Don’t laugh: Platignums.

[Robalone]

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[eachan]

Ok, at this point, two asides:

1. Every time the title to this thread pops up with a new post, I start laughing. I can't help it.
2. I am aware of the "aluminum" vs "aluminium" spellings. Is "platignum" an alternative to "platinum", or is it just a company name?

In the long ago, Jon, when Mentmore decided to start a new range of economical (read "cheap") pens, they wanted to call them Platinum. The story goes that the powers that be told them that they couldn't use the name of an element so they went ahead and stuck a "g" in there, which has annoyed people ever since. Obviously the same rule did not apply in Japan.

[Robalone]

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[eachan]

Quite so, Empty, but I'm not ignoring people, I'm ignoring a nasty unpleasant troll who is deliberately messing up the board.

[An old bloke]

Quite so, Empty, but I'm not ignoring people, I'm ignoring a nasty unpleasant troll who is deliberately messing up the board.

👍🙂👍

[Jon Szanto]

In the long ago, Jon, when Mentmore decided to start a new range of economical (read "cheap") pens...

Aha! The first English pen I owned, thrown in as a free extra when I bought a couple other pens, was a Mentmore. It started my fascination with some of the lesser-known English pens.

[eachan]

In the long ago, Jon, when Mentmore decided to start a new range of economical (read "cheap") pens...

Aha! The first English pen I owned, thrown in as a free extra when I bought a couple other pens, was a Mentmore. It started my fascination with some of the lesser-known English pens.

They're good, well-made pens but not for those of the flex persuasion.

[Sailor Kenshin]

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I'm in love with this handwriting.

[Prettypenguin]

Hmm, I have a mysterious Platignum. I bought some NOS Platignum cartridges for it and they don’t fit. I’m kinda at a loss as to what carts would work for it. It’s an old thrift store find. If anyone can tell me anything about it, I would be very grateful (Sorry about the stained ink towel background).

[Robalone]

, I have a mysterious Platignum. I bought some NOS Platignum cartridges for it and they don’t fit. I’m kinda at a loss as to what carts would work for it. It’s an old thrift store find. If anyone can tell me anything about it, I would be very grateful (Sorry about the stained ink towel background)

———————//——————-

Hey . The pen itself looks like one of their later models ….I’m by no means a Platignum collector, and really only know about the few I have, but they went on to make pens for quite a while after the 'shoddy' period …and that looks like it is one of those , albeit with a familiar italic nib.

My thoughts are that it’s unlikely that the company would have changed the specs for the cartridge/ feed interface, and then I remembered that sometimes, with other makes of cartridge too, you do have to actually push the cartridge in quite hard to break the seal ……
If one didn’t know that it could appear that the cartridge wasn’t going in ??? Just a thought .

[Sailor Kenshin]

, I have a mysterious Platignum. I bought some NOS Platignum cartridges for it and they don’t fit. I’m kinda at a loss as to what carts would work for it. It’s an old thrift store find. If anyone can tell me anything about it, I would be very grateful (Sorry about the stained ink towel background)

———————//——————-

Hey . The pen itself looks like one of their later models ….I’m by no means a Platignum collector, and really only know about the few I have, but they went on to make pens for quite a while after the 'shoddy' period …and that looks like it is one of those , albeit with a familiar italic nib.

My thoughts are that it’s unlikely that the company would have changed the specs for the cartridge/ feed interface, and then I remembered that sometimes, with other makes of cartridge too, you do have to actually push the cartridge in quite hard to break the seal ……
If one didn’t know that it could appear that the cartridge wasn’t going in ??? Just a thought .

Yes....I've had some cartridges that had to be pierced with a thumbtack.

[Robalone]

Hmm, I have a mysterious Platignum. I bought some NOS Platignum cartridges for it and they don’t fit. I’m kinda at a loss as to what carts would work for it. It’s an old thrift store find. If anyone can tell me anything about it, I would be very grateful (Sorry about the stained ink towel background).

PP, super curious as to how you came across these nibs !!!! Apparently they were not even put into production, as I mentioned previously, so anyone with one of these pens has something very rare . Hang onto them !

Oh and from my research, the nibs in MT combos were all ‘ordinary nib' shaped , albeit usually with no breather …..

[Prettypenguin]

I found this in a store all the way in Portland, Oregon named Really Good Stuff. The store actually burnt down last year. It was in a bin of old fountain pens that I wish I had just bought the whole thing, as there were a few old pens in there that are probably gone forever. It was a dollar 15 years ago.
In regards to the cartridge, I will try again but it seemed like the bore size was too small for the part of the feed that pierces the cartridge.

[Robalone]

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[eachan]

I agree with your date, Rob. I had one very similar to your lower version but it was sadly cracked beyond compare. Like you, I take these pens to be the only examples of true Red Ripple apart from Waterman's. The Platignum version does not lose colour in the way the Waterman does.

[Medievalist]

A lot of my British writer friends have fond memories of their Platignum "school" pens.

[calamus]

I have and love Platignums and Osmiroids. When I was in school, my parents bought me -- ugh! -- Scripto fountain pens, that leaked, burped, scratched, had hard starts, stopped inexplicably, and the rest of the time REALLY misbehaved. Made me hate fountain pens for years; it's a wonder I ever found my way back. Here's a picture of one up on eBay right now for $15. Looks pretty, but AAARRRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!

[eachan]

Yes, Scripto pens were undoubtedly worse! Also, there were very cheap Italian pens, mostly syringe fillers, around that time. They loved to break when you had a good fill of ink, destroying your homework and getting you into trouble.

[Prettypenguin]

So to follow up on my mysterious Platignum, it takes Sailor cartridges. It feels super cheap, but I like the way my writing looks with it.

[Marsilius]

I never laugh at Platignums or Osmiroids. They were my first "art" and "calligraphy" fountain pens way back once upon a time and I felt like the King of the Magic Writing and Drawing World.