Platinum Preppy vs Pilot Custom 74

Again, though, not going for pretty or sexy. I just want a decent writer that won't break the bank if it has to be replaced. The price of the converter was more than the pen, but because it allows me to use whatever ink I want I have no complaints about that. My total cost for pen and converter was less than $15

I always like building things that are quality but leave somewhere to go afterwards. Getting a Custom 74 with a Con 70 for the added ink capacity may not be as sexy as a Visconti but it will give you an amazing writing experience that might put the whole idea of a grail into better focus.

Due to an incident in class where the ink exploded over my hand, I've been wary to bring it with me back to the lecture hall. I've read also that Noodler's Black writes dry (in my limited experience, this is the case) paired with the Lamy Safari. I use the Safari mostly for penning long writings in my notebook, but since I do it infrequently, I find myself needing to change out the ink in the Safari since it's dried out since last use. Platinum's slip and seal mechanism is a useful tool since it keeps away ink evaporation

Which brings me to my only complaint. I’m writing with my Custom74 about as much as my Twsbi and am filling my Custom74 more frequently. The Twsbi has a noticeably bigger ink capacity. Would I buy the Custom74 again? Hmmmm, not sure

Otherwise, go back to ballpoint, but know that you really didn’t engage with fountain pen in the way that’s intended.

i love the feel of the nib and overall way that it writes unfortunately the 'custom series' clear acrylic pens have a design flaw ; the clear acrylic resin body of the pen develops hairline fractures/cracks (usually around the ends/edges where the pen threads with the nib and where it threads with the cap) most likely due to the expansion and shrinkage of that portion of the pen during opening and closing during ink loading and during the capping of the pen. the pen requires a metal finish in these areas for the problem to be resolved . i hope Pilot looks into this matter cos i love the rest of the pen and how it writes. overall i love most pilot products

Cheap. So, why just three stars--especially when I'm a fan of cheap fountain pens? Because this pen is so utilitarian in appearance and handling, it removes all romance from the writing experience. If Jinhao and Gullor and a bunch of Indian (even Pakistani) pen companies weren't putting out gorgeous pens for the same price, this would be a five-star pen. But you can get luscious pens that feel like fine tools and write, honestly, like Meisterstucks, for the same price

I would not have purchased this if the price wasn't so good. It happened to be much lower than the normal 160 that most places (including Amazon) sell it for. If you p[lay with the color / nib options while browsing, certain colors / nibs will be lower in price on occasion. Saw this one dropped for purple with medium nib (under 130) and added it to the cart right away

Personally I find the low weight makes me prone to twist it in my fingers a bit, which is bad when it comes to a precise fountain pen with a small sweet-spot.

The nib is beautiful, the pen writes smooth, but the weight is not to my pleasing. I do realize I bought a clear, plastic pen, but the least pilot could do is make the plastic thicker and increase the heft.