Platinum Curidas overhyped?

When I first stumbled over the Platinum Curidas fountain pen a couple of weeks ago I seriously considered getting one. If I had to complain about anything regarding fountain pens it would probably be that most of them have a cap and you therefore normally require two hands to write with them (or be sitting + one hand). The Curidas, on the other hand, is capless and uses a push-button to push and retract the nib from and into a little pocket filled with elastomer which, in theory, should seal it. That’s not totally new as other companies like Lamy already have something like this, but the Curidas is one of just a few (if it’s not even the only one) that’s actually affordable at $80.

After reading the latest review by The Pen Addict, though, I’m glad that I didn’t get one. Turns out that something about the construction or the used material causes cracks to form at the feed below the nib. Platinum seems to be actively replacing the affected pens through their retail partners but at $80 I’d still expect a fountain pen to last a couple of years even under heavy use.

That being said, I still really like the whole idea of capless fountain pens but I think I’ll wait for a v2.0 before jumping onboard 😅