Review: Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen - Super Fine

The Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen in it's brand new packaging glory.

After becoming obsessed with Esterbrooks, I've felt a need to acquire an Esterbrook desk pen set. I really wanted to try out desk pens and see if I could really use it daily. While this never happened, I got a Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen instead. This pen is particular in that it comes with a cartridge of carbon ink, which is waterproof.

The pretty gold-plated stainless steel nib of the fountain pen. It has the signature Platinum "P" logo.

The Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen writes as smoothly as a fountain pen should and solidly. It has a 14K platinum nib and takes ink with cartridges. After the ink empties, I'm pretty sure you can just take a syringe and fill it up perhaps. What's interesting about the cartridge though is that it is stopped by a metal bead which plugs the whole of where the ink comes out. Just stick the cartridge in the pen, push with some force, and then the bead is dislodged and the ink is flowing. The pen feels very nice in my hand and looks very elegant with its elongated body. The cap feels a bit cheaper, but this doesn't mean that it not good quality. I guess it is because it comes with a stand to put the desk pen in, but I did not buy it and felt that the cap was sufficient for me.

The fountain pen tested on Clairefontaine 90g paper.

I found that I really loved the carbon ink! It's waterproof and it dries reasonably fast compared to the majority of fountain ink pens. However, this carbon ink is lighter in pigment and is more so a dark grey than black. And also, because it is carbon ink, it is not suitable for all types of fountain pens and may clog up some of the finer more delicate ones (or so I have heard). 

However, I found that I cannot ever posses a desk pen. In the beginning, I was able to use it daily and it was nice. Yet, as time went by and I became swamped with school things, I used it less and less.. and it made a big mess as the ink pooled to the bottom since I heard that a desk pen has to be stored pointed down.

Another view of the Carbon Ink Pen and the cartridge it comes with.

In conclusion, I found that this pen is not for me. At all. I've realized that I really do need portability for me to actually use pens (daily), especially since I am not always at my desk. But, the carbon ink is really interesting and some people may be able to find good uses for it, particularly artsy folk who like to deal with watercolors and other watery things. I'm highly considering buying a bottle of Platinum carbon ink and loading it up a fountain pen, if I find the correct fountain pen to use it with.

The Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen can be found for a mere 12$ at Jetpens.com! A fairly great price. (But it appears to be sold out currently). The accompanying stand can be found for 18$, and a bottle of carbon ink can be found for $22.50 - both at Jetpens.com.

Review: Kuretake No. 8 & 13 Fountain Hair Brush Pens

Hello Pen Addict readers! My name is Kalina and I’ll be contributing some reviews from here on out, focusing particularly on using materials for artistic purposes. As an Urban Sketcher I do a lot of quick sketches of my city and the people in it, and often don’t have much time or a convenient work space – this means I’m always on the lookout for exciting results in a convenient, no-fuss package, and it usually comes down to pens. Besides urban sketching I also draw comics.  You can find more of my drawings & goings-on at geminica.com.

Drawn on Canson Foundation Bristol using a Kuretake No. 13 brush pen and Platinum Carbon ink.

I’ll start off here by reviewing my current favorite brush pens – the Kuretake No. 8 Fountain Hair Brush Pen and No. 13 Fountain Hair Brush Pen. These pens are identical in the brush (besides the coloration of the metal band) though the bodies are quite different, with price points to match. The brown plastic No. 8 is significantly longer than the more expensive metal No. 13. 

 My initial reaction upon laying down a line with one of these pens was a bit of a drunken rush.  Oh, the possibilities!  With this pen, I can make magic!  --of course, in reality, brushes in general take a lot of practice to learn to control and I've been working on that ever since, usually by way of the Kuretake and sometimes the Pentel Pocket Brush.

Top to bottom: Kuretake No. 13, Kuretake No. 8, and (for comparison) the popular Pentel Pocket Brush.

Speaking of the Pentel Pocket Brush – that’s a great pen. I’ve had mine for years and the tip is still flawless and producing a reliable, gorgeous line. However, I prefer the Kuretake for a couple of reasons.

This quick sketch in a Hand Book Artist Journal made use of the Kuretake's brush-like qualities.

The Kuretake is slightly more responsive than the Pentel Pocket Brush. That’s not always good – a responsive brush translates every little tremor of your hand onto the page, so it's more challenging to master. A stiffer brush can make a more predictable line which is handy for a lot of uses, and I know one great cartoonist that was lured in by the Kuretake only to end up back in the loving arms of the Pentel Pocket Brush before too long. I'd say when it comes to line quality, the Kuretake wins particularly when you want to work with the looser qualities of a brush, say for gesture drawings.

On a slightly toothy paper, this kind of brush tip results in interesting variations based not just on pressure but also the speed of your stroke. Below are some test strokes made on Aquabee Super Deluxe Sketchbook paper, which has some tooth to it.

The other reason for my Kuretake preference is that both the No. 8 and the No. 13 take a Platinum Converter. Pentel offers no converter for the Pentel Pocket Brush, so you’re stuck using the Pentel ink (which, to be fair, is good waterproof ink) or buying a syringe so you can refill the disposable cartridges. I like the convenience of being able to purchase converter cartridges, and the Platinum Converters are well made. My No. 13 brush pen is currently stocked with disposable Platinum Carbon cartridges (for ease of replacement on the road – and this is fantastic, extremely waterproof ink), and the No. 8 has a cartridge converter filled with Noodler’s Lexington Gray which works very well in these pens. (The ink Kuretake provides with purchase is unfortunately not even slightly waterproof.) An example of this ink arrangement is below.

Two tones of ink, both in Kuretake brush pens, makes it possible to add midtones. (Canson Foundation Bristol paper with Platinum Carbon ink and Noodler's Lexington Gray ink)

Brush pens aren’t for everyone and they aren’t useful for every sketch, but if you want the sensitivity of a real brush for a low price along with the flexibility to choose your own inks, this pen fitted with a cartridge converter gets my vote.

This weeks' sketches of Victorians were inspired by photos in the excellent volume Fashion in Photographs: 1880-1900.

Review: Platinum Pro-Use Mechanical Pencil 0.7mm

When the Platinum Pro-Use 0.5mm Ballpoint caught me by surprise a few months ago I knew it wouldn't be long before I added more Platinum Pro tools to my arsenal.  The build quality and performance were great on the ballpoint, but would that carry over to a similarly styled pencil?

Without a doubt, yes.  The Platinum Pro-Use Mechanical Pencil is a great feeling pencil.  The aluminum construction is top notch, and it feels well balanced in the hand.  The body type is the slim version, and it also comes in a wide, whcih is similar in style to the ballpoint I reviewed.  I thought the slim would work better for a drafting type pencil, and it does a great job.  I don't often buy 0.7mm lead width pencils, but I thought I would give this one a try, and it is not too bad, although my preference still lies in the 0.3mm and 0.5mm widths, which this Platinum Pro-Use also comes in.

On the negative side, there really isn't too much to complain about.  Standard small eraser issues apply here, but like I have mentioned before, heavy users are going to have their own eraser on the side anyway, so I really don't detract for that.  At $15 it is a little pricey, and yes, I would rather have a Kuru Toga High Grade over this pencil, but it is very nice none the less.

Click here for the XL review.

Products used:

Platinum Pro-Use Mechanil Pencil 0.7mm from JetPens

Large Writing Pad from Doane Paper