Platinum PTL-5000A Fountain Pen Review

**UPDATE: As of July 2019, the Platinum PTL-5000A has been discontinued by Platinum and is no longer available** When I first heard about this fountain pen, I was in disbelief because gold nib pens usually run $140+. Could there be a 14k pen for under $80? Yup, and here it is, the Platinum PTL-5000A. Now don't go thinking that this pen is just a flashy name (some sarcasm there). Okay, it's is quite (robotic?), but this is actually a pretty sweet little pen. I mean that literally, as the pen is thin, very light, and the nib is rather small. However, it's features a genuine 14k nib that writes fairly soft, and I'm quite impressed. The pen design is very similar to the Platinum Maki-e pens, such as the Kanazawa Leaf and Modern Maki-e (that we used to carry but have recently discontinued). It's slightly smaller overall, and incredibly light at only 13g. For a large-handed writer, the pen is thinner and lighter than I would normally want, but this is something that lot of you may find appealing about this pen. The 14k nib writes quite well. The EF is VERY fine, just like you'd expect with a Japanese pen, and that's what I used in this video. It's also available in fine and medium. The fine is smoother than the EF, as I'd expect. The flow is consistent and the feel of the nib is smooth but with a bit of feedback. Platinum grinds their nibs finely, so you feel some drag on the page; that's intentional and the reason a lot of folks like Platinum because you really get a sense of control with the nib. There's even a bit of line variation if you intentionally flex the nib out. Though watch out, it's not a "flex nib" per say, so go easy with this. The pen is black with gold trim (and a silver trim ring at the nib), and there's a burgundy version as well. It comes with a Platinum cartridge and takes a proprietary Platinum converter (sold separately) for bottled ink. All in all, it's a really solid little pen. It's not new, though it's "new to us" here at GouletPens.com. I can't believe I haven't heard more about this pen, especially at this price point. Here it is though, we got it in and I wanted to share my experience with you. You can learn more details and pick one up for yourself at GouletPens.com. What do you think? Write On, Brian Goulet See the PTL-5000A: https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/platinum-ptl-5000a-fountain-pens Shop at GouletPens Store: http://www.GouletPens.com Read GouletPens blog (Ink Nouveau): http://www.inknouveau.com Like GouletPens on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGouletPenCompany Follow GouletPens on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GouletPens Follow GouletPens on Instagram: http://instagram.com/gouletpens Follow GouletPens on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gouletpens/