Platinum 3776 Century Vs Pilot Custom 823

[mikesrike]

Which one is better as a workhorse pen? I heard that platinum nibs are the same as in the nakaya pens which costs 500+. Which one is more comfortable and reliable?

[swanjun]

I have both and like them very much. The Platinum has a cap design that prevents it from drying out, the 823 has greater ink capacity... Both write very well, and I would never relinquish my two 3776s, but the 823 is one of the best pens I've written with. Both models are reliable, but I would say the 823 is more comfortable.

[Glenn Atkins]

823

[Lam1]

Both are good pens, but all considered I prefer the Platinum 3776 as a workhorse (and I do have both).

It is relatively inexpensive and for the price of the 823 you can have two 3776's with different nibs (with money left to buy ink).

 

I just love the feel of M nib in my 3776, one of the best nibs I have. The F nib in my 823 is very good too, but nothing special, and the only Pilot M nib I had (CH92) was underwhelming (smooth, but no character).

 

One thing to consider is that the 3776 is a smallish pen, I need to post it to be confortable. The 823, on the other hand, is comfortable without the need to post. Also, if you need/want a huge ink capacity the 823 is the way to go.

[alexander_k]

Both are good pens, reliable and comfortable. As Lam1 wrote, size is one important difference. The nib is another: Pilot nibs tend to be a bit smoother and less toothy, in my experience.

[ink-syringe]

3776 is a much better value. Both are great pens but the 3776 is one of the few pens I own 2 of. I have a B nib and and M. Both outstanding.

[Water Ouzel]

I've got two 823's (F and Pendleton Brown-tweaked M) and three 3776 Century (SF, F and F). If I ranked them:

 

1 - 823 F

2 - 3776 F (Chartres Blue)

3 - 823 M c/i

4 - 3776 F (Bourgogne)

5 - 3776 SF

 

I think the 823 feels better in my hand, the 3776's are just a bit too small and light, but only a little.

[The Good Captain]

I love both of them and my 823F adjusted to write medium flow with light pressure (by the vendor, nibs.com) is a joy. However, the 3776s (SF & M) write superbly, straight out of the box.

[flipper_gv]

3776 is much smaller. 823 has a much bigger ink capacity. Price difference. Both are very reliable writer, Pilot might be a tad smoother.

[blackcat99]

no knowledge of the 823 however the 3776 I recently purchased an EF and it is a really nice pen to write with, a tiny bit of feedback from the nib though

[pkoko]

How about Pilot 845?

[FOUR X FOUR]

I personally like the Pilot 823 over the Platinum 3776 Century. It's a bigger pen. I just like it more

[zaddick]

I had a 3776 and I sold it. I bought an 823 and then bought a second one. The 823 is larger, holds more ink, and had a larger nib. The 3776 was too small to use without posing and I prefer not to post.

 

Clearly people like both. They are also easy to resell. You will not really go far wrong with either.

[benjitzu]

I agree with everything stated in the other replies - both are great workhorses, both are very reliable. The 823 is larger, heavier, and holds a LOT more ink.

 

Here are some pics comparing my broad Century 3776 and my medium Custom 823 so you have a visual of them side by side:

 

Capped:

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/benjitzu/Mobile%20Uploads/B877825C-C24A-4F52-A858-A49733BF5680_zpsqor8h9ip.jpg

 

 

Uncapped:

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/benjitzu/Mobile%20Uploads/7571CF29-BE4D-4905-A7ED-10567D361662_zpse7peygug.jpg

 

 

Close up of nibs:

 

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/benjitzu/Mobile%20Uploads/FC2902EB-D367-4B1F-AB79-446532AE05A8_zpss8fq014p.jpg

 

If I absolutely HAD to choose between the two, it would be the Pilot Custom 823 every time.

[Precise]

My 823 is more than just one of my pens. It's one of my very best pens.

 

I have a 3776 Century F and have invested a lot of time in trying to tame its scratchies. I'm still at that.

 

To me these two pens are not close. Closer to the 823 would be other Pilots or some Sailors.

[Drone]

I have the 3776 Century w/SF nib and the Pilot 743 w/FA nib (same size as the 823, but a C/C filler).

 

The 3776C is significantly smaller in size than the 823/743 and less than half the price provided you buy the pens direct from Japan. (Do not buy the 3776C or the 823 in the U.S., the U.S. prices are jacked-up by a large amount.) The Pilot FA nib has far more flex than any of the Platinum nibs, but the plastic feed sometimes cannot keep up with the nib in terms of flow. My Pilot FA nib is rather picky about the ink and paper it comes in contact with, the 3776C SF nib writes on pretty much anything with any ink. Because the 3776C SF nib is so stiff, it can be scratchy, especially on some poor quality papers. For the 3776C, you may want to avoid the fine Japanese nib sizes and go for a Medium or Broad nib instead.

 

The 3776C has the "Slip-N-Seal" cap which prevents your nib from drying out, but that shouldn't matter much if you intend on making the pen a daily user. (Remember not all 3776 pens have the Slip-N-Seal cap, the 3776 "Century" models do.) The 823 is a piston/vacuum filler and is difficult to disassemble and clean. You need to loosen the filler knob on the 823 in order to write more than a page or so or else the ink will stop flowing. I find that a tad annoying, and is one of the main reasons why I went with the 743 first. However, the 823 does have a lock-down mechanism which allows you to seal the pen so it cannot leak, something that is convenient if you fly often.

 

Money aside, I prefer the Pilot pens over the 3776C. If you're OK with a smaller pen and money matters, perhaps you would be better off with the 3776C.

Edited November 4, 2015 by Drone

[langere]

I just bought my first 3776 Century a month ago and I liked it. I just stored it after a good rotation.

 

That said, I have to go with the majority here - the 823 is a more substantial pen and feels better in my hand (though I do not have big hands). It holds gobs more ink. The only drawback is the loosening of the filler knob when you're writing, as Drone suggests. But if you use it as a daily writer, I am sure you will quickly get used to it.

 

Erick

[ink-syringe]

The only drawback is ....

 

Again price. Very important.

 

This isn't a fair comparison. You can buy multiple 3776 pens for what you pay for an 823 and maybe have change left over.

 

The question should be: should I buy an 823 or two 3776 pens?

 

SHOULD I BUY A PILOT VARSITY OR AN M805, WHICH IS BETTER? haha.

 

The 823 has better ergonomics and holds more ink. But you are going to pay a LOT more for a pen that I (personally) think is not better in proportion to that change in price. But only you can decide how important those things are. Yes the 823 is better pen. It isn't necessarily a better value.

 

But maybe the size or filler is a deal breaker for you.

 

If I had a lot of pens I would rather have an 823, if I had only a few pens, would I rather have a SM and B nib 3776 loaded with 2 different inks?

 

That's a harder question.

Edited November 4, 2015 by ink-syringe

[gregamckinney]

I have both. I only use my 3776 when I want a music nib. I use my 823 every day (in my rotation full-time.)

 

I have two 823's (for color variation,) and one 3776 (just for the great, wet music nib for special occasion purposes.)

 

IMO, the 823 wins out on pretty much any comparison.

 

greg