We stand a good chance of getting confused here, because I’ve already reviewed this pen. The Platinum Cool is really a Platinum Balance, only with what Platinum think is a cool demonstrator construction. In fact, Brad Dowdy of the Pen Addict reviewed the Platinum Cool under the name of the Platinum Balance, Crystal Blue, back in May, 2013:

The nib on the Platinum Balance is the primary selling point. For a Japanese steel F nib it is nothing short of fantastic…

From a writing standpoint alone, it ranks as good as or better than any other pen in its price range…

Brad Dowdy, May 9, 2013
Platinum Balance Fountain Pen Review

And what I’ve got here as the Platinum Cool, Clear Demonstrator, he referred to as the Balance Shine Crystal. They’re actually one and the same pen, and yes, they’re excellent for the money…

I picked my Platinum Cool up from Wonder Pens in Toronto (yet again), who reviewed one of these a bit more recently than Brad, and used the same names I’m running with here:

Platinum nibs are smooth with just that slightest bit of tactile…

I don’t think there’s a pen in this range (or even quite a bit higher, until you hit the gold nibs) that offers as consistent and as soft a nib…

It’s a steel nib that offers a bit of line variation, a tiny bit of flexing…

Liz, Wonder Pens
July 18, 2015
Platinum Cool Fountain Pen Clear Demonstrator

I’ve got to say that I almost never put much pressure on a fountain pen nib when I’m writing, so rarely notice the line variation that others talk about. But I’ve already declared how great I think the Platinum Balance nibs are, especially at their current $65.00 Canadian price point.

Specifications for the Cool are basically the same as for the Balance. The only thing left to comment on, given that they are the same high quality product, is the design.

Well, it’s a demonstrator, you like them or you don’t. I didn’t, now I’m indifferent. I’d prefer something that didn’t look like it was a free-gift in a packet of breakfast cereal, but you buy a demonstrator for a reason, and my reason was to ink it up with anything I liked, and to know what the color was from looking at the pen. It certainly checks those boxes for me, and a whole lot more.

Other reviewers have said that they don’t much like the white liner to the cap, and that this spoils the look of the pen. Again, I’m somewhat indifferent—it’s a demonstrator, how much cheaper and tackier does the white inner cap make it look? On a tackiness scale of 0 to 10, where 10 is the epitome of class, and 0 is Donald Trump, we’re already down to about 0.03. How much worse does it get by topping the whole thing off with a stupid-looking haircut?

One last thing though, as with the Balance, the Platinum Cool does not come with a converter, and if you buy a converter with your pen, then the chances are, you might be sold a gold-colored Platinum converter. You don’t have to have a gold converter; and I thought the silver looked a lot better than the gold comb-over.

Summary

The Platinum Balance, and Cool model fountain pens, are simply excellent buys for their price point. The nibs and writing experience scream high quality, and the cost screams budget-conscious purchase. What more could you ask for?