Worth the Upgrade? Platinum Preppy vs. Platinum Plaisir

The Platinum Preppy is one of the most highly recommended fountain pen for beginners. It is a surprisingly reliable plastic fountain pen that you can get for $5. It comes in different nib sizes from extra fine to medium and comes in different colors. While the Platinum Preppy is a fantastic pen for its price, it comes with a few drawbacks – the plastic body being one of them.

Platinum has another pen that’s both affordable and also offers the same writing experience as the Platinum Preppy – the Platinum Plaisir.

• Read: 8 Fountain Pens That Won’t Break the Bank

Comparing the Pens

The pens are similar in a lot of ways. They both have stainless steel nibs and the same grip section that you can actually interchange between the two. Both fountain pens use Platinum cartridge ink or a Platinum proprietary cartridge converter (sold separately)

The primary difference between the two is the material of the body. The Platinum Preppy is made out of clear resin (plastic) with the Platinum Preppy’s product information painted on it. The Platinum Plaisir, on the other hand, is made out of aluminum, making it look as classy as the Pilot Metropolitan.

Another notable difference is the price, of course. The Platinum Preppy usually sells at $5 while the Plaisir’s price ranges from $10 to $20.

Why upgrading to the Plaisir might not be worth the upgrade

#1 Cannot be converted to an eyedropper pen

Because the Platinum Plaisir is made out of aluminum, you will not be able to convert it to an eyedropper pen unlike the Platinum Preppy.

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#2 Cost

The Plaisir is roughly $9-$18 so it’s at least twice the price of the Platinum Preppy, which offers the same writing experience. You will only be paying extra for the pen’s aesthetics – material and color, just as if you were to upgrade from the Lamy Safari to a Lamy Al-Star.

Reasons to Upgrade

#1 Durability

The Platinum Preppy’s plastic body can easily crack whether it’s mishandled or wear-and-tear over time. The Plaisir is made out of metal which makes it less prone to cracks and dents when dropped. If you enjoy the Platinum Preppy but want something that’s more durable, then you should definitely buy a Plaisir.

#2 The converter

The Platinum proprietary converter is sold separately and costs around $5-8. If you want to use non-Platinum inks or if you aren’t interested in eyedropper fountain pens, you might want to consider adding a cartridge converter. You can do the same with the Platinum Preppy but it kind of doesn’t make sense to add an $8 converter to a $5 pen. With the Plaisir, you can easily justify the cost of the converter add-on.

#3 It looks nicer

The Platinum Plaisir is definitely nicer than the Platinum Preppy. It also comes in various colors in nice polished metal.

Personally, I keep a Platinum Preppy as a backup fountain pen. I loved writing with the Platinum Preppy but I was not fond of the plastic body. I wanted to use a similar one as my Bullet Journal fountain pen so I purchased a Platinum Plaisir and it has since been my everyday carry. Both pens are excellent writers but ultimately, the choice comes down to how you plan to use the pen.