REVIEW: PLATINUM PREFOUNTE FOUNTAIN PEN

Interestingly, the Platinum Prefounte didn't quite make the splash I thought it would. There was some talk about it before launch, but that seems to have died down more or less now that the pen is actually available. It probably also suffered a bit from the upcoming - though at this point massively delayed - Curidas retractable fountain pen being announced not too long after the Prefounte hit the market, because let's face it, we all have the attention span of a goldfish these days, happily focusing on one novelty for at least a full five seconds before the next 'new' product arrives... ah the joys of the internet age, am I right? 

Anyway, let's focus on the pen before I run the risk of sounding like an old man (Imagine how grumpy and bitter I'll be in 50 years, oh boy!). The simple fact is: the Prefounte deserves more attention!

Long story short: the 10$ Prefounte manages to provide such a smooth writing experience that it's hard not to forgive it's unapologetically plastic-fantastic construction. No, it doesn't quite manage to break free from it's ultra-affordable (disposable?) sibling - the Platinum Preppy - leading to the inevitable comparison between these two pens. But yes, the Prefounte does manage to win said comparison, despite offering just a few aesthetic improvements for twice the price of the Preppy.

I've never been one for short stories though, so here's the long version: As stupid as it may sound, everything stands or falls with the Prefounte's metal clip. It's a far departure from the flimsy plastic clip on the Preppy. As far as pocket clips go... well, they both do the job, but the Prefounte is both less bulky and much sturdier and simply looks more premium, too. It immediately transforms the 'disposable' (well technically it's refillable, but it's not like it doesn't look disposable) preppy into a simple but smart-looking pen.

The lack of flashy, disposable pen-like printing and graphics on the barrel and cap also helps with the smart looks of the Prefounte. Although to be fair, the Preppy already has a more 'premium' version in translucent colors that has fairly minimal branding to begin with. Still, even the best-looking Preppy has a two-tone finish doesn't look quite as clean and elegant as the monotone color scheme of the Prefounte.

The plastic that both pens are made out of is identical though. And, well... Let's just say 'premium' has never been the name of the game for the all-injection-molded plastic Preppy, where the cap has a reputation for cracking over time (not surprising, given how firm the snap cap mechanism is, combined with fairly thin plastic walls!). That being said, I've been carrying the Prefounte (gently - I might add) around for the past 5 or 6 months, and it still looks new, so thus far these ten dollars have served their purpose quite well. I also quite like how the inside of the barrel is faceted, to create a nice, which gives a nice effect when the light hits it.

L to R: Pelikan M805, Pilot 78G, Platinum Prefounte, FPR Himalaya, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari

The Prefounte measures 13.8 cm (5.4") capped and 12.2 cm (4.8") uncapped. That's not huge, but the tiny nib takes up only a small portion of the total length, freeing up space for a longer section (with a comfortable 1 cm/ 0.4" diameter). This also means that you can grip the pen quite close towards the front, so that this relatively short pen is still long enough to be used unposted. Posting is possible though, and it's of course very comfortable because the total weight of the entire pen is just 11 grams.

There's a tiny step between section and barrel, but overall the Prefounte scores quite good marks for comfort. It's not a large pen, but the diameter is just right and it's long enough to hold comfortably, So I can't really complain. Ok, maybe I'd prefer a bit more weight, but hey, that's what you get with an all-plastic pen.

The bread and butter of the Prefounte (and many of Platinum's pens) is its excellent writing experience. And that starts of course with Platinum's unique slip-and-seal inner cap that prevents the nib from drying out. Well, I say unique, but these days there are actually a few brands that use a spring-loaded inner cap (such as Wancher, and Esterbrook). Unlike the competition, however, Platinum has theirs down to an exact science: the spring is almost not noticeable when you close the pen, requiring almost no force to cap the pen. It's a 10$ pen (even the 5$ Preppy, for that matter), and it just never dries out! Frankly, there are pens that literally cost 100 times more that can't keep the nib from drying out after just a few days!

Of course, a nib that doesn't dry out wouldn't be of much use if it's a crappy nib to begin with. And again, the Preppy and Prefounte seem to punch far above their weight! In true Platinum fashion, ink flow is a little more on the dry side of balanced, without feeling like it's starved of ink. The simple steel nibs are incredibly smooth though. Being pretty much the most basic of basic nibs you can get, this is very impressive stuff! I'm using the 0.3mm nib, which is equivalent to a fine (the Preppy also comes in EF and M, the Prefounte only comes in F or M, although you could technically just swap in the entire section from a Preppy) and I'd be hard-pressed to tell a difference between this or Platinum's gold nib on the #3776.

The Platinum Prefounte (available at La Couronne Du Comte) IS effectively an upgraded Preppy. But even though it's just a minor aesthetic improvement, I'd pick the Prefounte every day of the week.

For a first dip toe into the fountain pen world, the 11€/ 10$ Prefounte is an excellent way to start off. Although it's hard to ignore that the Preppy offers an identical writing experience for less than 5$, the Prefounte at least manages to look a bit smarter than your average disposable pen (excellent for in the office!), and its' 10$ price point still undercuts a lot of other 'budget' fountain pens (e.g. Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, Platinum's own Plaisir, or even the equally plasticky Pilot Kakuno). Add to that the spot-o writing experience you get, and I think there are worse ways to spend ten bucks!

NOTE: This product was provided by IDC, the BeNeLux distributor of Platinum, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.