08 September 2018

Procyon

The newest pen in the Japanese market is the Platinum Procyon, released in July 2018.

Not so long ago I spoke about the latest trends in the pen market. One of them was the Chinese avalanche of interesting pens at very reasonable prices. My contention was then that entry and mid level pen by Western and Japanese makers were at risk should Chinese makers create a reliable distribution network.

The Platinum Procyon could be seen as reaction of the Japanese company to those Chinese moves. It is a well made, no-frills, and sturdy pen.


The Platinum Procyon.

In essence, it is a cartridge-converter pen, with a wingflow nib made of steel with two nib points --F and M. All the threads on the pen are metallic: cap to barrel, and barrel to section. The section is semi-transparent, but no ink is visible through it. The cap implements the “slip and seal” mechanism patented by platinum to keep the ink fresh while the pen is stored without use.


The semi-transparent section and the metallic threads. A well made pen.
On the nib, the inscription is very simple: "(P logo) / F". Or M...

But the selling point of this pen is the ability to ink it –when using a converter— with a much smaller amount of ink than Most other pens. To do so, the Procyon feed has a small hole through which the ink circulates on its way to the converter. This system is not particularly new, but neither it is a common feature.


The wingflow nib, and the feed with a hole for an easier filling.
On the cap lip, two inscriptions. On one side "PROCYON"; on the other, "PLATINUM / MADE IN JAPAN".

These are the dimensions of the Platinum Procyon:

Length closed: 137 mm
Length open: 119 mm
Length posted: 155 mm
Diameter: 13 mm
Weight: 27.9 (inked)
Ink deposit: 1.1 ml (cartridge) / 0.6 ml (converter)


"Slip and seal", easy filling, JPY 5000 (plus tax).


Five different colors; two possible nibs.

All in all, the Procyon is an interesting newcomer to the Japanese pen scene. It might be a reaction of Platinum to the Chinese changes in the pen industry of just another move in the very competitive Japanese market.

Its price in Japan is JPY 5000, plus taxes.


Montblanc 149 – Platinum Black

Bruno Taut
Nakano, September 2018
etiquetas: Platinum, mercado, soluciones técnicas

7 comments:

Rafael R. P. said...

Do you know if the recipes to obtain the three special inks is published somewhere? Thanks

Michael E said...

The newest entry of a cheap pen might be the limited edition of Sailor, called Professor (セーラー万年筆 万年筆 プロフェッサー 11-9018). Boring name, isn't it?
It is so limited, I can't find it on Sailor's HP.
Hurry people if you want one, the red is in most places sold out, the black one is nearly sold out. A discussion with links is available on FPN.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/339379-sailor-professor/
I pass. Don't want a cheap pen which eventually writes better than my expensive ones.

Bruno Taut said...

Thanks, Michael E, for the information. However, that Sailor is a different story. That model has existed for some time, and this edition you mentioned seems limited to a shop and is not included on Sailor's catalog as such.

BT

Bruno Taut said...

Rafael R. P., I do not know what inks you are talking about. I did not mention any ink on this post.

BT

Rafael R. Pappalardo said...

The inks are displayed in the photo just above the price. Platinum mention they will be included in the first batch whatever that means. Thanks again.

Bruno Taut said...

Rafael Pappalardo,

Those three inks are Mix Free inks in cartridges. They are limited to the release of the Platinum Procyon. The colors are Dark Violet, Aqua Emerald, and Gold Ochre. I do not know their composition nor whether they were disclosed.

Thanks for passing by and commenting.

BT

Rafael R. Pappalardo said...

Ok, thanks. I''ll keep an eye on future reviews.

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