Platinum 3776 Century Nice, Fine Nib: Review

[tinysnail]

 

I think it took MIke all of 10 minutes, max, to have it done. And the first time, no back-and-forth between us. He completely nailed how wide I wanted it, and there was no need for iterative smoothing or anything.

 

And he's so calm and cool, too! BTW: he mentioned that on many pens, the rose gold plating is thinner and, correspondingly, a bit more fragile than traditional GP. As such, he is hesitant to grind rose gold plated nibs, but he did some preliminary checking on the Platinum and determined it was ok to go ahead (with my ok). It turned out well.

 

As to the other, yes: classic YMMV. I wonder if you might have small hands? Mine are medium sized; when I hold this pen posted, only about half the cap is protruding back off the top of my hand. With most of the weight in the band area, that puts the majority of the weight of the pen squarely on my hand, not pulling off the back. It seems comfortable to me. In a perfect world, every person could walk into a store and try them out, but we know that isn't the case. It is good to have measurements (like you provided) to see how they compare to pens one uses on a regular basis. My Waterman Carene Deluxe weight 36 grams, yet it is just as comfortable.

 

As in life, it is all in the balance.

 

Incredible! I'm seriously in awe. I'd go to a pen show to just watch him work... or, you know, to just enjoy the whole pen show thing. Someday. That's really wonderful, though. Good timing with the Nice and now you've got your own fantastic nib.

 

Hah, I just tried holding the pen posted and basically the WHOLE cap protrudes off the back of my hand! It rests roughly on the band. So, yeah, it sounds like I have small hands (for reference: I am about a 5'6" woman who thinks herself exceedingly average). Measurements and comparisons to other pens are probably the best way to go.

[Drone]

The Goulet nibs may work in the Platinum Nice, but the Rose Gold would never match.

I have a silver-tone Goulet 1.1mm stub nib. It works great in both Ahabs and Konrads. I have a two-tone Goulet F nib in the mail, I'll give that a try in my black Ahab - but the two-tone Goulet nib is eventually destined to live in a Bexeley Intrepid that has a bum factory two-tone steel Jowo nib.

I thought about trying the Goulet nib in the TWSBI 580 Rose Gold, but I didn't think the #6 Goulet would work well in the 580RG because it normally takes a #5 nib (fits a modern 5mm feed).

Now that I see someone has tried a #6 Goulet nib in a 580RG and it works, I may give it a try myself Unfortunately, like the Nice the Goulet nibs will never match the rose gold furniture on the 580RG.

[JonSzanto]

I was going to add a bit more info, but something seems whacky with the site, on my end, at least. I'll try tomorrow...

[Aschecte]

The Goulet nibs may work in the Platinum Nice, but the Rose Gold would never match.

 

I have a silver-tone Goulet 1.1mm stub nib. It works great in both Ahabs and Konrads. I have a two-tone Goulet F nib in the mail, I'll give that a try in my black Ahab - but the two-tone Goulet nib is eventually destined to live in a Bexeley Intrepid that has a bum factory two-tone steel Jowo nib.

 

I thought about trying the Goulet nib in the TWSBI 580 Rose Gold, but I didn't think the #6 Goulet would work well in the 580RG because it normally takes a #5 nib (fits a modern 5mm feed).

 

Now that I see someone has tried a #6 Goulet nib in a 580RG and it works, I may give it a try myself Unfortunately, like the Nice the Goulet nibs will never match the rose gold furniture on the 580RG.

I have to stand corrected I am responding to this quote , but this really holds true for all. I made an unintentional boo-boo. I early said I had the 580RG which I do, but with a Goulet 1.1 nib. I was mistaken the Goulet 1.1. Nib went on a completely different pen than my 580RG which has a medium nib..... my VAC700 has a 1.1 italic that is where I got myself confused.... the Vac700 has the 1.1 NOT the 580RG which If it has a #5 nib it may or may not take a #6 Goulet, and I would hate for someone to try this as I said I had it and the pen get damaged. I realized my error this morning while practicing Chancery Italic letterform and said "This isn't right". I sincerely apologize I do not like posting misinformation and it was truly a unintentional one on my side I had my pens confused. so I wanted to put that out there. I will also say that despite the lack of the aforementioned nib the 580RG is still a great pen. Again guys please forgive the noob I meant no harm, but I strongly believe in putting correct info out there and last night I mistakenly did not.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Aschecte

[Aschecte]

I really am quite lucky! Getting to actually see, feel, and try out pens in real life before purchasing is a delight, not to mention the fact that the staff are great. They've been asking their distributors about all my annoying new product questions, which rules!

 

And thank you for your take on that! I've heard of enough issues with TWSBI quality, and particularly with the rose gold nibs, that I think I will stay away for now, but that's good to know for sure. And, AWESOME. I'm thinking of picking up one of those 1.1 italics for my Konrad

 

 

 

WOW, that's some amazing work! Really nicely done. I like the way that converter matches a little bit better, too.

 

 

That's a very fair comment to make! Thanks for pointing this out, actually. This really speaks to how personal each user's experience with a pen can be. I do find that I am more sensitive than most to pens being too back-weighted, since I do have smaller hands and hold the pen relatively close to the nib. A cap that weighs as much as the rest of the pen and that doesn't post too deeply is going to feel way "off" to me, just due to the relative weights. It looks like most of the other 3776 pens have the same body/cap weight ratios, and still seem to be well liked, so perhaps I should have made some sort of YMMV disclaimer. I will make sure to do this in the future for any pen reviews I may do. It really is a wonderful pen so it would be a shame if this alone is what made someone write it off!

I completely agree if I had the Platinum Nice I would not go out for the TWSBI either !! I can't speak for QC issues with the TWSBI as I have only had this pen for a short time and I make sure to remove any ink from the plated nib before I put it in my Aston pen case. I hope you don't mind me asking , but the Konrad what are your thoughts on this pen ? Again a VERY affordable pen.... I have I think 5 or 6 different Ahab's with Flex Nibs and enjoy them especially on a decent paper. For $20 the Noodler's pens are great as I can tune them myself. I have been eyeballing the Konrad and may get one. Again not having a B&M to try pens or stationary or, Ink out before hand really limits my confidence in spending especially money like on that Nice without trying it first. I wanted to say I am also going to be buying the Nice or Music today, there are so many positives I have read at this point I think I better jump while I can still hopefully get one of the 2,000 serial numbered units.

[tinysnail]

Thanks for the TWSBI nib clarifications!

 

As for the Konrad, I have one of the Ebonite ones so it may be a bit different than the normal models. I absolutely love it, though. I like fiddling with my Nib Creapers to get different amounts of flow, but I don't really want to touch my Konrad because it's written absolutely beautifully since I tried it out in my B&M. I know not everyone had unfailingly good Noodler's pens experiences, but I can confidently say that my Konrad is my favourite pen.

 

Exciting!! I guess it comes down to whether you want the visuals of the Nice or the music nib on another 3776. Tough decision (personally, since both are stiff nibs, I'm glad I went for the Nice since a nice stiff fine nib is perfect for math!).

[Drone]

We're getting a bit OT wrt the OP's Platinum Nice Review. So I'll TRY be brief about the Ahab, Konrad, Goulet nib stuff. But I suffer from Fountain Pen OCD, which leads to my chronic TL;DR (Too Long;Don't Read) posts here on FPN - some times...

@Aschecte, It is good you clarified that you did not actually try a #6 Goulet nib in the 580RG which uses a #5 nib, thank you. I may still give it a try though, I know enough to not damage the pen in the attempt.

I have Konrads, regular ones and an Ebonite version. But you can NOT be assured of getting a good flex-writer Ahab OR Konrad pen unless you hack and/or heat-set the Ebonite feed. The Ebonite feed in the Konrad comes in all versions of the Konrad pens. But DO be careful if you try to heat-set the nib/feed on an Ebonite Konrad using the hot water method with the nib in the pen. You are softening BOTH the Ebonite feed AND the Ebonite section of the Ebonite pen itself at the same time - which may result in a bad outcome. This subject is a bit complex and OT for this Platinum Nice Review thread (apologies to the OP).

@tinysnail, I have both regular and Ebonite Konrads. They are physically the same except for the Ebonite pen material. See above about a mild warning about trying to hot water heat-set the nib/feed in an Ebonite Konrad. There is a Goulet video about hot water setting a feed that may lead you astray if you are working with an Ebonite version of the Konrad. But that's a small risk in my opinon, less than if you heat-set your nib/feed with an open flame unless you know what you are doing.

All that said - Thanks to Nathan Tardif for his recent attempting to make spare #6 Ahab nibs and feed available sperately. It is long overdue IMHO. Now, if only the stock appears in sufficient quantity for us to actually buy the spare parts.

 

Cheers, David

Edited August 27, 2014 by Drone

[JonSzanto]

Yep, that was pretty OT, all right. We started out with a lovely Platinum demonstrator and ended up with pens that you have to rebuild after buying them to make them work.

[purplepen]

Wonderful pen - mine is a little further down the line - #1223. Love it !

[Drone]

Ah, here's a serious question that's dead OT:

With my hand on my wallet to keep it safely in my pocket, I was thinking about the Platinum Nice again - something was bothering me. Then I saw the new Goulet video on how to remove the feed from the Platinum Cool (Demonstrator) and Platinum Balance pens - and it came to me...

What happens if you get ink between the cap and the Slip-&-Seal cap liner in the Platinum Nice? How do you clean the ink out? You would have to remove the cap liner somehow. Is this even possible?

There is no question, you MUST be able to clean out ink that gets between the Nice's cap and the cap liner. After-all, the Platinum Nice is a clear Demonstrator.

BTW, I do NOT think it is possible (or even easy if indeed it is possible) to remove the cap liner in the Platimum Cool (not the Nice) Demonstrator pen. I have not been able to remove the cap liner on my black/gold-tone Platinum Balance, which is mechanically identical to the Cool.

 

I hope that is NOT the same situation with the Platinum Nice.

[JonSzanto]

What happens if you get ink between the cap and the Slip-&-Seal cap liner in the Platinum Nice? How do you clean the ink out? You would have to remove the cap liner somehow. Is this even possible?

 

Watch me worry. I'm also concerned about an asteroid hitting my house.

 

This is just unbelievable: you would let some hypothetical event, which may have a very easy solution anyway (there are threaded parts in the cap) keep you from a fine instrument. Swell. Stay away. After all, why buy a pen that is only made of plastic when a cement truck could run over it?

[Drone]

 

Watch me worry. I'm also concerned about an asteroid hitting my house.

 

This is just unbelievable: you would let some hypothetical event, which may have a very easy solution anyway (there are threaded parts in the cap) keep you from a fine instrument. Swell. Stay away. After all, why buy a pen that is only made of plastic when a cement truck could run over it?

 

Hey - this happened to me with my Platinum Balance! I had a fairly rare but bad leak on a flight and it took me quite a while to rinse out the cap to the point where I could safely carry the pen. TO THIS DAY the ink still isn't completely cleaned out of the cap. The cap liner is obviously the reason. Rarely does the pen burp on a flight - but for some reason it does, even if the converter is full.

 

Now imagine if I had the Platinum Cool Demonstrator version of the Balance. I'd probably never get the all the ink out of the cap without being able to remove the cap liner. I won't touch the Platinum Cool without being able to clean behind the cap liner. Hence my question about the Nice.

[JonSzanto]

I see. A tad less rare than I would have figured.

 

That said, so it wouldn't be a pen I'd take on a flight inked up! There are plenty of ultra-safe pens I could take with ink, or any of a number of other scenarios. It still seems to be a huge stretch to make it a reason to not have a pen, especially one that looks and performs as beautifully as this one.

 

That's all I have to say regarding the Nice.

[tylchick]

A great review!

 

I like this pen so much that I bought it from Japan once it's out without reading any reviews. It looks so cool and writes really beautifully. Mine is a fine nib with the limited edition number 1914. It's my first Platinum pen and it's always on my desk these days...

 

Ink: J. Herbin - Poussiere de Lune

Paper: Tamoe River (Cream)

Edited September 16, 2014 by tylchick

[tinysnail]

Nice photo! PdL looks really cool in the pen, wow I've been getting a TON of use out of this pen, lately. It's been my favourite for doing scrap work for homework since it just feels so nice to use.

[PAKMAN]

Nice review, thanks! I'm looking at picking up the burgundy version!

[tinysnail]

Good choice, I think! Burgundy and gold is such a luxurious combination.

 

I've started taking this pen to school for working on assignments and it's been perfect

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/4zspwi.jpg

 

The stiff, fine nib is PERFECT for math! It's also super smooth with just enough feedback to make me happy. I've used it for several hours a day for the past week and it's been exceedingly comfortable. Maybe it's just Platinum Black ink, or maybe it's the fine nib, or maybe it's got drier flow, but so far the pen has gone through ink suuuper slowly considering how much I use it. Good stuff.

 

I'm planning on trying Lexington Grey in it next! Basically, though, I'm still very very happy with this pen as I've used it for the past monthish.

[KBeezie]

I've attached a picture of the plastic blob in the section I mentioned in my first post. I exchanged emails with someone who also has a 3776 Nice. He wrote that the section on his has the same blob in the same spot. His pen also has the 'weirdness' at the bottom of the barrel. He agreed with me that the bottom of the barrel stuff looks like dried glue.

 

I also have Chartres and Bourgogne 3776 pens and both have some odd imperfections inside the barrels. I'm sensing a trend.

 

Nice Flaw.JPG

 

I was curious about that, I looked at my Bourgogne which doesn't so that... because they used frosted white plastic just behind the colored plastic to encase the feed, so if there was a bubble or other issue in there, I wouldn't be able to see it.

 

Didn't know the blue one had a see-thru section to see the feed.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/3776/bourgogne/nib_n_cap.jpg

[Penpigleg]

There have been a lot of comparisons between the Nice and the TWSBi 580 RG because of their

similarities in appearance. And for that part I cannot comment since I don't have either of them.

 

But I can opine about how enjoyable each is in terms of writing experience after a relatively long term use

since I own both the standard 580 extra fine and the black resin Century fine which are functionally identical to their RG counterparts.

 

At the end of 2013 after10 months as a daily writer, my writing and drawing experience with the 580 was quite satisfactory with almost no

quality issues. I write with the pen unposted on various types of paper with J. Herbin black , lie de the, and Diamine Ancient Copper inks.

The feeling is good, and it's a dependable workhorse. I really have nothing to complain about the 580. And when it comes to looks, it

exudes quality in finish has a solid, expensive weighty feel.

 

Up until now (October 2014), with another 10 months using the Platinum Century as my daily writer and for drawing, I have to say the

experience is highly enjoyable. Although it looks cheaper, feels light and inexpensive, and it scratches easily, the writing is just sublime.

People talk about feedback, and perhaps that is a personal thing, but to me, it feels alive in my hand. The 580, though flawlessly

function, feels dead. On certain papers, and depending upon how I write, the resin chamber resonates. It works together like a

harmonious dance between the nib, feed, and pen chamber. The way the Platinum Century writes puts it in a class above the 580,

and I find I sometimes pick up the 580 to try and use it more, but it does not excite me in the same way, and I end up hardly touching

the 580 anymore.

 

The Platinum Century has me curious about how much better this nib/feed combination can get since it's the same nib/feed used

by Nakaya. Compared to Nakaya, the Platinum Century is an astounding deal.

[Fatestorm]

I just wanted to say that the Platinum #3776 Century is currently my favorite pen, so I'm obviously biased in favor of it. I have a Chartres Blue in a Medium nib, and I find it is the perfect nib for me. Just thin enough of a line for use on cheaper paper; just broad enough of a line to allow the color and character of ink to come across; considerably wetter than a Preppy's steel nib but no gushing problems whatsoever; and very smooth.

 

I know a lot of people describe the Platinum nibs as "toothy", but this nib is not toothy at all, to me.