The Platinum Preppy – prim, proper and preppy!

The Platinum Preppy is a contradiction of sorts. Preppy (literally a pupil of an expensive prep school, the emphasis being on the neatness of their dresses, not necessarily in proportion with their content) and Platinum (the material and the fountain pen maker – known for their consistent adherence to quality, their intrinsic worth) somehow, don’t really go as the pen and ink does. Do they?

 

The plastic (poly-carbonate to be precise), almost tinsel barrel and cap too are a bit of a dampener, as is the weight of the pen, literally a light weight (a mere 13 grams), even though the size is standard. And least I forget, the printing on the barrel too could have been done more aesthetically.

But that is where the doubts rest. Once you uncap the pen, the first hit in the solar plexus is the nib – it is made of polished stainless steel and has “no-nonsense” written all over it. What is more, I gather that the nib is abrasion resistant, which will certainly add to its durability to boot. Mine is a 0.3 (its mentioned in the cap) and writes like the champion that it is. It is extremely smooth to write with and creates virtually no drag as it glides through the paper. There is just that whisper of a flex too, that adds to its desirability. The fact that the pen can be posted is another plus, especially to those who like to secure their caps as they write. The wetness of the ink too, is just perfect for my choice.

 

The ink cartridge that came with the pen too leaves little to be desired. The ink is thick as in consistency and has just the hint of lustre that makes the black stand out. It’s not overtly damp, and thus is relatively smudge free.   While there are myriad other hues to choose from, I have tried only the black and will desist from chasing the rainbow. Though, I must confess, I will certainly love to load my guns and fire them at will. I believe it is a 3 in one and works as smoothly with a converter and eye dropper as with the relatively hassle-free cartridges, thought till now, I have just used the cartridge.

Write for hours. Use it with hands that have not acquired the taste of fountain pens. Uncap and start after inordinate delays – the Preppy just lives up it its name, always prim, propah and preppy, helping the words form as beautifully as they emanated in the mind of the writer. God, thank you for the pleasure in such simple things of life. I guess, even those to whom writing is just as mundane as it gets, the Preppy will be an asset, invaluable and certainly loved.

 

At the price point it is offered, the Preppy is obviously aimed at the young, relatively new users. The vibrant colours and the equally vivacious ink options are there for a reason as is the construction of the pen and the material used for its construction. For the first-time user, it is not only a valuable tool but can also double up as a virtual training guide to explain the working of a fountain pen. As for the seasoned, addicts of stationary and writing instruments, love doesn’t really need a reason to flower, does it?

It will not be out of context to mention here that the Platinum Corporation of Japan, the makers of the Preppy are into pen manufacture since 1919. They were the first in the world to create the cartridge style ink, which is to say that the Preppy has an impeccable lineage.

Little wonder, the Platinum Preppy has already chalked up a cumulative sales figure of more than ten million units. That is a one, followed by seven zeros to put things in the right perspective.

I bought mine from Amazon. Have neither been provided samples, nor paid for to write this review, which is as pure as the way the Preppy writes.