In theory, using a fountain pen cartridges should be easy — you insert one into your pen and you start writing. In practice, they are rather confusing. Some cartridges only work on one brand of pen, some work on lots of pens… and they all look alike! Cartridges are rarely labeled well and the downside of messing up a cartridge installation can be a broken pen (bad) or a leaky cartridge (often worse).
This guide will answer most common fountain pen cartridge questions as well help you visually identify which cartridge is which.
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One of the coolest undiscovered families of writing instruments is the Platinum Bee Line. Here is some information to get you start on your Bee Line journey.
Continue reading “Platinum Bee Line Pens History”
If you want a retractable fountain pen, you have to understand that you are diving into a niche within a niche. Only a tiny subset of fountain pens are retractable, so there isn’t as much competition as you’d expect, but this is still a rich and interesting segment of the pen market.
Let’s review today’s top retractable fountain pens.
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Many people see fountain pens as occasional writing instruments, maybe for doing some before-bed journaling or writing a letter, but that doesn’t have to be the case. The right fountain pen can be a great everyday tool, even if it never approaches the no-nonsense functionality of a ballpoint pen.
Continue reading “How To Choose An Everyday Fountain Pen (And Some Recommendations)”
Platinum is one of Japan’s “Big Three” pen companies, but it doesn’t seem to get the same level of attention as the other two (Pilot and Sailor) here in the United States. Despite that, Platinum makes some of our favorite fountain pens.
If you are considering buying a Platinum fountain pen which should you lean towards? Which are sure-fire hits that no one can deny is a great pen?
Continue reading “Platinum Fountain Pen Buying Guide For April 2024”
The Preppy is a disposable, refillable fountain pen from Platinum. It is probably the best fountain pen under $5 and possibly under $10, thanks to its excellent writing, dependability, and ability to easily convert it into a eye dropper pen.
To learn more about it, don’t miss our Platinum pen buying guide, which highly recommends the Preppy.
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Choosing a fountain pen ink is largely about personal preference, but some inks do stand out from the rest of the pack. In this article we’ll talk through the top brown fountain pen inks sold today.
Continue reading “The Best Brown Fountain Pen Ink of 2020”
Platinum Carbon Black is a water-resistant fountain pen ink that is pigment-based. It’s a top black ink that is both popular and well-reviewed.
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In celebration of their 100th anniversary in 2019, Platinum of Japan released a number of special edition products, including a blue black ink. The Platinum Blue Black Fuji 100th Anniversary Special Edition is a variant on the standard blue black with 5% of its water sourced from the base of Mt. Fuji.
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The Platinum Curidas is a retractable fountain pen that looks to be related to the Platinum Preppy. It was first announced in 2020 with limited details.
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Platinum Little Shooting Star is a version of the Preppy that is only sold in China. In the Japanese market the same pen appears to be sold as the Little Meteor.
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Fountain pens are great, but the cleaning is, to put it lightly, a chore. Maintaining and caring for fountain pens takes time, and even if you don’t baby your pens their water-based ink still runs out more quickly than a ballpoint or rollerball. Want to change ink color? That requires a cleaning too.
So cleaning comes with the territory, but what’s the right way to do it?
Continue reading “How To Clean Fountain Pens”
The Platinum Carbon is a desktop fountain pens that use’s Platinum’s waterproof Carbon ink pens.
Continue reading “Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen”
Converting a fountain pen to an eyedropper is a quick and fun job… so long as you choose the right pen! It’s quick to do, quite cheap, and you can often double, or even triple, your pen’s ink capacity.
Continue reading “Best Fountain Pens for Eyedropper Conversion (And How To Do It)”
