Two Great Inexpensive Fountain Pens: Pilot Kakuno and Platinum Plaisir

[@apurvatr2u]

Do share the close-up view of nibs and feed, with writing samples. That will help more.

[@milyypink]

I love the Kakuno for sketching! I was looking for a nice EF nib a couple months ago since my Lamy wasn’t cutting it for fine details, and the Kakuno was perfect. It’s about the same as a .38 Micron (the 005). And the fun colors are definitely a bonus for me. Also a tip in case you miss having the clip like I did: the clip for the Kaweco sport fits perfectly onto it!

[@StopFear]

I do use fountain pens but I own only a few since I am afraid of putting my mind into a state when I care too much about something that should be a trivial thing. But two of the ones I own are Kakuno Fine and Kakuno Medium nib. They are excellent. Another cheap pen I recommend to anybody who likes cheap pens is Platinum Preppy. I use the Preppy that has "03" on it, which I think is the millimeters size of its nib tip. It costs under $10 on Amazon. Make sure you get the one that comes with like 2 or 4 included cartridges. It is great. BUT make sure when you tighten the barrel of the Platinum Preppy you do not apply too much force or it can crack. It is a very good cheap pen.

[@destinedthunder]

I love Kakuno and I purchased one in blue just to have a dedicated pen for my Noodlers Bay state blue. I read tons of magazines and bay state does so well with marking and taking notes in that type of paper. I may buy a platinum one. Been eyeing the olive one 🥰

[@andream3568]

I'm one of the few that doesnt have a Kakuno either (3 years now in fountain pens). I have had it in my cart endless times but I keep removing it. I do have the gunmetal Plaisir. I really do enjoy that pen.

[@MysteryArts]

I say go for it with the Kakuno! Both the medium and Fine that I have tried write very well! And you can't beat the price. They are also great sketching pens that I can throw around without worrying about them given the price.

[@CeitDeVitto]

I have been collecting Kakuno for a few years. I have a couple of rare ones, which were Japanese only. I really like their selection of colors. They are fun. The Plaisir is fun to. Salior has an in-expensiveish pen as well, I have a couple of those, I just for the life of me can't remember the name. Ugh...

[@kauaiphotography]

Aloha! Just stumbled on this review as I had the red/orange 10th anniversary Plaisir on backorder from last November, but was offered the Venus Belt color as a replacement, so I jumped on it! Actually after looking at the better, I think I prefer the Venus Belt color over the other two, so it worked out nice in the end? Maybe I should wait until I get the pen!? BTW, since this model share the same nib/section as the Preppy and Prefounte, you can easily just pull the nib and move them around or even just un-screw the barrel and move them around that way, even move the caps around the various models. And if you don't need another "full" pen, you can buy a $3-4 Preppy and just use the nib or nib with grip section - a cheaper way to get a medium nib. As we say in Hawaii, have a nice Aloha Friday! Mahalo!

[@MysteryArts]

I think the Venus Belt is the nicest of the special editions, but then that’s the only one I have. Good to know about compatibility! Have a great Friday.

[@MarysInks]

Ack! How did I not know about these limited edition Plaisirs?? And now they are all sold out!

[@MysteryArts]

Everywhere I’ve looked this color is sold out, but the other two special edition colors seem to be available still.

[@MarysInks]

@@MysteryArts Alas, everyone else likes the pink one too. I’ll have to live vicariously through you. :-)

[@littleoldemeartistry-marieehi]

I’ve been subscribed to your channel since April and really appreciate your reviews and knowledge. I’m a new fountain pen user and have little experience. I received from my Dad his Montblanc pen from the 1980s and after much frustration and cleaning finally got it writing. It’s probably just me but I wouldn’t call it a smooth writer even on quality paper. The nib might be a fine size (Dad doesn’t remember and there’s no size marked on it). My question to you is: what would you recommend for a newbie who wants a pleasurable writing experience and has fairly large handwriting? I’m receiving for Christmas a Chic Sparrow Cascade Duchess (thank you for your unboxing and review BTW) and would like the pen to look pretty and coordinate with the travelers notebook. Sorry so long, but you’ve become my pens/notebooks/watercolor mentor. 🙂

[@MysteryArts]

Thank you for being a "long-time" subscriber! I think the TWSBI Eco with a medium size nib is great for a relative newcomer and should give you a nice writing experience. This will work great with your big handwriting and has a very large ink reservoir. You will need some bottled ink (welcome to a new rabbit hole) to fill the pen, but once you get the hang of filling it, it is very easy. It comes in a variety of colors, so you can probably find a color that goes with the Duchess (maybe the white TWSBI?). The pen comes with easy to follow instructions on how to fill it. Once you've written with that for a while, you can determine whether you like the medium nib or feel like you could go thinner or thicker. You can also determine whether you like writing with an Eco size pen or if you might prefer a smaller or larger pen. I'm surprised that your vintage Montblanc does not write well--I've never used one myself, but I've heard the vintage Montblancs are good writers. You may just need to have the pen cleaned and nib tuned. There are companies online that will do that, but I haven't tried that yet. It might be worth it though for something that is an heirloom like yours.

[@littleoldemeartistry-marieehi]

Mystery Arts and Crafts Thanks, Mystery for your reply. I just rewatched your video on next level pens where you go through all the beginner pens and wanted to ask if you have any experience with the Lamy Vista. It seems to be in the similar price point and I would be able to change out nib sizes. I’m a lefty so maybe some of my issues with the Montblanc is holding the pen properly and a triangular grip/specialty “L” nib would help. I’d

[@MysteryArts]

@@littleoldemeartistry-marieehi The Lamy vista, as I understand it, is pretty much the same as the Lamy safari (just with a clear body). I have several Lamy safaris and, I have to say, that they are not my go tos. They write well, but I find that the nibs dry out really fast here in dry Colorado (in a more humid environment, you may not have the same issue). I've had TWSBIs sitting for months without use and start right back up when I write with them again. Also, in my experience, the steel nibs on the Lamys are not very consistent--meaning a medium I get on one pen could be more like a fine on another. It's just my personal preference, but I still prefer the TWSBI Eco over the Lamy. I am a righty though, so you might want to see if any fellow lefties have some different recommendations.

[@33Gawain]

Thank-you!

[@joseparada4430]

KZbin llama a las plumas, bolígráfos. Muy poco apropiado. Bolígrafos son los que llevan "bola" con tinta espesa. No son estilográficas y conviene dejarlo así. Cámbienlo, por favor. In Spanish there is a clear distinction between "bolígrafos" (from "bola" = ball) and plumas estilográficas, from "pluma" = quill of geese feather. Change it, please.

[@jamesaritchie1]

I don't know who changed it, but "The quick brown fox" is obviously a casualty of KZbin. There is no such thing as a brown fox. There are brown dogs. When I was young, before the internet, "brown" was matched with dog. Now people either don't care about accuracy, or just don't know. In fact, while it added three unnecessary letters, it was originally "The quick red fox jumps over the lazy brown dog." This also adds balance for better sentence construction. Another thing that has gone by the wayside.

[@MysteryArts]

Pangrams run the gamut: clagnut.com/blog/2380/