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Hello! Choosing Keeping will be launching a new range of Platinum fountain pens on the 6th February 6pm - 8pm. I thought this would be of interest for many Fountain Pen Network members and fountain pen collectors. A presentation of a new unseen range of Platinum fountain pens alongside 10 rare antique fountain pens from the Platinum archive that are being hand delivered from Japan for one evening only. This event will also be an opportunity to see a large selection from the Platinum collection in one place at one time including the limited edition Platinum 100th Anniversary silver fountain pen. Choosing Keeping will be making a limited edition Platinum x Choosing Keeping tote bag and notebook. With every sale of the new Platinum pen Choosing Keeping will be giving away a tote bag, notebook and Platinum blue-black ink cartridges made with water from Mount Fuji. See you there!

Lavender Black is one of the six colors in Platinum's new Classic Line of iron gall inks. The press release for the Classic Line says that they placed emphasis on shading and the color change "with the aim to enhance the joy of using fountain pens." Each color is meant to start bright and then fade/darken to black over time.I didn't see a significant color change with Lavender; it does change, but it is slight and happens fairly quickly. I didn't realize it was happening at first because my hand was casting a fairly dark shadow over my writing & by the time the shadow was off, most of the color change had already happened. Over the next few days, there was a slight darkening, but it remains the color in the review. (I never saw the somewhat electric purple in the color swab under the bottle in the promotional image.)There is some fairly significant color variation between pens, which I am somewhat at a loss to account for. I know it looks like the MB on Tomoe River had water in it, but I had been using for a while before that; that combination just didn't show well. The very dry Vanishing Point also didn't seem to bring out the best in the ink.Overall, I found Lavender Black to be most pleasing on more absorbent paper, like Rhodia, with wetter and more flexible nibs. Writing Samples on Rhodia Dotpad Writing Samples on Tomoe River Writing Samples on Clairefontaine Triomphe

Hello! Choosing Keeping will be launching a new range of Platinum fountain pens on the 6th February 6pm - 8pm. I thought this would be of interest for many Fountain Pen Network members and fountain pen collectors. A presentation of a new unseen range of Platinum fountain pens alongside 10 rare antique fountain pens from the Platinum archive that are being hand delivered from Japan for one evening only. This event will also be an opportunity to see a large selection from the Platinum collection in one place at one time including the limited edition Platinum 100th Anniversary silver fountain pen. Do you own a collectable Platinum pen (pre 2000?) Please contribute to our event, on the 6th of February, by loaning your vintage Platinum for one night to be showcased at Choosing Keeping for the viewing pleasure of pen lovers and collectors. Loans will qualify for a free thank you goodie bag. Please send submissions to info@choosingkeeping.com We look forward to hearing from you. Choosing Keeping will be making a limited edition Platinum x Choosing Keeping tote bag and notebook. With every sale of a Platinum fine writing pen Choosing Keeping will be giving away a tote bag, notebook and Platinum blue-black ink cartridges made with water from Mount Fuji. See you there!

Platinum 3776 Century Black with a Soft-Fine nib Is the Platinum soft-fine a 'real' flex nib? I seek to answer that question... I can trace my purchase of this pen to a seed planted by Leigh Reyes and her enthusiasm for the Platinum SF. She named it one of her 2012 pens of the year, and then posted this writing sample, which really impressed me (of course, she has good handwriting...). There are no shortage of reviews of Platinum pens. There's even a great review of this exact pen by APHK. Not only that, but I think APHK's review is spot-on and really well done (in fact the pens were even purchased from the same ebay seller, kendo-karate). The information I'm trying to add here is how this nib fairs against a variety of 'flex' pens. I'm also going to add my own photographs (since APHK's review doesn't have macro shots... and macro is how I roll). Therefore, this is a review with my perspective of this Platinum followed by a comparison between this pen and a bunch of other pens. I will be comparing the Platinum Soft-Fine nib to these pens: http://suramar.org/fpn/flex_platinum/intro-1.jpg From left to right: Stipula Duetto Lemoncello, Parker Victory, Noodler's Ahab, Waterman 52, Pendleton Brown bad boy with angel wings, Pilot/Namiki Falcon, Eversharp Symphony 713, Pyralin, Non-stop, Ambassador. http://suramar.org/fpn/flex_platinum/intro-2.jpg For these tests, I used a Rhodia #18 pad and Iroshizuku Syo-ro. http://suramar.org/fpn/flex_platinum/intro-3.jpg I used these supplies because I think they are fairly mainstream and well behaved. The ink also does a good job of showing how thick it is on the paper with both sheen and shading. Plus it's one of my favorite inks (at the moment). I've decided to break this up in to multiple posts to function as a table of contents. Review: Platinum 3776 Century SF Stipula Duetto Lemoncello Parker Victory Noodler's Ahab Waterman 52 TWSBI 540 with a Pendleton Brown bad boy with angel wings Pilot/Namiki Falcon Eversharp Symphony 713 Pyralin ball flex Non-stop extra fine Ambassador extra fine Conclusion

It's time for me to make good on what I've been talking about for a while, now that my order of plastic blunt tip needle attachments of syringes have finally arrived, and all the bits are in place. I'm giving away a set of (~0.75ml) samples of seven iron-gall inks: Platinum Classic Ink Cassis BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Forest BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Khaki BlackPlatinum Classic Ink Lavender BlackKWZ Ink Aztec Gold IGLKWZ Ink IG Green #3KWZ Ink IG TurquoiseThe volume is chosen to match what one would get from an international short ink cartridge, without being strictly being limited by the diameter of the 'nipple' on the feed or post inside the grip section, in case someone has a pen that uses a proprietary format (such as Sailor, Platinum, Pilot and Parker) converter. I will include a 1ml syringe with a 14-gauge blunt tip needle attachment, so the ink can be transferred into the cavity of any converter, empty ink cartridge, the barrels of 'eyedropper' pens, and even some piston-fillers from which the nib and feed can be easily removed by the user to access the pen's ink reservoir. I intend to send the ink sample set as a large letter (in a corrugated cardboard mailer 'envelope') and not a parcel. Australia Post is perfectly happy to accept the article as just that, when I showed the staff at my local post office. That makes international postage charges for the article not that much (at about 60%) more than domestic postage charges. The only question is whether the recipient's country postal regulations will deem the contents acceptable; I have to fill out a CN22 customs declaration if I send it outside of Australia. In view of this, the way I'm conducting this giveaway is: Please express your interest in being the recipient by making a post in this thread before 11 November 2019.There is no restriction based on country or geography on expressions of interest. Anyone from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and the UK (for example, but not exhaustively) who puts his/her hand up for it will be treated equally.The letter mail postage charges will be paid for on my end, thanks to @mariom.If you're outside of Australia and you're interested, then you have to include in your expression-of-interest post a link to the part/section of your country's postal regulations regarding dangerous, prohibited and 'non-mailable' items so that I can verify it's OK, since I'm the responsible party for filling out a CN22 customs declaration form for the article. I will use a random number generator to select the recipient from all eligible entries on 12 November 2019.This is the general format of how I intend to do future ink sample giveaways, after a lot of thought and non-trivial investment of effort and funds in getting suitable mailer envelopes, ink containers, syringe needle attachments, etc. together. Right now I've got other ink sample sets in plan for pigment inks, inks of a particular colour family, etc. and I would be open to feedback on what to include in future sets. What will not change is the approximate volume of each ink in a sample set, and the type of ink container to use. However, if anyone has better ideas of how to more time- and cost-efficiently offer others just enough of 'a taste' to decide whether they want to spend money on buying retail bottles of particular inks for themselves, I'm all ears.

I have a Pilot EF that I think needs a bit of smoothing, but I am scared to death of ruining it. I bought a micro-mesh pad and decided to have a go at a Platinum Preppy that is in a color I don't use. Then I decided since I was already messing around with the pen that I might as well try to eyedropper it, something I have never done before. I used silicone grease and all seemed to be well except later on I noticed some ink spots on my hands, so I think it is leaking somewhere. I do hold my pens fairly close to the nibs. I can't find an o-ring in an appropriate size so I have temporarily added some plumber's tape but that is unsightly and makes it harder to cap the pen. Below is a photo, minus the plumber's tape. I think the smoothing went well but was not excessive, but I still need to come up with a better seal for the eyedropper; I'm trying to work up the courage to smooth out the Pilot EF a bit. The ink is Diamine Oxblood, which I'm testing out and seems quite nice. Do people add a ball to their eyedroppered pens to help keep the ink from drying up?

I finally took the plunge finally and bought an Izumo (Tagayasan) after going through some lovely reviews from my fellow fpners. I could not find a review of the matte version at fpn before buying this. Here is also a link to my blog with some more pics: Platinum Izumo Tagayasan - Matte Review The Izumo series was launched in 2010 to celebrate the birthplace of Platinum’s founder Shunichi Nakata. The Nakata surname of course reflects in all Nakaya nibs. Coming to Izumo, the Izumo province is located in the eastern coast of Japan and is famous for its political history as well as making traditional Japanese paper out of vegetable fibres (a sample of which is also included in a paper roll). The two variants of Izumo pens are Urushi-on-ebonite and Wooden versions. I am reviewing one of the wooden versions here. Some of the other versions have been rather marvellously reviewed by Hari1(had got mine on his recommendation), Hari2, & atomic_doug at FPN. This Izumo is called Tagayasan which literally translates into Iron Sword Wood (鉄:Iron 刀:Sword 木: Wood). More on this later. PRESENTATION The pen comes in a wooden box (IZU4000061) made of up Paulownia wood encased inside a handmade paper box. The box will itself feel very light which is characteristic of this wood along with high resistance to deformation, and it’s also used to make chests and boxes in Japan. This box also used for Nakayas and a few other premium pens of Platinum (Urushi Maki-e) with an RRP of JPY 50000 or greater. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B7KYVFMlZuk/VdGlYG3u0fI/AAAAAAAAFIw/bfiUzb6WrBk/s1600/aPack.jpg Once you open the satin lined top cover, you will find a green kimono encasing your Izumo, resting along with a standard platinum converter, a cartridge (though a complementary box was included by the seller), a paper roll made of traditional Japanese paper (Kiku) and a few other cards for maintenance & use. The one important out of them warns you against posting the cap. You will see later that there is a metallic insert for threading the cap and it might chip off the barrel wood, if posted. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8y7BZXL4Goc/VdGlbpicYvI/AAAAAAAAFI4/ZSBvDhdR7zk/s1600/apack2.jpg DESIGN - THE WOODEN CIGAR (6/6) The Izumo Tagayasan comes in two finishes : Matte (PIZ-50000T #20) and Gloss (PIZ-50000T #21). The word Tagayasan in Japanese refers to a wood which is as hard as iron, and to my delight, I found that it was produced in India. The scientific name is Dalbergia latifolia and it’s more commonly known in India is Shisham or Bombay Black Wood. As the wood is hard, durable and resistant to termites, it’s used in India to make premium furniture. The build is remarkably sturdy and for a wooden pen it’s heavy and quite comfortably so. You will find this to be a large pen and initially I was concerned about its dimensions. The wood has a dark brown appearance with still deeper streaks running horizontally across the length of the pen. The golden gleam coming solely from the clip supplies the pen with a simply amazing contrast. Doesn’t the pen look like a marvellous piece of art? I salute the Japanese craftsmanship behind this handmade pen. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CbnpPdS3trg/VdGlCk3-zwI/AAAAAAAAFHQ/8qv7eCnqUPQ/s1600/DSC_5213.jpg The cap feels substantial and unscrews with one and a half turns, revealing a stunning two-tone nib. The threads of golden glitter mark start of the grip section. The tapering of the section in someway ensures that your grip remains least affected by the metallic threads. Towards the nib a golden trim ensures the aesthetics remain singularly complete from top to bottom. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iay_4sCJZyk/VdGlIEzHmRI/AAAAAAAAFHg/YIbcLvU1wTs/s1600/DSC_5237.jpg The finial is in the shape of an elliptical dome and quite deftly conceals the clip-joint. The dazzling tension-fit clip is plated with gold and has some resemblance with a traditional Japanese double edged sword called Tsurgi or Ken. It sports the brand name of PLATINUM within a dome of etched squares. There is a smaller sculpted impression below mirroring the sword in the green kimono. The metallic thread insert inside the cap render the pen unsuitable for posting. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wUo-EoodEso/VdGk-oEKD9I/AAAAAAAAFHA/AUqTHBzvq78/s1600/Cap.jpg FILLING SYSTEM (5/6) As a cartridge converter filler, the supplied convertor is limited by a volume of 0.6 mL although platinum cartridges have an advantage with capacity of 1 mL or more. The Izumo also takes in proprietary converters and like other Platinum pens and there is an adapter available for international cartridges/converters, whose production is currently stopped. The proprietary converter does look good with its golden trims, but again you can see it only when you are filling up ink. The barrel unscrews from the grip section with four turns revealing the gold accented metallic thread section. The wooden barrel carries the opposite threads with a similar metallic insert, eliminating any chance of internal chipping of wood. The feed does draw ink even when the nib is not fully immersed inside ink. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dcHnwGYCYs0/VdGlIK5ZYBI/AAAAAAAAFHk/h9ApMJDh1gc/s1600/DSC_5286.jpg NIB - ALL THAT MATTERS (5/6) The nib/feed section is friction-fit and comes in a 18k two-tone design across three stock widths of F, M & B. I like the design of these nibs. Above the tail lies the brand imprint of PLATINUM specified with nib type i.e PRESIDENT (or 3776) along with nib-composition (18 K) and width (B). A hearty breather hole lies above the imprint. Three bands of rhodium decor run amidst the body and shoulders as an enhancement. These bands are limited to the tines. The nib lays a moderately wet and smooth line with a characteristic stiffness. I would have personally preferred a bigger nib given the price point of this pen. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mgtpCTtzEdU/VdGlLj4bZcI/AAAAAAAAFHw/5vZCFh5ytsc/s1600/DSC_5297.jpg The black plastic feed for the President nib has closely spaced fins and even with the cap open for a while, it does not take any effort to lay a nice and wet line. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UIHq32QBusE/VdGlNmM-P8I/AAAAAAAAFIA/O461HSTuDOc/s1600/DSC_5304.jpg PHYSICS OF IT (6/6) – RELATIVELY SPEAKING A comfortable length and weight ensures that the cap doesn't need to be posted while writing. With a cosy girth of around 1 cm, it poses absolutely no problems with extended writing times. Capped Length ~ 16.5 Uncapped Length ~ 14 cm Nib Leverage ~ 2.4 cm Overall Weight ~ 38 g Capped and uncapped comparisons with a pelikan m805 run below for your reference. You might be already noticing the giant cap with an elliptical dome finial, which contributes rather lavishly to the length of the pen. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jAKoO_FBARE/VdGlSWvVgyI/AAAAAAAAFII/_pPe2OhEaYE/s1600/DSC_5317.jpg Uncapped the Tagayasan is about 1 cm longer than a m8xx, making it a comfortable wooden companion. The threads at the section are located necessarily at an upper region of the section, which does not interfere with my grip, given the section taper. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Ig9nj0XF1M/VdGlXHtQicI/AAAAAAAAFIg/r0pKXytek58/s1600/DSC_5338.jpg ECONOMIC VALUE (3/6) The Izumo wooden versions - Tagayasan retail around US$ 600, though they are available at much lower prices around US$ 400 with known Japanese shops like Engeika or Rakuten. I expected a bigger nib at this price point and I do have a sinking feeling that the usual President nib does not do complete justice either to this pen or its price point. OVERALL (5/6) This stunning 18k nib is smooth but not buttery, with kind of a controlled glide. It’s blessed with a moderately wet ink flow. There is a subtle bit of line variation, the horizontals being a tad thinner than the verticals. The nib is as stiff as a nail. Though, there is a hint of softness with this nib. Even being a wet writer out of the box, this Broad nib puts a line which takes around 30 seconds to dry on MD Paper. Ink used was Platinum Blue Black cartridge. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AK8OBMu_L9E/VdGlWmqbz3I/AAAAAAAAFIc/fZWtb49MDOk/s1600/DSC_5343.jpg REFERENCES Platinum Izumos Hari’s Review of the Gloss Version Bombay Black Wood Thank you for going through the review. You can find some more pen and paraphernalia reviews here.

Platinum is releasing a new model - the PROCYON. It has their famous slip & seal as well as a new feature: the ink inlet is further down, allowing for the pen to suck up ink without being fully imerged into the bottle, which means that it is easier to use up a bottle down to the last drop. Imo Sailor kinda can do this already, as their pens fill from the breather hole.... They are supposed to cost 5000 Yen + tax. I saw these news first here https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/90a6db/new_fountain_pen_model_from_platinum_procyon/ https://twitter.com/Ginza_Itoya/status/1019888700514230272 https://twitter.com/Ginza_Itoya/status/1019891259022774272 https://twitter.com/Ginza_Itoya/status/1019896710166802434 https://twitter.com/Ginza_Itoya/status/1020135698773434369

Hello: I recently purchase a platinum gold honest fountain pen. It is very nice looking and very old. Unfortunately, I can find no ink cartridge or converter to the nib section The current platinum cartridges or converter do not fit. Can anyone help? See picture of nib section.

Hello all, I open this thread here because I guess it will be read by more people than in the classifieds. I have a Platinum 3776 with a broken feed, and I need a new one. If any of you has one spare i can buy, or knows where I can find one, I would be very grateful. Thank you. Vron M.

While I am looking for a platinum FP ....I found this one on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japan-Platinum-Special-Edition-Raden-with-Gold-Trim-Fountain-Pen-PBA-1600/132844031325?var=432146709412 I haven't heard about it before and I haven't found any information about it in the internet is it fake ?

This review is more of a pictorial representation of a pen that I believe is not represented well on the internet. Some months ago I fell for a maki-e technique called byakudan-nuri. See my other post on a Danitrio with a similar finish. Here is what Platinum has to say about this pen. "Byakudan-nuri is named from its body color changing overtime being similar to Byakudan incense wood (sandalwood) used in Kodo (traditional incense ceremony). The traditional Japanese technique has been passed on through generations.Yakumo, the floating clouds painted on the ceiling of Izumo Shrine, is used as a motif. The arising sea of clouds and the sky are painted on the barrel. It is a fountain pen featured in deep color of makie providing a mystic impression." IMG_2622 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2625 by Ja Ja, on Flickr Anyway, byakudan-nuri is a neat maki-e technique that looks rather unassuming until you get it in the light and then it appears to glow from within. It’s a sophisticated aesthetic. IMG_2626 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2627 by Ja Ja, on Flickr I was drawn to this particular pen but, to be frank, it appeared, based on online photos, that the quality of the maki-e left something to be desired. Consequently, I never pulled the trigger. Once I got the Danitrio, however, I knew I had to take a chance on this pen. Boy am I glad I did. IMG_2630 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2632 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2633 by Ja Ja, on Flickr This pen is a stunner and references an interesting temple that is periodically rebuilt so it has a cool back story. There is visual and tactile maki-e over a byakudan base so there is a little more going on than with the Danitrio I also posted about. The byakudan-nuri here has a slightly different effect (copper foil versus gold dust basement?) but it still has that magical inner glow. I hope you get a good sense of the beauty of this pen here, I really tried to capture it better than anything else I’ve seen online. IMG_2623 by Ja Ja, on Flickr I ordered the pen with a cosu or course nib, which is really a fat almost double broad. It’s a fun nib and the pen is a perfect writer; I mean freaking magical. There is no real line variation, it just writes a juicy consistent line the first time every time. The nib is very stiff but no pressure is needed at all so it does not matter. I just love the Izumo pens, they are totally amazing and I think under appreciated. There are three Izumo in my collection now and each is its own version of writing perfection. IMG_2628 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2629 by Ja Ja, on Flickr writing samples by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2634 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2635 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2636 by Ja Ja, on Flickr IMG_2638 by Ja Ja, on Flickr

http://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/fountainpen_century_new.html Looks to me the base price of the Black in Black, Chartres Blue and Bourgogne models of the Platinum #3776 Century is going up from JPY 10,000 to JPY 13,000, in parity with the new Chenonceau White and Laurel Green models. Platinum will be using new product model numbers to reflect the new price, but I don't see anything else that's different about the 'new' models.

http://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/fountainpen_century_the_prime.html Wow, Platinum edition and silver edition.... Very hefty price tag. Release date is February 5.

Hello everyone, I bought a Platinum Pocket Pen a few months ago whose model name I don't know but would love to find out. I look forward for help and thank you. I read some topics here on FPN on Platinum and Pilot pocket pens, found old advertisements but can't identify it assuredly. Some characteristics are: - made by Platinum - black body with gold trim - 14k nib - accepts modern Platinum cartdridges but not converters - lenght closed ~11,9cm, lenght open ~10,3cm, lenght posted ~14,9cm - the trim on the clip and cap looks more yellowish than the ring on the body Again, thanks for any help!

A while back, I purchased a celluloid Platinum 3776 pictured here. The trouble is, the wide trim ring at the base of the cap is loose. I finally cleaned it up and put it in my case after getting way too much use out of it. Today, I pulled it out and the trim ring stayed. It is friction fit onto the pen right now, but very loose and easy to turn. I'm nervous about using superglue, since it's a celluloid pen. Is there a glue I can use in a really tiny amount to hold the trim ring in place? It has to bond metal to celluloid.

Hi everyone — I've been lurking on the info forums for months, so I'm glad to finally join. Thanks to all for being such a cool community. I snagged my first fountain pen late last year and fell in love. I do much of my writing by hand, and fountain pens have changed my literary life for the better. I'm originally from Colorado but currently live in Providence, RI. My three favorite pens so far: Platinum 3776 (my only gold nib), TWSBI Eco, and Noodler's Ebonite Konrad. Still searching for that everyday-writer ink though... Happy writing.

Hello! So, trolling around for inexpensive pens to buy as (I am fairly new to the hobby), and having had A Plaisir for my first FP, I hold a soft spot for Platinums. So when I found one that was, in the grand scheme of things, very cheap and a full demonstrator, I had to have it. However, it seems to be an older model, and there is no model name on the pen or anything of the kind. The nib is very fine, between my Plaisir's 03 nib and a Pilot EF one. The photo doesn't show it clearly, but there are two japanese characters engraved below the platinum logo, so tiny I couldn't see them properly to copy. I couldn't really find a full catalog of Platinum models, and therefore could not identify this pen. Maybe one of you has seen it before? I'd appreciate any help. Thanks in advance!

Platinum #3776 Century in Laurel Green (with gold trim) and 14K gold Fine nib now ¥8,824 (inclusive of 8% domestic consumption tax) sold and shipped by Amazon.co.jp. That's the first time I've seen any of the Laurel Green pens, which debuted at an MSRP of ¥13,000+tax, offered by a major retailer for less than ¥9,000 (but maybe I haven't been watching too closely, since I already have so many other #3776 pens with 14K gold Fine nibs).

This is my new Platinum Izumo Aurora raden maki-e with broad nib. This pen was released in 2016 officially named the Hon-urushi Raden Maki-e Aurora with magnificence of natural phenomenon drawn on the body in traditional maki-e style. Link to the press release. The raden work on this pen is amazing and dazzling in equal measure. The large size of the inlay and the large size of the pen ensure this blazes from across the room. There are several shell colors including yellow that for some reason I find really appealing probably because it seems less common. As we know the pen is large and does not post but there is no need to post. The grip section is smartly designed for writing comfort and the weight is moderated by the ebonite construction. The President nib is a very good and consistent writer. There is no line variation, no flex, and the ink flow is steadily sufficient. This pen just writes a nice line the first time every time; how boring :-). Some people evidently think the nib is undersized for the pen. Well, perhaps, unless you really consider the grip section and writing comfort. I didn't realize before that fountain pen peeps were such size queens. _DSC3219 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3220 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3222 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3226 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3227 by Ja Ja, on Flickr I found a pen with a similar Aizu urushi raden maki-e in the book Fountain Pens of Japan so it seems this design is either common, traditional, or an homage. The pen is signed but Platinum does not make it easy to know just who the artist was, but I would like to know. There is a nice wooden box, a pen sleeve, some ink cartridges, and a bottle of ink in the package. It's a nice presentation for what is an expensive pen. IMG_1687 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3223 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3225 by Ja Ja, on Flickr My other Izumo is the Kurikara-ken Maki-e. Both are spectacular works of art. Both are comfortable to hold and use. Both have broad nibs that always work without fuss or flourish. Compared to other urushi pens the Izumo prices range from good value for the money (eg the tamenuri pens) to questionable (my Raden model). Generally, however, compared to other urushi works the Izumo is less expensive but just as good. In terms of writing quality these are Platinum, which means the just write. No flex, nothing fancy, they just work, which is as undervalued as it is reassuring. In my opinion not all the Izumo maki-e models are worthwhile but most are and the tamenuri models are a very good value. _DSC3228 by Ja Ja, on Flickr _DSC3229 by Ja Ja, on Flickr writing sample by Ja Ja, on Flickr

(Disclaimer: This will be a long review of my favorite pen in my current collection. If you want to read just the review, skip to Packaging. Plus, this review is going to be picture heavy.) Introduction: India is a land of great intellectuals and the longevity of the race to reach the top is pretty staggering. May it be an exam that can decide your future or a Periodic Test in Grade 10, exams play a vital role in a student’s life in India. This holds for Indians living in abroad as well. So, it started with me studying hard for my Periodic Tests 2 and I was really hoping to top and get a pen with my own money as until now, my parents bought me all my pens and I didn’t want them to spend 343 AED (around 90 USD) for a pen. I did top my class and as promised, my parents agreed to buy me the Platinum 3776 Century after much negotiation. They expected me to go for something less expensive. But I had topped so there was no backing off. We ordered the pen late at night and my parents gave me the biggest surprise-they didn’t take a single Dirham from me. I ordered from J-subculture along with a converter and chose EMS shipping. J-Subculture took around 3 days to ship it and the pen reached me within 12 days. I was overjoyed when I returned from school and found a package from Japan on the table. Packaging: The pen was well packaged by J-Subculture. As for the pen, it came in a blue faux leather Platinum clamshell case with a white sleeve that my mom threw in the garbage. It contained a user manual, warranty card, and the pen inside a plastic sleeve. The converter came in a simple box. Right of the bat, the converter was a bit rough and I had to grease it with TWSBI silicone grease. Pen and Nib Design (9/10): The pen is named 3776 referring to the height in metres of Mt. Fuji in Japan. It sports a classic rounded top cigar shaped design. I wouldn’t go to the extent of calling it Montblanc inspired as I am pretty sure Montblanc hasn’t patented that design. Talking about patents, this pen’s cap houses the patented Slip and Seal mechanism that Platinum advertises can keep your nib from drying for upto 2 years. The threads are all smooth and you can feel the tension of the cap mechanism after about one and a quarter of a turn. The nib is quite plain with some simple engravings. It is pretty flat in design. The pen is also accentuated with some gold-plated rings and a center band that also has some engravings on it. The engraving on it could be better. I love this design unlike many others. Construction and Quality (7/10): This is a place where this pen kind of lacks behind. The pen feels pretty solidly made with some desirable heft to it. The resin also feels pretty durable, but it lacks in finishing. The pen had some scratches and two of them are noticeable when viewed right. Also, it has two seams on the section which isn’t quite troublesome but can be smoothed out. The engraving could also be better. Looks and Comfort (9/10): The Platinum 3776 Century Chartres Blue is made to look like the stained glass windows of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Most of the 3776 Century fountain pens are French themed with the exceptions of some LE’s that are themed after various locations and lakes around Mt. Fuji. The pen looks stunningly beautiful in blue with some transparency. But, there is a but. The pen looks as it is meant to look only in bright indoor light or in sunlight. Otherwise it looks like a very very deep blue, almost black, with almost no transparency. Comfort wise, the pen could be made a bit more thicker and longer. Only then would it be perfect for me. After posting, this doesn’t matter. Filling System (9/10): It is one of my favorite filling systems. A cartridge-converter is one of my favorites because it is easy to clean, disassemble and also to fill. The only disadvantage of Platinum’s proprietary converter is its small ink capacity. Also, as I mentioned, my converter was poorly greased. Writing Experience (10/10): It is hard to find faults here. The writing experience is stellar. This nib is a champ. The Medium 14 carat gold nib is pretty fine by western standards and writes very smooth with some nice feedback. The ink flow is perfect. This is my kind of nib. I prefer this to overly wet, fat and super smooth nibs. Now I need all the Platinum 3776 century pens with almost all nibs except the Course and the Music. I am not fan of ultra-wide nibs. This nib can be used for various purposes like note taking, daily writing and most importantly long writing sessions with ease. Comparisons: On comparing this pen with the TWSBI Eco and ASA Nauka, the Platinum feels a bit small in the hand and is the second most comfortable out of the three with the ASA bragging the first place. The Platinum easily has the largest nib of the bunch. Conclusion: While this pen is a favorite of mine, it is not without faults. Its construction and finishing could be better, and some minor changes could be done here and there. But these faults won’t stop me from buying the other 3776 Century pens. I need a Bourgogne next as my Chartres Blue needs a companion. Man, I need so many more pens! All the photos were taken with a Nikkon D5300 (I'm still learning to take photos this thing) on a windowsill (my favorite place for pen photography) of my 18th floor apartment with abundant sunlight. They have not been edited. Thank you for reading my review. Please leave your suggestions and comments below.

I'm Hidden I'm hidden where nobody knows Cause all you can see are my nose and my toes. Abbey Road died about a week before her first birthday from feline leukemia. She was an amazing kitty and loved putting on her vest and going for walks around the neighborhood and hiding in boxes. A month or two after she died my vet called. One of their clients cats had kittens and they needed homes.They sent pictures of them taken when the kittens came in for their very first check up and they were tiny little fuzzy things. So my sister and I drove over to the vet's office to find six kittens in a pile, all climbing over each other, eyes open and amazed by the big world. Suddenly two fuzzballs broke out of the pile and headed our way, one straight to me and then up my shirt to my shoulder, the second not far behind. The other four kittens simply went on with their game attacking those strange things that grew out of the end of the other kittens and was perfect to pounce on. All the kittens were perfect, lovable, wonderful, cute, fascinating but two chose me. http://www.fototime.com/5176D7A38426937/medium800.jpg So far this comparison has been like that. All of the pens are perfect, lovable, wonderful, beautiful and fascinating but two ended up choosing me. The comparison begins with six Japanese fountain pens with medium nibs. To keep things simple, each is filled using a cartridge from the manufacturer. Three are from Pilot, two from Sailor and one from Platinum. I don't remember where I bought them but all except two came with a converter; the two exceptions were the Pilot Custom 74 and the Sailor 1911L. Fortunately I am not converter poor so that was not an issue for me. All of the pens have a monotone gold nib in 14K except the Sailor 1911L which has a 21K nib. The largest nibs are on the Pilot Custom 743 and the Platinum #3776 Century. The smallest nibs are the Pilot Custom 74 and the Sailor 1911S. And so ... the Boring Details: http://www.fototime.com/7A5AE11F6841ADA/large.jpg and the pens: http://www.fototime.com/67F4897AB99DEDF/medium800.jpg All of the pens were like the kittens, all near perfect and it would be hard to go wrong with any one of them. All had unique strengths and all had certain weaknesses. It really will come down to which chooses you; which most closely fits your needs. All cap or uncap in under two turns. They all felt better in hand when posted... http://www.fototime.com/EC9C668913A5669/medium800.jpg ... but they were all also long enough to use un-posted if that is your preference... http://www.fototime.com/65EA8DCB4397FB8/medium800.jpg ... and each of the pens had nibs that were tastefully done without being gaudy. http://www.fototime.com/B4024867B695CC0/medium800.jpg The six pens have far more in common than they have differences. All follow the basic Sheaffer Balance profile and all have the wide raised cap band popularized by Montblanc but of course with only two bands not three. All are moderately to very wet writers with the three Pilot pens the wettest, then the two Sailors and the Platinum while wet, not as gushing as the others. Here are writing samples of all six pens on Clairefontaine notebook paper. http://www.fototime.com/29857646D6BD2CC/large.jpg As expected, the actual lines are also pretty similar. In addition, all were very smooth writers. So what were the differences? As mentioned by me in the past, I find Pilot pens as shipped almost too wet. If you read my review of the Custom 845 I found it so wet I had to switch to a drier ink (Pelikan 4001) to make it even usable. These pens are not as wet as the BB nib on the 845 but were still the wettest of the Japanese pens in this comparison. All three, even the little #5 nib on the Custom 74 were wetter than the Sailors or the Platinum. They were not so wet I would feel the need to switch to something like Pelikan 4001 but they were wet enough that I never really felt I was in full control of the pens. The Pilot Custom 743 was the largest pen in the comparison (actually the Pilot trio were all the longest in every measurement) and it also has he fanciest furniture with a raised section on the cap and body end bands and the writing on the wide cap band filled in to make it stand out. The place the Pilot pens did all fall down is in the pocket clips. The Pilot pens have the most pocket unfriendly clips of the six pens. The Sailor pens tested were both plain black and gold, the most tapered in looks and simply traditional. They were not quite as wet writers as the three from Pilot but still slightly more than moderately wet. The 1911L had the only non-14K nib of the group with a nice large 21K beauty. The 1911S had the smallest nib of the group, just a hair smaller than the #5 nib on the Pilot Custom 74. In use I always felt in total control with either of the Sailors. Where Sailor really stood out is in their pocket clips. The two Sailor pens had by far the most pocket friendly easy to use pocket clips. The Platinum #3776 Century had the biggest nib of the group with wider shoulders than even the big #15 Pilot Custom 743 nib. It also was available in the widest selection of colors but also had the smallest selection of possible nib widths and styles. Like the others it is moderately wet, smooth but with the most feedback of any of the six nibs. Platinum is also the only one of the three makers that offers an adapter that allows using Standard International cartridges in their pens. Since I have lots of them that is something I like. http://www.fototime.com/1B3C251F4CFB161/medium.jpgWhere the Platinum #3776 Century really stands out is in the nib. It really offers the best feedback of all of the pens in this comparison. It, like all the Platinum and Nakaya nibs I've tried simply feels like it was created just for me; not a separate object but rather an extension of my thoughts. I said that Sunshine and Princess picked me. So which of these pens also seemed to choose me? Surprisingly to me, the two smallest. The Sailor 1911S and the Platinum #3776 Century just feel the best of all six in my hand.

I'm currently eyeing a Platinum 3776 Century Maki-e Sansui. I wasn't able to find a lot of reviews or info on this pen. Does anyone here have experience with the pen? Is it worth the extra money over the Platinum Kanazawa? How does the artwork hold up over several years of use? Are there any specific reasons (except design) to choose the Platinum over the Sailor/Pilot equivalents (or the other way around)?

How is everyone's experience with the effectiveness of the cap seal on Platinum #3776 fountain pen models not designated Century, and are thus without the "Slip and Seal" mechanism? The celluloid models with product identifiers PTB-30000S (as opposed to the current production batches identified as PTB-35000S, which are obviously more expensive but designated Century), and earlier batches of the models with briarwood barrels (PTB-30000BN and PTB-50000BS), were not designated Century. I have one of the earlier brown tortoiseshell celluloid models and two of the briarwood models, and today I discovered the ink has all dried out in their converters after not having been used for four or so weeks. In contrast, not so my two kanazawa-haku models (PNB-30000H) or basic Bourgogne models of the Platinum #3776 Century pens. That pretty much cured me of the persistently resurfacing desire to complete the 'collection' of briarwood models I'm still missing the one with the light-coloured smooth finish or buy more of the celluloid models when I see them offered 'cheaply' on Amazon.

https://www.cultpens.com/i/q/PT24237/platinum-kanazawa-haku-fountain-pen-changing-autumn-leaves I bought one of these recently, but as I waiting for it to arrive, does anyone have any experience with these? I don't own any maki-e pens yet so I thought this would be a good entry-level maki-e before I decide to spend more.