Platinum Curidas Review

Third time’s the charm, here we go.

After weeks of speculation, anticipation, and shipping delays, the Platinum Curidas has finally arrived. As a fan of unconventional pen designs, I was incredibly excited to get some hands-on time with only the second retractable fountain pen on the market.

Let’s take a look!

The Pen

The Curidas is immediately recognizable as a retractable fountain pen. The large rounded barrel is made of smooth translucent resin, showing off intricate interlocking interior mechanism which houses the nib, feed, and converter. The plunger mechanism that engages the nib extends about 1.25 inches out of the back, extending the overall length to about six inches on the dot. The Curidas is a hefty pen.

The front of the pen features the removable clip, which is a unique and welcome feature that gives it an immediately notorious profile. Underneath the grip, there is a small, sort-of nub thing, which houses part of the sealing mechanism when the nib is engaged. Odd design choices to be sure, but essential to keep the nib from drying out when not in use.

The filling mechanism is fairly standard, using Platinum’s proprietary cartridges or converters. But all around that housing a three-part mechanism which securely locks in on itself to keep everything in place as it endures the daily movement of a clicky pen.

And speaking of that click, this is a pretty good one. The resin feels solid and smooth, and firmly “clicks” into place every time. The plunger stays in place when in use, no rattling while you write. There is a small amount of mechanical friction on the return as the nib is sealed back in its housing, but the important thing is that nothing feels cheap.

The medium steel nib is smooth and has a moderate ink flow. The nib and feed may be removable, but the pen can be adequately flushed and cleaned without doing so.

My Pen, And How I Got It

So the Curidas I’m reviewing, the one sitting next to my keyboard right now, is my third.  I pre-ordered the pen from Pen Chalet when they were announced with the intention of getting an Abyss Blue version with a fine steel nib. Unfortunately, the first one I received was terribly scratchy and just not writing at all. The replacement was better, but still not what I would consider a “fully functional” pen. It was in dire need of some tuning, to say the least. In the end, I switched up to a Medium in Graphite Smoke (a translucent black) and it is the smoothest medium nib I’ve used out of the box. All credit where it is due, Pen Chalet really came through on the support side. This was the first time I’ve run into an order issue this bad, and getting it takes care of was as easy as ordering it in the first place.

A Worthy Addition

Rocky starts and awkward fins aside, I’m a fan of the Curidas. The $80 MSRP is a reasonable ask for a pen of this quality, and the unique design makes it a great addition to the collection. That being said I don’t think this should be anyone’s first, or even second fountain pen, it’s a bit of an oddball. But I am hoping that this inspires other pen manufacturers to get a little creative with their designs. I’m sure we’ll see a few more retractable fountain pens before too long.

Check out the Platinum Curidas at Pen Chalet.

Disclaimer: The product in this review was purchased by The Poor Penman for the purpose of review and to feed the addiction. All opinions stated are those of the author.