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About the pens

The Platypus pens are almost entirely 3d-printed in fine layers arranged to reflect light from almost any angle and produce a glistening, shining pen that stands out from the pack of commonplace smooth-bodied injection moulded or turned pens. They are constructed from nested components glued together with marine epoxy to make a robust and functional whole.

The nibs of all Platypus pens are tested and tuned before shipping so that you can be confident that your new pen will write well.

Model 1 and Model 10

These are the original Platypus pens and are closely related. Both take cartridges or converters and have a conventional screw in nib unit. The Model 1 is a medium-sized pen that fits my hand perfectly and takes a #5-sized nib. The model 10 is larger and has a #6-sized nib. Both are available as full-sized pens and in a Quokka, pocket pen, version. They post deeply and securely, and when the Quokkas are posted they behave as a full-sized pen. (Quokkas fit short standard international cartridges, but not a cartridge converter.)

Models 1 and 10 both have an unusual hidden eccentric ballast roll-stop so that they will not roll off your desk even though they do not have a clip.

Model 3

Model 3 is a smaller pen that takes a #5 nib and a Schmidt rollerball unit interchangeably. It is the newest and least expensive Platypus Pens model.

Model 20 (and now Model 2)

After a long development period I am pleased to offer the Model 20. It has a filling system unlike any other fountain pen, being a twist-filler with a captive filling knob. It has a large ink capacity of more than twice that of a standard cartridge converter, and is a juicy writer thanks to its ebonite feed. The Model 20 has a clip!

The development of Model 2, a slightly smaller version of the Model 20, is complete and its full description will be added to the Model 20 page. In short, it is very similar to the Model 20, but takes a #5 sized nib. The nib is mounted on an ebonite feed in a custom removable unit. Model 2 is currently only available in the fluted pattern.

Prices

The Platypus fountain pens cost $150 for Model 1 and $170 for Model 10, plus postage. Model 3 is $100 for a pen with either a nib or a rollerball, and $115 for a pen with both units. (Those are Australian dollars and at the moment they equate to about US$110 and US$125, or €93 and €105, respectively.) The flagship pens, Model 20 and Model 2 are much more complicated to make and are priced at $250.

People living in the USA may find that they have to pay duty on Platypus pens because of the “emergency” being experienced by their country. President Trump has decided that from 29 August 2025 it is necessary to suspend the de minimus arrangement whereby no tariffs were charged on goods under $800 USD. Importantly, that duty is paid by the customer, who is the importer, not by me or by Australia. You can read about it here.

To buy a pen you should send an email to the pen-maker, Michael Lew, using the ‘Contact Us‘ page. (Make sure that you write something in the comments field as empty emails have started to arrive from bogus email addresses and so I may not respond to an empty enquiry.) Look at the pens that are available for immediate purchase here, or you can order a custom mixture of pen type, pattern and colours, for the price of the pen plus a $50 fee. I can offer suggestions and show photos of samples if you are not sure of which colours to go with.

Payment is via a Paypal invoice that will be sent once the pen is ready. That invoice can be paid via credit or debit card or, if you have a PayPal account, directly using PayPal.

Packaging

Platypus pens are not delivered in a plastic sleeve within a presentation box within a cardboard box within… Instead, your Platypus pen is shipped in entirely recycled, re-used, or rescued packaging and most of that is recyclable at your end. Any bubble wrap or equivalent padding is re-used from incoming parcels, and cardboard is taken from those parcels and from filament boxes. We are selling pens, not flashy boxes. We are confident that the pen will reach you in good condition, and if it is damaged in transit we will replace it. 

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Warranty

Platypus pens are warranted to be good pens that will give satisfactory service for many years. Like most fountain pens they are robust but not unbreakable. There is a ‘reasonable warranty’: if you think it is reasonable to ask, then I will replace the pen.

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Platypus Pens ABN 27957520911

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All blog posts (oldest to newest)

• 3D printing for fountain pen users
• Why 3D print a pen?
• Layers of sheen
• In Praise of the Cartridge Converter
• 3D printing a fountain pen: difficulties and their solutions.
• The shapes of Platypus fountain pens
• The terracotta platypus
• Quokka: a platypus for your pocket
• A New Platypus
• Twist-fill Bladder
• Play with Platypus Pens at Melbourne Pen Show 2023
• Seams (again)
• The new Model 20
• Model 20 nitty and gritty