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Thread: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

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    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
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    Default So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Remember those? Platinum Preppies?

    A few years ago, there seemed to be much attention paid to the Platinum Preppies over at fpn. Caught up in the enthusiasm, I bought a half-dozen at least and filled them with different inks, but I was still in the phase of trying to carry fewer pens, not more, so that experiment ended with my giving away most of the Preppies.

    I kept two.

    These two always had ink in them. I rarely remembered that I had them. I mean, I knew I had a couple Preppies in the pen cup, but... you know... it was the junk-drawer equivalent of a pen cup.

    I don't remember when I filled these two pens with ink -- one I'm using as an eye-dropper, the other has a cartridge. Was it two years ago? A year ago? It was a long time ago for pens to lie dormant with ink in them.

    I took them out tonight to see if they would write (expecting that they would, cos I have left Platinum Carbon Black in a Preppy for a hundred-seventy-two years (or one-and-a-half), and it wrote freely as soon as the nib touched the paper. That was back when I still had several Preppies, and the only hard-starter in the bunch had Noodler's Polar Blue. That's all I remember.

    As expected, these two Preppies wrote without problem, as if I'd inked them yesterday. I identified one ink as Sailor Rikyu Cha, and the one in the cartridge? It's a blue, blue-black, not sure if it's Platinum or a blue that I had a sample of or what.

    Aesthetically, the Preppy is no Nakaya. "I know Nakaya. I own several Nakayas. Nakaya has been my favorite pen for a few years. You, Platinum Preppy, are no Nakaya."

    But for performance? I don't know if Nakaya can compete with the Preppy, cos I can't imagine leaving a Nakaya unused for even a week much less a year. But it's nice to know that if I want a sample of ink, I can use the Preppy in lieu of a vial, if I were out of vials.

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    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    That spring activated cap thingie does work. I have one preppy and it has been inked ever since I got it. I think I only pull it out when I am doing ink comparisons on pen pal letters and testing paper for reviews. Currently, I refilled the cartridge with Visconti Blue. I can't see doing the eyedropper thing, as the plastic seems too cheap.
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    Useless mhosea's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Yeah, they don't advertise it as such, but the Preppies have that spring loaded "slip-and-seal" mechanism that pushes the inner cap down to make a pretty good seal with the section. This works great as long as the cap lip hasn't yet cracked. I have a couple long-ago-inked Preppies on my desk, one ED and the other not, that are still full of ink ('cause I just don't like to use 'em ). I have another that is an ED and felt tip but with a cracked cap. The cap is being held together with some rubber splicing tape, but it's apparently too little, too late. I filled it with Noodler's Liberty's Elysium several months ago, and without using it much it is down to 35% full (of ink concentrate, I guess).
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    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Quote Originally Posted by KrazyIvan View Post
    That spring activated cap thingie does work. I have one preppy and it has been inked ever since I got it. I think I only pull it out when I am doing ink comparisons on pen pal letters and testing paper for reviews. Currently, I refilled the cartridge with Visconti Blue. I can't see doing the eyedropper thing, as the plastic seems too cheap.
    It was watching the Platinum video clip about the spring-activated cap that made me take another look at the Preppies.

    The ED one came with a large bottle of Noodler's ink. There are no markings on it.

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    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Quote Originally Posted by mhosea View Post
    I have a couple long-ago-inked Preppies on my desk, one ED and the other not, that are still full of ink ('cause I just don't like to use 'em ).
    This is my experience, hahaha. Great pens for whatever low price I paid for them (less than $3 each, I think). Except that I don't use them, so... money down the drain, albeit not much.

    I'd had visions of keeping one or two fine pens inked with black and using the Preppies to add color, but I found that I prefer using those colors in nicer pens.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    writetomeoften posted not too long ago about a Turkish brand? that seems to be re-branded Preppies called "Peaks". Her comparison review is here: http://www.banasikcayaz.com/2013/12/...um-preppy.html

    and the Scrikss site page here: http://www.scrikss.com.tr/Products/P...k_Fountain_Pen
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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    When I first got into all this, I bought 5 to use for testing inks. Only two wrote even acceptably, and even those weren't any fun. They are cleaned and sit in the PIF box for future expulsion from the premises. I wanted to like them, as I did the Hero 616 pens, but no joy is no joy.
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    Senior Member AndyT's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I have a couple, both with cracked caps "mended" with cable ties. To my way of thinking they're the equivalent of a Bic ballpoint, neither attractive nor temperamental and therefore a practical item to have lying around in situations where pens are likely to go walkabout.

    The caps are dreadful and really need a band to reinforce them, but the seal is excellent, as is the feed. By the way, the no "o"-ring eyedropper Preppy discussed in this thread is still going strong and has yet to ruin a shirt. It's what I use for the crossword.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Well, I have two of them, and I converted both to eyedroppers. They write very well...one is a F and one a M. Of course, they are not on a par with my finer pens, but they are great to stick in my trousers pocket when I go out and want to have a pen handy (and no shirt pockets for others). And the price is right. I think as an introductory pen for someone just getting into fountain pens, they cannot be beat! Just like other pens, sometime the nibs need tweaked, which I did with both of them. Not an issue...they now write very smoothly and dependably.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I filled mine a few years ago with the dreaded BSB as an experiment to see how long it would survive. Every once in awhile I take it out and write something with it then forget about it until awhile has passed again. Each time it writes fine. I suppose to be a real experiment I should have recorded when I first filled it and how often "awhile" is but I'm not a real scientist and I have known for awhile now that I don't really care what the results are.
    Last edited by Sketchy; January 14th, 2014 at 04:36 PM.
    Fred

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    As a noob who started out by purchasing five Preppies in different colors and sizes, I want to comment on Preppies here.

    My first thought was to point out that their ability to start right up each time is a major positive to get new fountain pen users through their initial tryout phase and to become converts. I suspect it is hard starting and skipping that turns off most people who dabble in trying out fountain pens. That or the idea that you have to spend at least $100 to get a worthwhile fountain pen turns them away.

    On the other hand, it is true that I dropped one pen and cracked the cap in the first month, and another started out very dry. That one I got flowing nicely by taking it apart and working on the feed. The others I did a little smoothing to reduce some directional feedback. However, I like tinkering, and maybe that is not a general beginner characteristic.

    So we have a pen that is a great inexpensive intro to fountain pens, but that only delivers on that promise if you draw one of the non-troublesome pens. I'm happy with mine for now. I also look forward to new pens that shoulder them aside.

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    Senior Member kia's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I never much cared for the Preppy, but I still have a couple of them about. I did find it to be most useful in deterring a former co-worker (and known office thief of others' nice bp/rb pens, spare change, and other such personal effects) from trying to steal my good pens, because watching the ink slosh around in the Preppy kept him preoccupied.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    My only fault with the Preppy is that the plastic breaks too easily, especially on the cap.

    Other than that, I love the pen. It stays sealed and always starts. It is the only pen that I own in which I can store Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama ink and use it day after day. This ink becomes harder and harder to start in other pens as days go on. Not so in the Preppy.

    It may be cheap looking, but I love it.

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    Senior Member reprieve's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I'm rather fond of the Preppy. I don't use mine often because I don't love the cheap plastic feel, but they always write and they write well. I have two, both eyedroppers, both unmarked Preppies from the giant bottles of Noodler's (Nikita, I think, and Borealis Black). They're smooth. They don't dry out. They hold a ton of ink. They live in my pen cup at work for those "I don't have any other fountain pens!" emergency moments.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I have a preppy at work that I used for redlining drawing/documents when checking. I had it setup as an eyedropper but get annoyed when it burps cause I hold it so long. I have switched to a converter and I'm happy, happy, happy. Noodler's Nakita red lives in it and has always started.

    David

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    Senior Member kia's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    Nikita Red was my choice in the Preppy, too!

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    Senior Member ethernautrix's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I had at least six, maybe eight, and I guess I didn't have them long enough to experience problems with crackage. And none of them had wonky nib issues.

    I'm impressed that the pens can be dormant for who knows how long (has it been a year? longer?) and then write immediately.

    But, as already pointed out, if they were such a pleasure to use, they would not be left lying around filled with ink.

    I think they are good pens, though - you know, starter pens and art pens (inexpensive to have many all with a different color ink) and lender fps.



    ETA: My Noodler's freebie came with Polar Blue.

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    Useless mhosea's Avatar
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I'm not sure whether posting them is what leads to cracking of the cap lip or whether it just happens anyway.
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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    I've had mine for a few years now and haven't yet experienced the cracking. Granted, I don't use them often, and I don't post them, and they live in a pen cup, so they haven't exactly had rough lives, but they haven't been babied either. If I were to expose them to every day usage, they certainly feel as if they would crack under the pressure of frequent capping/uncapping.

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    Default Re: So how about those Platinum Preppies?

    My Preppy, while always reliable as a writer has had the cap crack. I almost never post pens(except pocket pens) so I suspect it's just a thing with the Preppy having not really been designed for extended use and the fatigue of repeated capping and uncapping.

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