Pen Review: Platinum Preppy 03

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since we have had a fountain pen review. Today I went to buy gifts for my friends at Kinokuniya. I spent some time in their pen aisle, and, well - here we are.

Spoiler: I’ve been converted to the Preppy lineup and now want to buy ALL of the colors. Are these pens adorable? Yes. Is this a financially sound decision? No.

Preppy compared to pens. that I use often.

From L to R: Platinum Preppy, TWSBI 580 Rose Gold, Narwhal Poseiodon Blue, Pilot 823 Amber

The Platinum Preppy line was founded in 2007 and includes sign pens, fountain pens, and highlighters. All of these pens sport Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” mechanism which decreases drying out time. The pens are interchangeable —meaning you can swap out the fountain pen nib with the felt-tip or highlighter tips.

Design (4/5)

The Preppy is light around 0.38 oz (11 gram). It can be used posted or unposted—surprisingly I did not have a preference as the pen was not substantially heavier when posted. When capped, the pen is 13.8 cm (5.4 inches); posted, it is 15.1 cm (5.9 inches). The section is comfortable to use at 10.6 mm and is not tapered. I also liked that this pen had a slip cap, which makes it easy to uncap and write quickly if you are in a hurry.

My only concern is that this pen feels as if it will break or crack easily as it is so light. I’ve given this category a 4/5 and will update if necessary.

Tomoe River Paper 52 gsm

Color (5/5):

Preppies are available in a wide variety of colors! I chose the pink Preppy which is more of a fluorescent hot pink rather than baby pink. I like that the feed matches both the ink color and the pen.

Nib (5/5):

The Preppy is available in three different sizes: 02 (Extra Fine), 03 (Fine), and 05 (Medium) steel nibs. I purchased the 03 which is a smidge thicker than my Narwhal Jowo <F>. The nib itself is engraved with the size as well as a P for platinum. As far as writing goes, this pen is a wet writer with little feedback. It writes smoothly and is similar to my Jowo nibs.

Ink Capacity (3/5):

The Preppy comes with an ink cartridge which holds 1.06 mL of ink. You can also use a fountain pen converter which has a smaller ink capacity at 0.5 mL. Lastly, these pens can be converted to eyedroppers. There is nothing overly special about this pen’s ink capacity, so I have given it a 3/5.

Overall (5/5):

The Platinum Preppy earned a solid a 4.5/5. I was impressed; it’s a very smooth writer, and at $4.50 per pen, I can throw them into my purse or backpack as daily pens.

Disclaimer: This pen was purchased by me and all my opinions/photos are my own. This post was not sponsored.