The Platinum Prefounte Fountain Pen is a new pen for December 2019. It’s slightly nicer version of the Platinum Preppy, with hints of inspiration from the Procyon, both of which are some of Unsharpen.com’s best pens. With a retail price of $10 it looks to be a replacement for the Platinum Plaisir, which is not a highly regarded pen (at least not by Unsharpen).
The Prefounte, like the Preppy, is a plastic pen with a snap-on cap. It’s a cartridge converter that uses Platinum’s standard cartridges (one of which is included with the pen). The main difference between the Preppy and the Prefounte is that the Prefounte comes in a variety of translucent colors (red, orange, dark green, blue black) where the Preppy is primarily a clear pen. The Prefounte also has a metal clip that appears to the be same clip used on the Procyon. The Prefounte is also largely devoid of logos and text on the outside of the pen, giving it a very clean look.
As Platinum has done a few times in the past, the section and nib look are the same ones used on the Preppy. This was also done with the Plaisir, Preppy Crystal, and now the Prefounte. Regardless of which of those four pens you get (ranging from $3-$15), the section, nibs, and feed are exactly the same. This means that the caps and barrels are interchangeable between these pens, so you can mix-and-match if you’d like.
One big upgrade is that the Prefounte will have Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” cap, which means dry out times will be very long. This feature has been a big hit with the #3776 Century, Platinum’s flagship pen.
Platinum Prefounte Review
The Prefounte is both a very good pen and a disappointing one. It is a good pen in that it looks great and performs well. It builds on what the Preppy has done so well, but puts it all in a nicer package for not too much more money. Plus it addresses one of the Preppy’s biggest shortcomings: the weak clip.
On the other hand, the Prefounte was a highly awaited pen that ended up being essentially just another Preppy. Platinum’s Plaisir has problems and offering an alternative in its place makes sense, but the Prefounte isn’t really anything besides a Plaisir alternative or a Preppy upgrade. By using the same nib/section/feed as the Preppy the Prefounte was able to come in at a reasonable price point, but the improvements the pen has are really limited. Yes, it has the metal clip and a cleaner design than the Preppy but using the same nib system means it’s essentially the same pen.
The Prefounte is a bit of an enigma — we both enjoy it and question why it cost three times as much as the Preppy. Still, it’s a recommended pen in the $10 price range.
Platinum Prefounte Fountain Pen Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | Platinum |
| Pen Type | Fountain Pen | Cartridge/Converter |
| Rating | |
| Barrel Color | Red, Orange, Dark Green, Blue Black |
| Barrel Material | Plastic |
| Body Diameter (mm) | 13.0 |
| Grip Color | Red, Orange, Dark Green, Blue Black |
| Grip Material | Plastic |
| Grip Diameter (mm) | 10.5 |
| Country of Origin | Japan |
| MSRP | $10 |
| Still Sold | Yes |
| Release Year | 2019 |
| Similar To | |
| Refills | |
| Capped? Retractable? | Capped - Snap On |
| Clip? | Metal |
| Length Capped / Retracted (cm) | 13.8 |
| Weight (g) | 11 |
| Refillable | Yes |
| Ink Color Shipped | Blue Black |
| Nib Material | Steel |
| Nib Color | Silver |
| Nib Sizes | Extra Fine, Fine, Medium |
| Writing Sizes | Extra Fine, Fine, Medium |