Review: Platinum Curidas Fountain Pen

The Platinum Curidas is a retractable fountain pen that acts very similar to any Pilot G2 or other ballpoint pen. Although it looks somewhat strange, the Curidas is oddly satisfying to use.

The pen comes in a nice box with a faux-suede bed to hold the pen. Included in the box is a cartridge and basic paperwork. The presentation doesn't feel too nice, but it doesn't have to. For the retail price of about $100, everything feels standard.

The pen is high-quality and feels like an excellent option for everyday carry. The resin making up the body is solid and gives the impression of a more premium fountain pen. The chrome-plated clip and accent add flavor to the futuristic styling of the pen without being too over the top.

Branding on the pen is standard, with the only marks being the CURIDAS text on the barrel and Platinum branding on the underside. There's nothing too pretentious.

Okay, now for the unique part of this pen: the retractable mechanism. Instead of a traditional screw-on cap mechanism, the Platinum Curidas opts for a spring-loaded mechanism to extend and retract the nib.

I've been testing this pen for about a week, and this unorthodox mechanism works. I have yet to experience any dry starts or other significant problems with this fountain pen, which is a great sign. The pen is generally comfortable to use, feels great to click, and writes well.

The nib isn't the smoothest on the market, but the point of the Curidas wasn't to develop a smooth writing pen, either. Those looking into this pen likely want the easy writing experience and customizability of a fountain pen in an easily transportable body. For this purpose, Platinum's Curidas is fantastic.

Under the hood, this pen is complex. There are multiple components, and I had a rough time figuring out how to fill this pen for the first time. Upon initial disassembly, you want to remove the component covered by the spring to refill the pen.

The next step is disassembling the cover of the cartridge. The job of this cover is to correctly align the pen and hold the cartridge in place for the clicking mechanism. It comes off easily with a bit of pressure, but be careful to avoid losing the cover, as it seems proprietary to the overall mechanism.

After you remove the cover, you can refill the pen like any other cartridge converter. Assembly is relatively easy, so there shouldn't be any problems – just put everything you took off back in the reverse order.

There are also some nubs that you have to reassemble. All you do is align the opening with the nub and slide. It should be pretty straightforward.

This mechanism is complex but easy to do after the first few times. I enjoy the charm that comes with the pen's mechanism. It feels rudimentary, but I mean this in the best way possible.

The Platinum Curidas is often compared to the Pilot Vanishing Point, as they're both retractable fountain pens. A common comparison point is that the Curidas seems like a prototype for the Vanishing Point, and I agree with this sentiment.

Although I've never used a Vanishing Point, it seems much more refined than the Curidas. However, the Curidas remains about half the price of a Vanishing Point, making it an excellent purchase for someone looking for a portable, easy fountain pen.

Something else I wanted to mention is the nib on retractable pens. These nibs must be hidden inside the body so they won't be the largest. You generally won't get the smoothest writing experience out of these pens, but they're still great to write with.

I recommend this fountain pen if you can get it reasonably priced. It's quite a novelty and can come in handy in certain situations. The Curidas is generally available for well under $100 and frequently goes on sale with the newer Limited Edition matte version of the pen having recently been released.