Platinum 3776 Celluloid?

[tamburlaine]

Hello all,

 

I recently saw this pen, the Platinum 3776 Celluloid, and it is around the same cost as a Sailor 1911, which I am currently scrimping and saving for. This price range is quite high for me, but it will at least get me a current dream pen; and I started to think why not shop around and see what that price range can get me. You see, what I am saving up for is a dream writer - my creative pen! Having got all my nice workhorse pens, I think a self-fancied word smith needs to consider something slightly more, well, classy, no? (I really can't justify buying another pen, but now that I have admitted that, we may forget I said it - you only live once...)

As there is an extreme paucity of information about this pen on FPN: I can find plenty references to it, but no in-depth details.

 

So, I put it to you, FPNers , what sort of pen is this? All of the small references I have seen regarding these Platinum pens, after searching the forums, have heaped them with praise and covered them in writingy glory!

 

The point of this post, finally:

How does it compare to the Sailor 1911? What are its dimensions, posted, un-posted, barrel length etc.? Is the celluloid of a high and durable quality? How does it write? How does it feel to hold? What is the filling system - it is Japanese so I suspect c/c; if so, how much ink does it hold? Are the nibs actually one grade finer as most Japanese nibs are? Anyone have any good photographs? What sort of warranty/repairs/nib exchange service does Platinum offer in the UK? *gasp* Sorry about all this... just very much interested in the looks of this pen.

 

Any and all information is appreciated! Anyone planning on doing an in-depth review of these pens soon?

 

Thank you so much for reading (and more for responding),

Patrick

Edited August 21, 2007 by patrick1314

[fjf]

They are certainly beautiful, but for that kind of money I think you can get something better than a converter.

[John Cullen]

I am sitting here looking at a 1911 full sized and the Platinum celluloid series .

 

The Sailor capped is five and a half inches long.

The Platinum capped is five and a quarter inches long.

 

Uncapped, the Sailor from nib tip to end of barrel is a little over 4 and 3/4 inches.

Uncapped, the Platinum from nib tip to end of barrel is a little over 4 and 1/2 inches.

 

The Platinum is definitely thinner than the 1911. The Platinum is about the size, more or less, of a Waterman Phileas.

 

One thing that might be a consideration for you is the fact that the Platinum has a metal ring around the end of the section where the nib slips in. Some people refuse to buy pens with this ring because they find that over time these rings corrode from being dipped in the ink. If you use bottled ink, that may be a consideration for you, though I guess there could be corrosion even if you were using a cartridge.

 

The section on the Platinum pen is made of the same material as the body. the Sailor section on mine is just black.

 

The Sailor nib is larger than the Platinum nib and pulls out without too much trouble. I have not tried to remove the Platinum nib. Both pens have screw on caps. The clips look more or less the same, though the Platinum clip is broader. The top of the cap on the Platinum is also made of the body material, whereas the top of the cap on the Sailor is black plastic.

 

The Sailor has the wide cap lip ring and then a thin one above that. On Mine, they are firmly held in place and look good.

 

The Platinum has one large cap band on the outside and it looks nice and is firmly held in place. The Platinum pen has an inner cap band. It is a gold colored band on the inside of the cap. It is positioned about a quarter inch up from the lip on the inside. YOu can not see it from the outside unless you look directly into the cap. I guess it matches up perfectly with the other cap band, and I assume the point is to strengthen the cap lip from cracking. Mine came loose and wiggled around. I put just a touch of orange shellac under it and now it is held in place nicely.

 

The Platinum pen is made from a rolled sheet of celluloid, so when you roll the pen in the light you come to a point where there is a line. The pattern in the material does not match up perfectly, so I guess the marbeling is random, and so there is a clear line where the two edges are joined. I know nothing about how this is done and whether this can ever come undone.

 

The line is not so obvious that it sticks out like a sore thumb, but if you are very picky and you roll the pen you will see it. If you were not picky and did not know it was there and didn't roll the pen for inspection, you might miss the line. It does not bother me. The material on the Platinum pens is gorgeous. I am a bit embarassed to say I have this pen in Koi, Calico and Blue Lapis.

 

I do not post pens, but I just tried to post the Sailor and it posts firmly and deeply. The Platinum posts deeply and nicely. Both pens are on the light side and could probably be easily used posted.

 

Nibs and writing: Before comment on this issue, let me say a few things. First, I have lots of pens. I mean lots and lots of modern pens. I have two Edsons, two Duponts, a fist full of Waterman Experts, five Tibaldis, eight Bexleys, and about ten Paragons, a Taccia Staccato, ..... You get the point.

 

I do not care of Sailor nibs. However, there only seem to be about two of us on this list who feel this way.

 

I think my problem is that I hold the pen at a very high angle, say 65-70 degrees. At that angle, the Sailor nibs get draggy on the upstroke, especially if the upstroke is wild and large. Perhaps the Sailor nib is picky about the angle at which it is held. Richard Binder's webpage has some interesting infor on this angle of attack issue, and I wonder if maybe Sailor nibs just need to be held "correctly" and I hold mine at too high an angle, like many people who use ballpoints.

 

I have had three 1911's, all new, all smoothed by nib meisters either at the time of purchase or after the sale. I can't say I really like any of them, and I have sold off two of them.

 

Having said that, I have dipped both nibs and tried them on some nice paper in a Red and Black journal.

 

The Sailor writes smoothly and is somewhat on the dry side. The line of ink does not glisten and look wet, like it would with a Visconti. The nib is smooth but I can feel a bit of drag and hear it on the paper on a large "L" or on the swoopy loop of a "g". Maybe I just need to get a Sailor and have the flow opened up so it is wetter?

 

The Platinum nib is as smooth. The Sailor might be a hair smoother when held correctly, but it was worked on my someone. It makes a little more noise on the paper than the Sailor nib but it is uniformly smooth even when I make huge loops. I much prefer Platinum nibs out of the box. But remember that I am one of the very few that feels that way.

 

In short, I doubt you will dislike either pen. Maybe you should post a question and see if anyone has had a Platinum celluloid for years and experienced any problems?

 

Also, maybe find out about service. Will each of these companies service a new pen in your area? Find out if the want the paperwork. I tend to throw paperwork away but that might lead to warranty trouble with some companies who say they want proof of purchase. I have not used the warranty or service of either company.

 

I hope this helped a little bit. People generally like both of these brands and I do not recall hearing much bad about either one of them. The Platinum is, as I said, a little smaller than the Sailor. I like big pens with big pens, so in a way I prefer the look and heft of the sailor.

 

If only I could swap the Sailor nib out and replace it with something else. I wish I could swap the nib out of the Sailor for the new Taccia Staccato steel nib I just got from Richard Binder. That is one smooth nib! And it performs at any angle or attack and even when I turn my wrist slightly in or out.

 

good luck deciding. jc

Edited August 22, 2007 by John Cullen

[DrPJM1]

They are both great pens, the Sailor nibs may be a hint smoother to some, but I love the celluloid material on the Platinums!

 

Do try to get a Sailor Magellan in an unusual acryllic or one of the celluloid Platinums, you will not make a wrong decision.

[Vintage Pens Fan]

Hello all,

 

I recently saw this pen, the Platinum 3776 Celluloid, and it is around the same cost as a Sailor 1911, which I am currently scrimping and saving for. Patrick

 

Hi,

 

In case you are interested, there is a celluloid pen on sale by Dr Dutcher for your reference. I own a similar one for some time now. & just love those pre WWII Japanese flex nib...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Very-Rare-1930s-Japane...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Dave

Edited August 23, 2007 by Vintage Pens Fan

[jonro]

John, great comparison. I tend to write at a very high angle, so I found your observations very useful.

[TMLee]

John, great comparison. I tend to write at a very high angle, so I found your observations very useful.

 

 

My experience is the opposite ... my angle of the penhold is low , and it causes less than ideal results too ...

 

But if you hold the pen 'normal' , its a fantastic writer ...

 

 

[John Cullen]

HI jonro----I am not a pen expert, but I keep trying to find a reason why I am so happy with my MB, Waterman, Tibaldi, Omas, Parker pens but just can not at all get behind Sailor 21 kt nibs. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps they are just not made to be written with at the high angle at which I hold the pen. I might well be wrong. If it were not so expensive to experiment, I would get a Medium instead of a Bold and have the flow opened up. I know there can be differences between a company's nibs as far as the different sizes go. For example, I love my medium Carene but found the Fine to bite into the paper a little bit. I wish I could get all those people who love their 1911's to hold them at a 70 degree angle and write fast and large and see if they notice a difference from how the pen normally feels. jc

[TMLee]

One thing that might be a consideration for you is the fact that the Platinum has a metal ring around the end of the section where the nib slips in. Some people refuse to buy pens with this ring because they find that over time these rings corrode from being dipped in the ink. If you use bottled ink, that may be a consideration for you, though I guess there could be corrosion even if you were using a cartridge.

 

 

Yup, happenened to me ... the ring corrosion on my old Sailor .... I used bottled ink.

 

The later Sailor models did away with the metal ring.

 

But they are very well made pens ...

 

[wiglaf]

Perhaps the Sailor Togi nibs would eliminate the unpleasantry associated with the angle of writing- I have a togi medium and it seems to put down wet lines at almost every angle.

Tony

[tamburlaine]

Well, thank you all so much for replying - especially thanks to John Cullen's informative post. As regards nib angle, I write at what would probably be considered a 'normal' angle, so that would be no bother to me.

 

The celluloid looks beautiful, but now that I know it is simply a rolled sheet with a seam and potentially mis-matching at that point, it kind of puts me off the whole thing. But the comment that has struck me is from fjf: "They are certainly beautiful, but for that kind of money I think you can get something better than a converter." This is so true, however I don't want it to be true... my dream pen is/was (well, still is really, if only for that nib) the Sailor 1911. But the converter/cartridge filler put me out a little, especially after buying a Lamy 2000 and Pelikan with pistons. I can't help but feel my Sailor Sapporo is inferior as regards the filling system (but wins completely and utterly with that 14ct nib), but I use it at home so filling is not too much of a problem.

 

Thanks to all of you I have had a re-think. The Sailor 1911 is to be my grail-pen, unless by the time I can get it there are better options or I can afford one of the dearer Sailors etc. The 1911 is to be the pen when I have the money, and said money is completely 'disposable', then it won't bother me so much about the inferior filler.

 

So, this is now what I seek: a classy looking, but still sober, 'creative' pen for writing long periods between refills with a piston filler, smooth nib, and good size. Budget would be I suppose around £100-150.

 

If no one objects, I might set up yet another 'Which pen?' thread to help me. You see, being in my position, living in a fountain-penless wilderness, I have to go by advice! I can see another Pelikan high on that list, but other than Aurora (the price of an Optima or 88 are unknown to me) I can't think of any piston-fillers that are available here or in Europe at that price. I could 'go vintage' I suppose... anyway, that is a thread for another day!

 

Thanks all,

Patrick

[Bennington1967]

Perhaps the Sailor Togi nibs would eliminate the unpleasantry associated with the angle of writing- I have a togi medium and it seems to put down wet lines at almost every angle.

Tony

 

 

The Togi is a great nib. Not for everyday writing perhaps, but a very smooth writer indeed. It is more of a medium-broad nib than a conventional medium nib.

[Lloyd]

How about the Pilot custom 823? It's a vac filler that holds a lot of ink. Many here have stated that it has an amazingly smooth nib. Also, don't forget the Danitrio Densho. Excellent nibs and HUGE eyedropper filler.

[tamburlaine]

How about the Pilot custom 823? It's a vac filler that holds a lot of ink. Many here have stated that it has an amazingly smooth nib. Also, don't forget the Danitrio Densho. Excellent nibs and HUGE eyedropper filler.

 

Thanks for the recommendations, Lloyd. I actually had a look at the 823 before, and quite fancied one. But, it is a demonstrator, and those really don't appeal to me... if it was a normal opaque resin then I would have it like a shot, as it is unusual for a Japanese pen to hold so much ink.

I don't know much about Danitrios and would truly love an eyedropper, but my guess is they would have to be imported (American, Japanese?) - and I really do not want to import from outside the EU. I've only had one experience with Customs, and it was quite a number of years ago and on a musical instrument - this encounter was quite sore and I believe has put me off of importing...

Edited August 23, 2007 by patrick1314

[Lloyd]

Thanks for the recommendations, Lloyd. I actually had a look at the 823 before, and quite fancied one. But, it is a demonstrator, and those really don't appeal to me... if it was a normal opaque resin then I would have it like a shot, as it is unusual for a Japanese pen to hold so much ink.

Unless I'm mistaken, the 823 comes in three finishes:

1. translucent black
2. translucent brown
3. clear = demonstrator

For these 823's, you can contact Richie at cyberpens in the UK. You can see an image of the non-demonstrator in the review section.

 

You should contact Kevin (winedoc) if you're interested in the Danitrios. He'd be able to answer your customs related questions.

Edited August 23, 2007 by Lloyd

[tamburlaine]

Thanks for the recommendations, Lloyd. I actually had a look at the 823 before, and quite fancied one. But, it is a demonstrator, and those really don't appeal to me... if it was a normal opaque resin then I would have it like a shot, as it is unusual for a Japanese pen to hold so much ink.

Unless I'm mistaken, the 823 comes in three finishes:

1. translucent black
2. translucent brown
3. clear = demonstrator

For these 823's, you can contact Richie at cyberpens in the UK. You can see an image of the non-demonstrator in the review section.

 

You should contact Kevin (winedoc) if you're interested in the Danitrios. He'd be able to answer your customs related questions.

 

Hmm, well I always thought that they were all at least semi-demonstrators, as Stylophiles says:

 

"What looked at first like a plain, basic-black pen turns out to be a dark smoke-gray transparent cap and barrel. It's a demonstrator!"

 

Even if it is quite dark, I still really dislike demonstrators... ah well, I dunno. We'll see what happens when the time comes to buy another pen...

[Lloyd]

My understanding was that it was translucent so as to permit viewing the ink level. If you are curious, you could start a thread to ask owners' impressions.

[John Cullen]

If you really like the Sailor 1911 look, maybe having it be C/C is not so bad. With a piston, there is one more thing to break or get sticky. I personally like doodling around with piston fillers and I have an unhealthy attraction to filling and fiddling with my pens. But a c/c is pretty simple and unlikely to cause problems. Also, some piston fillers can be a bugger to lube if they get sticky. MB 149, PIlot 823....NIce pens but not easy to lube if the piston gets sticky. Just a thought. j

[John Cullen]

If you really like the Sailor 1911 look, maybe having it be C/C is not so bad. With a piston, there is one more thing to break or get sticky. I personally like doodling around with piston fillers and I have an unhealthy attraction to filling and fiddling with my pens. But a c/c is pretty simple and unlikely to cause problems. Also, some piston fillers can be a bugger to lube if they get sticky. MB 149, PIlot 823....NIce pens but not easy to lube if the piston gets sticky. Just a thought. j

[tamburlaine]

Thanks again for all the advice. Even though I haven't fully-saved enough money for whatever pen I am after, the temptation is too strong to start up a 'Which pen?' thread... perhaps I'll do it sooner than expected. I'll perhaps stick a line in there about the 823 too.

 

John: I am sort of vacillating between two states of opinion here. I do love piston-fillers (want more! - or Vac fillers, or eyedroppers - whatever with high capacity!) but I'm also saying to myself, if this is to be my sort of 'luxury' creative-writing pen, then I will probably seldom leave the house with it and keep it at home where filling is no problem. But really, now I'm thinking it is an awful lot of money for something that doesn't hold a lot of ink and has what is normally considered an 'inferior' filling-system... oh if only Sailor made one of those higher-capacity piston converters that some other companies sell (or a piston filler)!

 

An affordable Sailor with a piston-filler... oh dear dear, that would probably become the best selling pen in the world!

 

EDIT: Ooh! 100th post!

Edited August 23, 2007 by patrick1314