I’ve been working my way back through the lower-priced tiers of Platinum fountain pens in recent weeks, from the newer Prefounte to the old standbys like the Platinum Plaisir and the Platinum Preppy. I have to say - Platinum absolutely rules the $5-20 price point, with very few pen companies offering the same level of choice and consistent quality. As I’ll discuss more today, Platinum has even opened up the entry-level price segment to the limited edition game, allowing new and price-conscious enthusiasts to explore special releases and things like Japanese Maki-e style finishes that otherwise would be cost-prohibitive to many.

Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Series Close Up of Designs — My two favorite patterns from this year's Preppy Wa release: Koi no Taki-Nobori (Carp Climbing a Waterfall), left, and Yanagi ni Kournori (Bats and Willow), right. Both pens feature silver and gold screened artwork, respectively, over a dark blue-black/blue-green base.

I decided to review Platinum’s Preppy Wa, Modern Maki-e Series 2, because this weekend is the San Francisco Pen Show and, well, that show can be a very expensive proposition. It’s known for hosting a large number of vendors focused on high-end Japanese pens, both modern and vintage, including pens with specialized urushi lacquerwork and Maki-e designs. I’ve never delved deeply into that area, mainly because I don’t feel that I know enough about it to fully appreciate the art, making it difficult to justify laying out $1,000 or more for a high-end finished piece. I do, however, genuinely enjoy the intricate designs and overall look of this style of artwork, which is one reason I’ve become such an enthusiastic supporter of what Platinum has done with the Preppy Wa.

Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Designs Official Release

At first, I scratched my head when I saw that Platinum had decided to introduce a “modern Maki-e” special edition to the Preppy lineup. A limited edition version of a $5 pen? With Maki-e? After seeing the first series, however, I knew that Platinum probably had a hit on their hands and that going forward, we’d all be awaiting each year’s release. How did they do this and keep the price point so low? Well, “modern Maki-e” uses a different technique from traditional Maki-e, which allows it to be produced in larger quantities. According to Platinum:

“Unlike conventional Maki-e, it is applied with silk screen printing instead of urushi lacquer on the underlayer, which is then sprinkled with colored powders such as gold and silver and hand-finished one by one by Maki-e artisans. It gives more thickness compared to normal printing, while the reflections and shades of the powders create a three-dimensional feel.”

Platinum Preppy Wa and Platinum Plaisir Side-by-Side — The gold and silver powders used in the "maki-e style" artwork really does sparkle, and the texture feels nice in the hand. Shown here with the matte black Platinum Plaisir.

This process results in an extremely nice pen for the price point. While it is a Preppy, and therefore won’t last forever, the designs on the pens in my own collection have proven durable without any real discernible wear. Each modern Maki-e collection features six “traditional and elegant Japanese patterns,” and Platinum has provided a short description of the meaning behind each. For example, the two pens shown here are:

Koi no Taki-Nobori (“Carp climbing up a waterfall”): “Carp with strong vitality is considered the chief river fish. And it is also said to be an auspicious pattern that symbolizes success in life, based on an ancient Chinese story that says ‘A carp that climbs a rushing waterfall ascends to the sky and becomes a dragon.’”
Yanagi ni Kournouri (“Bats and Willow): “In China, the kanji for bat has the same sound as ‘turning into good fortune,’ so it is considered an auspicious pattern that symbolizes good fortune and longevity. Japan was also influenced by this and was seen as a symbol of happiness during the Heian period.”

Explanation of all the various Preppy Wa patterns

So a history lesson with your pens? Always fun! Plus, I’m a big believer in usable, functional artwork. You shouldn’t hesitate to use a pen like a Platinum Preppy in your everyday life, especially where even the limited edition costs only $13, and Platinum’s excellent stainless steel nibs and slip-and-seal cap system have long been regarded as low-cost workhorses that write reliably whenever you need them. These pens are versatile - many people add an o-ring or silicone grease to the threads and fill them as eyedroppers - but I prefer to use my Preppy fountain pens as cartridge pens for simplicity and because I tend to use them when I travel. Just keep in mind that Platinum uses proprietary cartridges and converters.

Platinum Preppy Plaisir Prefounte Nib Close-up — The Platinum Preppy, Prefounte, and Plaisir fountain pens all use the same steel nib. In my experience, Preppys tend to hold up well but eventually you might see cracks form on the plastic clip and around the lip of the cap. The caps on the Preppy Wa pens are clear, meaning they can be replaced if you want to keep your special barrel.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Platinum Preppy remains a go-to recommendation for beginners and enthusiasts alike, and the Preppy Wa series is a fun upgrade to the standard Preppy. Personally, I’ve enjoyed both “Modern Maki-e” series more than the original Preppy Wa, and of the six screen-printed designs, most people will be able to find one that appeals to them. If I were forced to pick a favorite, it would be the Koi no-Taki-Nobori (Carp Climbing the Waterfall), though I also appreciate the darker tones in the Yanagi ni Kourbori (Bats and Willows) design.

Platinum Preppy Wa Modern Maki-e Designs shown together — I might have kept all six this time, as I regret not doing so last year.

The Preppy Wa series are annual limited editions, so once they’re gone from retailers, you’ll have to wait for the next run, which will feature a different set of designs. We currently still have some stock of each pen from the second series in our shop, priced at $13. While the first series of Modern Maki-e pens sold out long ago, we still have a handful of the Yellow Urukomon pens available, and they are on sale. Note that these do not feature a “Modern-Maki-e” screen-printed pattern, but rather are the colored acrylic versions.

The Gentleman Stationer is an authorized reseller of Platinum Pens.

When it comes to understated (and consistent) quality, it’s hard to top Pilot. Regardless of whether you think their designs are “boring”, or that they don’t do enough to cater to the “cult of the limited edition,” one thing is inarguable: for your money, you nearly always get a well-built pen that’s an exceptional writer. That holds true across Pilot’s lineup, from the sub-$15 Pilot Kakuno, all the way into their $1000+ high-end fountain pens.

I’ve gradually worked my way through most of Pilot’s mid-range and high-end offerings, reviewing the Pilot Custom Heritage 92, the Custom 74, the Custom Heritage 912, and the Custom 823. What I’ve never done is go above the $300 mark, and delve into Pilot fountain pens on the ultra high-end, either in the standard Pilot lineup or the more custom urushi and maki-e pens from sibling brand Namiki. After I found myself with a bit of store credit plus savings from not having purchased any pens in a while, I treated myself to the Pilot Custom Urushi, in vermillion red lacquer.

An oversized ebonite pen coated in urushi lacquer and fitted with a huge No. 30 18k gold nib, the Custom Urushi, to me, represents everything great about Pilot as a brand. It’s the largest pen in the Pilot lineup (I’m categorizing the Namiki Emperor/Yukari Royale separately), and an absolute joy to write with. Pilot didn’t attempt to reinvent their overall design aesthetic here. From the cap band, to the clip, to the black finials, Pilot really just went all-in on the hallmarks of the “Custom” lineup and amped it up with the urushi lacquer and nib. If it ain’t broke….

The oversized Pilot No. 30 nib is roughly the same size as a No. 8 nib from brands such as JoWo or Bock.

The Custom Urushi comes in two colors: black and vermillion red. You can choose from three nib sizes: fine, medium, and broad. There’s no paralysis of choice here. I opted for the medium, since I find Pilot medium nibs to write what I consider the perfect line width for me. Don’t get me wrong - the craftsmanship on this pen, and especially the urushi work, are beautifully executed, but the nib steals the show. I only have a couple of oversized nibs in my collection, a Montegrappa Extra 1930 and a Montblanc 149, and neither wrote as well untouched and out-of-the-box as the nib on the Custom Urushi. It has just the right amount of tooth, and a slight bounce that gives you some line variation without sacrificing the “everyday writer” characteristics for which Pilot is known.

The Pilot Custom Urushi (left) shown compared agains the Montegrappa Extra 1930, center, and the Montblanc 149, right.

The Custom Urushi is a cartridge/converter pen, which I feel is the right call here for a couple of reasons. First, this pen ships with the Pilot Con-70 pump converter, perhaps my favorite converter of all time. it’s reliable and holds a decent amount of ink. Second, such a large pen would likely be extremely heavy with a piston, and a Japanese-style eyedropper would take this pen out of the mainstream “Custom” fan base. Pilot occasionally gets some snark for including a cartridge-converter system on a pen at this price point, but it’s no different than Nakaya, Platinum, and most other makers of urushi pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I was initially hesitant to purchase this pen, due to both the combination of size and price, I have no regrets. You would be hard-pressed to find a better writing experience from Pilot: the urushi lacquer and lightweight ebonite barrel, combined with the comfortable shape and grip section, make this a pen I could use for hours regardless of the oversized barrel. As long as they’re relatively lightweight, larger pens can even be easier to use for longer writing sessions. And I can’t emphasize how superbly the nib writes. Even if you don’t end up buying one, make it a point during your next pen show trip to test out a Pilot No. 30 nib.

The Pilot Custom Urushi fountain pen is available for purchase at most Pilot retailers, and overall availability has surprised me. For a pen with a $1400 MSRP and a street price starting at $1100, I expected them to be hard to come by. While I acquired this particular pen from Appelboom, both The Nibsmith and Dromgoole’s also stock this model (along with nearly all other Pilot and Namiki models).

I think the question becomes, is the Custom Urushi worth it? If you’re looking for a quality urushi pen that will serve you well as an everyday workhorse, the answer is an unqualified “absolutely.” In fact, for an urushi pen of this size, especially with a large nib, you could argue that the price is even on the lower side. Nakaya starts at around $700 retail (if you can find one in stock), with prices on some designs easily escalating north of $2000. Danitrio and the higher-end Namiki pens can easily run into the multi-thousands. I don’t think I’m going there, however. At the end of the day, the Custom Urushi probably represents the most I’m willing to spend on a pen that I would use regularly, and this one has earned as spot in the permanent rotation.

Disclaimer: This post does NOT contain affiliate links, though I did pay for a portion of this pen using funds generated from Appelboom’s affiliate program when I was still a member. Currently, T.G.S. is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and the T.G.S. Patreon Program. Many thanks!