The Platinum Prefounte is a heck of a good pen. But, …
Sarah reviewed the Medium nib/Vermillion Orange model for the site recently, so in this review I'll be tackling the Fine nib/Night Sea model to finish testing out the nib sizes offered in the Prefounte.
As I mentioned up top, I really like this pen, but I have questions I have yet to answer about its place in the larger stationery marketplace. Yes, I tend to overthink these things.
What Platinum gets right with the Prefounte is nearly everything. The shape of the pen is classic, but with the modern twist of a transparent barrel in fun colors. The nib is spectacular, which Platinum does as well as anyone at this price point. It feels good, looks great, and writes well.
The only performance oddity I found - which Sarah did as well in her review - is that it would hard start when uncapping the pen to use for the first time of the day. A little scribble would get it going, but I wouldn’t expect this to be happening with the Slip and Seal insert they use inside the cap. That said, once I got it going it never stopped, but I also don’t recall this ever happening with the Platinum Preppy - even after sitting unused for weeks.
The Preppy is part of the reason for the “But, …” at the top. The other part is the other choices consumers have in the under $20 price range - mainly the Pilot Kakuno and Pilot Metropolitan.
All four of these pens represent some of the best choices for fountain pen users, beginner or experienced, and I’m trying to sort out where the Prefounte lands within this group.
I think the Preppy is the best of the bunch, and also the least expensive. At either $4 or $5 (depending on the nib size), it provides the exact same writing experience and a similar feel as the $10 Prefounte. Barrel style is the only reason to pay twice as much for the Prefounte.
One of my other favorite pens in this category is the Pilot Kakuno. It is Pilot’s entry-level fun pen, and the quality is exceptional. It’s the Platinum Preppy of Pilot’s lineup when compared to the more classically styled Pilot Metropolitan.
If I’m forced to break these entry-level pens down into a ranking, it would look like this:
- Platinum Preppy
- Pilot Kakuno
- Platinum Prefounte
- Pilot Metropolitan
The good thing is that there’s no wrong choice. It’s like if I had to choose my favorite bread style. I might choose sourdough over ciabatta, but I’d gorge myself on both equally if the opportunity presented itself.
I’ve learned a few things reviewing the Prefounte. One, Platinum really knows what they are doing at this price point. Two, I probably need an Under $15 fountain pen list on the Top 5 Pens page, because there are several great choices. The Platinum Prefounte definitely makes the cut - right behind the Preppy and Kakuno.
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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