Platinum 3776 Music Pen Review

[imadeadend]

This is an excerpt from our blog, Pentorium. Please click here to view the full review.

 

Platinum. The name of a super precious metal, and one of the largest pen companies in Japan. Part of the Big Three: the trifecta of Japanese pen companies that make almost all of the quality writing instruments in Japan; Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum.

 

This means that when you pick up a pen from one of these three you’re bound to be holding a very good one. Of course, such quality isn’t born overnight. Each company has been working on perfecting the writing instrument for around 100 years, and every pen is born from that collection of experience.

 

Platinum is no exception.

 

http://www.pentorium.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Photo2-25-1024x510.jpg

 

First Impressions

 

In the hand the pen is surprisingly light for its size, but this is mainly because of the slightly cheaper plastic used in the body, cap, and section. It does make the pen feel of lesser quality when compared to competitors such as the Sailor 1911, but Platinum has recently upped the quality considerably with the release of the #3776 Century model, which we will review at a later date.

 

The name comes from the height of Mt Fuji in metres, 3,776m. This is a similar concept to Mont Blanc engraving on each of their nibs the height of the Mont Blanc mountain. I don’t believe it has been copied either way, however. The name is displayed front-and-centre on the cap band ring, which is engraved “Platinum #3776 Japan”.

 

Beyond the initial feel, the pen is very comfortable to hold. My preference is towards medium to light weight pens, and the 3776 fits well within that range. Heavy pen fans with very large hands will be better off purchasing a Platinum President (review soon!), or if you don’t have the extra dough, a Pilot Custom 74 (review soon!). In my hands, the size is medium-large. It’s larger than a Sailor Sapporo (review soon!), but not as big as the Pilot Custom 74.

 

Click here to read the full review

[Pen2009]

Is there a noticeable difference between a "music" nib and a "stub" nib? I have a Pilot 742 Stub, which has just a right amount of line variation for a daily use.

Edited July 23, 2012 by Pen2009

[imadeadend]

Is there a niceable difference between a "music" nib and a "stub" nib? I have a Pilot 742 Stub, which has just a right amount of line variation for a daily use.

 

I was surprised at just how different the music nib was from a stub. Its unique design is such that when used in the upright grip position it is still smooth, plus I haven't found a stub nib this wide yet!

 

Oh and the dual ink channels makes for one wet nib, much more than any stub I own

Edited July 23, 2012 by imadeadend

[Pen2009]

I was surprised at just how different the music nib was from a stub. Its unique design is such that when used in the upright grip position it is still smooth, plus I haven't found a stub nib this wide yet!

 

Oh and the dual ink channels makes for one wet nib, much more than any stub I own

Thank you for pointing out the key feature of the music nib; that means there are 3 tines instead of the regular 2 tines.

I hope it is not as wide as my Aurora 88 Italic. This thing is too wide.

Are you using your #3776 music nib as a daily writer?

[imadeadend]

I was surprised at just how different the music nib was from a stub. Its unique design is such that when used in the upright grip position it is still smooth, plus I haven't found a stub nib this wide yet!

 

Oh and the dual ink channels makes for one wet nib, much more than any stub I own

Thank you for pointing out the key feature of the music nib; that means there are 3 tines instead of the regular 2 tines.

I hope it is not as wide as my Aurora 88 Italic. This thing is too wide.

Are you using your #3776 music nib as a daily writer?

 

I'm a web designer, and I often pull it out to make page mockups because it's smooth, not picky about angle, and the flow means I can quickly draw lines without worrying about skipping. I have compared it to a Western double broad (see this post I put up before for a comparison of other nib sizes with the music nib) and it is pretty much the same width; it's made to have a super broad downstroke and a very thin cross stroke, more akin to an italic nib than a stub.

 

This is where I think it sits, halfway between a stub and an italic in terms of line width, but with the smoothness and ease of use of a stub nib. I don't think it's a pen for everyone, but I recommend it if you want a unique pen unlike any other. I doubt you would need more than one unless you want to have different ink colours, as I reckon if you've tried one music nib, you've tried them all.

[georges zaslavsky]

looks like an interesting pen