Platinum Procyon - Carmine Red

The Platinum Procyon is a sibling to the Platinum Plaisir: a stylish, more masculine design than the Plaisir, but with the same kind of durable metal body and fantastic steel nib as the Plaisir.

And with Platinum’s legendary Slip & Seal cap mechanism, this is a pen that just…works. Every. Single. Time. Even if you abandon it on your desk for weeks, it’s ready to start instantly—no hard starts, no coaxing, no ritual scribbles on a Post-it.

The lightweight aluminum body gives the Procyon a solid, grown-up feel without being fatiguing, and the clean, modern design walks a nice line between “office appropriate” and “fountain pen nerd approved.” It posts securely, balances well in most hands, and feels reassuringly precise rather than flashy.

What makes it shine, especially for beginners, is how effortless it is to write with. The nib is tuned on the smoother side of feedbacky—confident, controlled, and far more refined than many typical “starter pens.” In fact, it’s a better first serious fountain pen than a lot of the usual suspects (yes, even some more expensive models). If you’re serious about getting into the hobby—or buying a gift for someone who is—the Procyon gives you a reliable, high-performance writing experience right out of the box.

Platinum’s proprietary cartridges (one included) and converter (sold separately) keep ink handling tidy, and the clever feed design lets you fill even from low ink levels in a bottle. Pair it with a good fountain-pen-friendly notebook and a few ink samples, and you’ve basically built a “welcome to the hobby, you’re spoiled now” kit.