Customer Reviews

A desk pen is not mobile and must be kept upright at all times. Getting a nice cup to hold the pen up in or the desk holder (available from Jetpens, too) is a MUST. The cartridges seem a little pricey compared to normal fountain ink, but there is where all comparisons end.

These pens write a fine line with excellent control. The tip writes fluidly and can keep up with even fast writing. The ink is a nice, dark black (although not as dark as some gel inks); it IS waterproof and the carbon will resist chemical attack, as well. Please keep in mind that this IS a "waterdripping" pen that relies on ink flow, gravity and a watery ink to work. This means that if you use uncoated paper or thin, cheap paper, you WILL get some feathering and bleedthrough. So be sure to pair this excellent pen with excellent paper to get the most out of it.

This pen is pure joy to write with! I use mine daily and often. I write letters, pen notes, make sketches and whatever else I can do just to feel the smooth nib gliding across the paper.

I've used the Sailor desk pen, as well, and I can say that, in my opinion, both pens have high quality. I prefer the Platinum ever so slightly (because of the ink), but not by much.

As a quick warning: The carbon ink is NOT made for ordinary fountain pens. This desk pen has a specially widened channel in the feed to accomodate the ink. Putting the carbon ink in a normal pen risks clogging. PLEASE use the right ink with the right pen with the right paper and you will NEVER be disappointed.

The Platinum Carbon pen allows you to use the waterproof Carbon Ink in a fountain pen. After having used this pen for a while, I can recommend it.

I also own the Rotring Art Pen, which is a similar concept. The Rotring uses typical fountain pen ink, which washes away with any water-based media (like watercolor). I also found the Rotring to have flow issues (it was difficult to get it started). If you left it unused for a while, forget about using it without some maintenance.

The Carbon pen seems to address these issues. Plus, it's cheap. I don't think you'll find a better deal on a waterproof ink-based sketching pen. I'm really pleased with this find. Maybe now I can stop lugging bottles of ink with me when I vacation!

This is a terrific pen. The nib is super-fine, almost a needlepoint, but it still manages to be much smoother than a nib of that size has a right to be.

This pen will work with regular bottled fountain pen ink, but it's really designed to be used with Platinum's pigment-based carbon ink. This ink is waterproof and will resist bleach and other chemicals commonly employed by check forgers. The carbon ink is even more water-resistant than my other favorite, Noodlers Bulletproof Black. (Unlike the Noodlers, the carbon ink doesn't leave a layer of dye particles that washes away and smudges ever so slightly when the paper gets wet.) For instantly waterproof lines, this is the ink to use.

The nib is a delight, really. The pen is super-responsive on just about any paper. I find that I have more control with this pen than any other writing or drawing instrument I own. It has rapidly become my favorite pen for writing and sketching.

The cartridges will last a very long time--the nib is very sparing with ink, yet it flows instantly and never skips. The only drawback to the carbon ink is the fact that it thoroughly stains the plastic of the cartridge wall on the inside, so it's just about impossible to see how much ink is left in the cartridge. But I'm still on my first cartridge since buying the pen three weeks ago, and I probably write 3-6 pages a day.

The pen holder for this pen is a handy way to keep this on your desk. It looks nice and eliminates the need to uncap the pen before use. It's not strictly necessary to keep this pen upright, though--I take it along with the cap when I do work outside the house, and I've had it sitting in my bag for a day or two over the weekend without drying up or hard starting.

A super pen for water-proof writing and drawing at a bargain price. If you like super-fine nibs, you'll love this one. It feels good in the hand and is a joy to use.

FANTASTIC PEN FOR COMIC BOOK DRAWING AND ILLUSTRATION! Handles very similar to-- if not exactly like-- the Sailor Desk Pen. Super-fine to medium lines are possible. flexible for variable line work. Along with the Sailor, it has become one of my favorite detailing pens.

I don't use this pen every day but have had it for quite a while. I decided when then original cartridge was finished, I would buy the carbon ink. I still am using the original cartridge. The line is so thin that the cartridge lasts a long time. Some day I will get to buy the ink bottle. Anyway, my point is that even though the cartridges may seem expensive, they last a long time.

This pen is exactly as advertised and my clients really like it. Its fine point is great for editing typescript. It does best with Carbon Ink, but writes well with almost anything (Platinum Pigment ink, too). For a light pen, its really well balanced, looks nice on my desk in its companion holder, cleans up nicely and writes well even on cheap copy paper.

With respect to the guy who thought it wasn't so hot, Let's see, the pen costs $13.50. You were expecting maybe a Montblanc Diplomat 149? (PS, carbon ink works well in that pen, too).

I love this pen! I carry it everywhere with me in a pencil case, so far with no mishaps. The only problem I had was when the ink in the cartridge neared depletion, and a droplet of ink oozed out of the nib. That was messy, but there's been no problem since I changed the cartridge and cleaned the nib. Overall, this pen has given me hours of inspired writing and doodling!

Mon simple avis, une des meilleurs plumes pour le dessin, le crobard sur le vif voir l'encrage BD, il glisse, extra fin, souple, débit d'encre constant mais pas sans sensibilité et pour couronner le tout encre waterproof (carbon ink cartouche) supporte la baignoire, l'aquarelle, la saison des pluies…
Bon, voilà je ne suis pas Rembrandt mais cet outil c'est sûr c'est une merveille!

I have been carrying this pen around with me for a couple of weeks. I'd call it mobile! LOVE IT. It's become my go to pen, and I love the permanent ink. Good, fine point.

LOVE the pen. But, I did have a bit of trouble with the ink. I had to fight with it to get the ink to flow. Then it leaked and I used up the whole cartridge in less than a week! Love the pen enough to buy some refills though.

I've had this pen over a year now, and it is the absolute best sketching pen for use with watercolors I've tried. I've tried Lamy Safari, Platinum Preppy, Noodler's Konrad, and Pilot Prera, and the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen is THE pen I depend on for sketching when I will be using watercolors (which I do almost all the time). The most important thing for me about this pen is its reliability. Platinum Carbon ink (which is the best ink to hold fast against watercolors) may be finicky and slow to start in other pens, but in this one it starts every time and keeps going strong until the ink runs out. I also love the consistent ultra-fine line.

As far as being a "desk pen", I don't use the desk holder (don't have one). This pen doesn't need it. I kept this pen in my purse on a 3-month trip to Australia (I was careful to keep it nib up, otherwise I did notice some leakage) and it performed perfectly. While on that trip, I took a box of spare cartridges but only needed to replace the cartridge once (and I drew with it every day!). So this pen doesn't go through the ink that fast, which is nice because the ink is expensive. While at home, I refill the cartridge with the bottled version of Platinum Carbon ink using a syringe. I have a converter for this pen but prefer to use the cartridge because I believe the ball inside the cartridge helps keep the ink stirred. I love this pen so much, I have two; one I keep in my purse and the other in my studio. This is my "stuck-on-a-desert-island" pen, for sure!

The nib that I received is very scratchy and it is practically unusable on copy paper. Very regrettable because I like everything else about it. The nib will make or break any pen.

I got the pen and the desk stand.
So nice to have a great pen on the ready at all times ... it means you can sketch on everything!
As much as I like to be free and loose on big artwork I also really enjoy working with a great instrument like this one. Great even ink delivery. Superb fine line. Makes you think tight.
Highly recommend this one.

I bought this pen 6 months ago and fell in love with it! At the same time I bought the Sailor Desk Fountain Pen, extra fine which I also love. The two pens are very similar both in body and performance and the differences are slight but welcome.
I just received my latest order from JP and as usual I see that there will be at least one or more "favorites" in the new bunch.
All the new pens reminded me of how happy I am with this great little pen, and left me wondering why I hadn't just ordered a second one for use with other colors.
Oh well, it gives me an excuse to place another order next month - or next week.

Light weight sketching tool with smooth and reliable performance. I had this pen for a few months now, and it is always ready for an impromptu sketching session starting right away without skipping. I do not use it everyday, but I keep it stored pointing down on my drawing desk.

I was disappointed with this pen. It is made from a cheap black plastic and feels it. The ink will not flow smoothly if you do not use the pen regularly (i.e. every day). I have heard that this is an inherent problem arising from the nature of the ink, and that the pen was designed to compensate for the propensity of the ink to clog fountain pen systems (as opposed to dip style pens), but apparently was not very successful. Word is that around the Platinum offices, they hear this complaint often. The carbon ink is great. The pen, not so great.

I agree with ratfactor. This pen has a fine, precise, responsive nib, allowing loose sketching as well as very detailed drawing, and supplies a real waterproof ink, i.e. one can go with watercolour over it without any graying. This pen makes my profession as an illustrator easier. Thanks, Jetpens!

My new favorite. This pen has an elegant feel. It's the perfect shape for a pen.

I bought this pen because I was interested in fine Spencerian calligraphy. It is definitely to wide and inflexible for this purpose. It's about this same as the lamy safari extra fine and a hair thicker than the pilot desk pen. Beautiful black ink though. Would much recommend the safari much more comfortable writing, wonderful smooth nib without significant increase in width.

Wonderfull pen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spent $300 on fountain pens from these site, and I can say that I love all of them, this one in particular. If you like extra-fine writing - this pen is perfect for you.