sign, medium, manifuld, and script.

The following writing sample might answer those questions. The medium nib (中字) is shown as reference. All of them, might be worth notice, are quite rigid, and there are no major differences among them in this detail.

Sailor Fude pen – Diamine Teal

Bruno Taut
August 19th, 2021
etiquetas: Platinum, plumín, plumín musical

North Korea (II)

There is more to North Korean pens than just copies of the Parker 51…

By the 1960s, Japanese companies had long started to design and produce their own original models after the hard post-war years. One of those was the pocket pen. Sailor put that concept to work in 1963 and most Japanese companies soon followed the trend, Platinum among them as early as in 1964. And not only Japanese companies paid attention. Now we know that North Korean pen brand Mangyongdae, from Pyongyang, was also interested in the Japanese developments.

The Mangyongdae pocket pen.

The Korean version –this Mangyongdae, 만경대— follows closely the style of the Platinum pocket pen of the time, mid 1960s. It shows a long, quasi triangular damascene decoration, and a nib geometry very close to those of the Platinum. The filling system, however, is different—a self-filling integrated sac does the job instead of the usual cartridge of the Japanese original. The nib is made of 12 K gold, and carries the name of the brand written in Chosongul characters.

The Mangyongdae's nib is engraved with the gold purity, 12 K, and the brand name in Korean: 만경대. The cap carries an inscription in Cyrillic characters--an aftermarket addition.

This is a sac-based self-filling pen.

Incidentally, this pen is engraved with some inscription in Cyrillic characters. The pen was bought in Bulgaria, and that inscription only shows the economic connections among the countries in the area of influence of the Soviet Union.

That is not the only North Korean pen copying a Platinum pen. The following example clearly shows its Japanese influence—again, a damascene inlaid (zogan in Japanese) following the pattern of some Platinum from the 1960s. And, as in the previous case, a Platinum-type nib made of 12 K gold, engraved with the brand name, Chullima (천리마, also read as Chollima), as was the case of the copies of the Parker 51 made in North Korea.

The Platinum-inspired Chullima.

The Platinum original. Note the nib geometry and the size and shape of the inlaid decoration, laid in reverse. More pictures of this Platinum pen can be seen on the Chronicle Sixties Music.

A 12 K gold nib engraved with the brand name 천리마.

Its filling system departs from the Platinum original cartridge—it is a self-filling bulb filler.

Again, a sac-based self-filling pen.

Every industrial revolution, save the English original, is started by copying. North Korea was no exception, but the industrial power that this country was after the Second World War and during the Korean War (1950-1953) failed as soon as the Soviet Union collapsed. Fountain pens are not of any industrial value nowadays, of course, but they were so in the 1950s and even 1960s, and the fact that there existed a production of these consumer goods in North Korea is an obvious sign of its lost industrial capability.

A family picture of North Korean pens.

My thanks to Mr. Sunami.


NOTE (Nov 10, 2020): Fellow blogger Tefolium made an excellent research on the origin of a number of fountain pen operations in countries with strong ties with the People's Republic of China. Among them, those in North Korea. You can read it here: https://tefolium.blogspot.com/2020/11/20201106-updated-socialist-countries.html?m=1

Montblanc 3-42G – Pilot Blue

Bruno Taut
Nakano, January 30th, 2015
etiquetas: Corea del Norte, Platinum, Chullima, Mangyongdae