This morning a new episode of "Serious Nibbage" covered the Platinum 3776 (Black) with Music Nib hit Youtube. Which reminded me that I had promised an overview post covering my little collection of 3776, especially since I disagreed with some of what our two beloved pen geeks had to say. More on that later.
I got interested in the 3776 because I love my Nakaya and had heard that Platinum supplied the nibs for Nakaya. If you've used a Nakaya you know the nibs are pretty much perfect, and getting a nib like that on a pen that costs a fraction of the price seemed, well stupidly obvious for someone as obsessed with pens as I am.
Then I fell in love with the Koi. Snagged a deal a few months back for one on Ebay with an EF nib (something I'd normally *never* chose myself) and the rest is, as they say, history.
Now let me start by saying I do not own a 3776 black. While I adore my black German pens I'd heard all sorts of bad things about this particular black pen. Basically the black version of the 3776 is cheap. It's a body to hold a nib, nothing more. Japanese pen sites sell it for considerably less than the fancier 3776 pens, I'd say it is the entry level Platinum. I've seen one and held it and while I didn't hate it, it in no way made me want to buy the pen. If your only experience of this brand or model is the black one you are missing out, because it most certainly doesn't represent what the 3776 can be.
http://tandaina.smugmug.com/photos/i...pJdXpCn-XL.jpg
My beauties. We've got here from top to bottom:
1. Koi
2. Bourgogne
3. Chartres
4. Sai
5. Shoji
My German pens (Pelikans, Montblanc, Osmia, Soennecken, Matador) are work horses. They might not look like much (ok the Pelikans are often jewels) but their nibs are a-freakin'-mazing in a very specific way. The nibs on these pens are very different, but just as good.
Platinum nibs are wonderful, if you've used a Nakaya you know that. Most of Platinum's pens have far fewer nib options than Nakaya though, be aware. Most 3667 are available only with the standard F/M/B line. (It looks like engeika can special order most of the 3776 with a wider range of nibs, but it will take a few weeks and you'll have to email him.) Nakaya gets you into double broads, soft, etc. Through a Japanese website I did get one of my 3776 (the Bourgogne) with a SF nib. You can always get a music nib, but I wouldn't.
Here I disagree with "Serious Nibbage..." I can't stand the Platinum music nib. I wanted it, badly, for a long time. And then I got a chance to use one. Last year at the Dallas pen show I spotted a Koi with a music nib in Pendleton Browns' personal pen case. While he was fixing up one of my pens I begged to try his pen, he graciously agreed. I loved the Koi, I hated the nib. It is the hardest nib I've ever used, bar none. It's like writing with a blunt stick. And I mean blunt, it is such a blunt stub that I found the line variation utterly underwhelming. Combined with how rock hard it is (harder than any of the other 3776 nibs and they're pretty damn hard) it was like writing with an untipped steel stub. The sort of thing you can get for like $6 with the Goulet brand on it. Maybe I'm spoiled by my sharp, wickedly beautiful italics ground by various nib miesters, or my wet noodle vintage music nib, but I wouldn't spend the premium on that nib, ever. (Spring is the whole point of a music nib, the three tines meant to keep up with fast flex for musical annotation. So I do not understand Platinum's choice here at all.)
The rest of the 3776 nibs are delightful. Do not expect the regular F/M/B nibs to give you line variation, they won't. They are quite stiff (but they don't feel *hard* the way the music nib does). The SF and SM nibs are nice and soft and bouncy. They are all smooth as glass, even the EF I've got is smooth as silk.
I find the 3776 falls into a sweet spot in pen size. It is light and easy to write with for long, long sessions. It is perfectly balanced and lays in my hand without effort. It is long enough I can't imagine anyone *needing* to post it (see the picture with the 146 added to the lineup.
Some more detailed size comparison below. This is the Montblanc 146, the 3776, and an Omas Italiana '90. The 3776 is essentially the same length, capped as these two big pens. The three pens are lined up with their bases touching the bottom of the pen drawer. The size differences are, well hardly worth mentioning like this.
And uncapped.
Here you can see a size difference. The 3776 *is* shorter than the 146 and the girth is slightly less. But in the hand they feel very similar to me and if you line up the *sections* next to one another you'll find the actual grip area to be basically the same length. There is as much room for your fingers on one as on the other. The length difference is mostly in the 146's filling knob. The 3776 is not quite as girthy a pen as the 146, but since the 146 maxes out my comfortable girth size I don't mind a bit. I'm one of those people who looks at a 149 and says "how the heck do you WRITE with that? It looks like a clown pen!" So if you find the 149 to be perfect and the 146 too small? The 3776 will be too small. Otherwise? Perfecto!
I don't post my pens, Nakaya cured me of that affliction, but the Platinums post very well and securely if you're into that sort of thing. And posted it would be long enough for even King Kong to use, I'd expect.
What really wins for me with these pens? (Other than those yummy smooth nibs) is the materials. Another reason to skip boring black and throw a party:
Look at that! They're like a jewel box. And I only have *one* of the celluloid line. (I want them all, precious!)
To take a hat tip from SBRE Brown and Gourmet Pens....
What do I like about the 3776?
Almost everything. These are writer's pens. The slip and seal cap means they don't dry out, at all. They are wonderfully balanced in the hand, light and easy to use for long session. The nibs are delightful, and they're just plain beautiful. The attention to detail is out of this world, from the cap bands that look like fancy wedding rings to every other little detail.
What do I *not* like about the 3776?
OK, so there is something I don't like. A couple things, actually.
1. They are overpriced in the US. The MSRP in the US is staggeringly higher than the same dang pen in Japan. Why? Who knows, import fees, middle men taking their cut? All I know is I wouldn't pay US prices, but I hate parting with my money and very rarely buy new pens. My 146 is from the 80s because I find the prices for new ones to be highway robbery. 3776 are readily available for Japanese prices on eBay, from Engeika, and a few other sites (most ship from Japan very quickly I get my pens in 3 to 4 days in the Western US), so just skip the US retailers.
2. Filling system. I know Mr. Edison says we should all love the cartridge converter system but... I don't. I just find it cheap and lazy. There, I said it. When I gaze at the Shoji or the Sai with a stupid converter in it I just want to smack some Platinum engineer up side the head and say "you forgot to try!" Especially given the prices these pens demand in the US I'd really like to see something like the Pilot Custom 823 vac viller, it would look so much *better* inside those transparent barrels. The converter/cartridge is just *ugly* and cluttered and it looks cheap. Buying the Nakaya Maki-e converters helps, but we shouldn't have to do that. This is what bothers me about these pens. (Because the section uses a metal collar to connect to the body these pens should not be made into eyedroppers.)
I wouldn't hesitate to suggest the 3776 line to anyone. I think there is something for everyone, from demonstrators, to beautiful classic celluloids, and just about any sort of modern nib you desire. They're beautiful and pleasant. I've snagged them for as low as $110 which when you think about it is an amazing price for a pen that competes pretty well with the MB 146, Omas, etc. They hold up very well against pens selling new for $500+, but none of the 3776 cost anywhere near that.
I've got my eyes open to add the tortoise celluloid, the midnight ocean, and the emerald green celluloid to my little group, when I catch a good deal.
Re: Platinum 3776 Grand Overview
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Originally Posted by tandaina
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