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This year's Atlas Sidewalk Sale is almost upon us, Chicago area friends! I managed to signed up for a couple of seminars and a social, and looking forward to getting to join this year (last year didn't work out). In addition to looking forward to the classes, I hope to get some entry level Platinum pens, and try some new brands of ink. At the Chicago Pen Show I really liked a Platinum 3776 SF (one regular, one with an italic grind), so even though the Preppy isn't my aesthetic, I might see about the new Maki-e ones to dip my toes in. Let me know if they like any of the starters for them better that I can keep an eye out for. I'm still new to this hobby and being careful where I ultimately might want to put larger sums. Atlas also posted shopping rules on Instagram for the venders that will be selling their own wares on the sidewalk. https://www.atlasstationers.com/pages/event-schedule

Pen Pit Stop : Platinum 3776 Century Fujin Raijin Welcome to the Pen Pit Stop. Here you will find reviews of pens that already have some mileage on them. More specifically, these reviews are of pens that are in my personal collection, and that have been in use for at least a year. I thought it would be fun to do it this way – no new & shiny pens here but battered vehicles that have been put to work for at least a year. Let’s find out how they have withstood the ravages of time. The fountain pen that enters the pit stop today is the Platinum 3776 Century Fujin Raijin. This particular incarnation of the well-known 3776 Century model is decorated using the Kanazawa-haku gold-leaf technique and adds a picture of the Wind & Thunder gods Fujin & Raijin. In the Kanazawa-haku technique, gold leafs are created by beating and extending the foil to a thickness of about 1/10.000 of a millimeter. Pasting small cutouts of these gold leafs, one by one, onto the pen body creates a sense of depth, and gives the body an elegant glow. A thin coat of lacquer protects the final design. The barrel has a picture of Fujin, the Wind god. On the cap you will find a traditional representation of Raijin, the Thunder god. The pen itself is your normal 3776 Century, so you can expect a good writer with a nice 14K gold nib. I got mine with a B-nib, that writes more like a western medium. I bought my pen in April 2020, so it’s been in use for some time now. Let’s take a closer look at it. Pen Look & Feel The 3775 Century has a cigar-shaped design and is a fairly small and elegant pen. There’s no logo or brand designation that detracts from the pen’s looks – the only brand designation I found is a small “P” etched on the nib. The 14K gold nib is fairly large in comparison with the pen body, giving you the impression of a much bigger pen. I really like that Platinum used all-gold accents throughout the pen’s design: the gold foil covers the complete pen body and cap, and the trimmings, clip & nib are also gold-toned. It could have looked over-the-top, but it’s not. The end result is aesthetically pleasing, mostly due to the depth created by Kanazawa-haku technique. You use the pen by removing the screw-on cap, which is completely air-tight thanks to Platinum’s “Slip & Seal” mechanism. I typically use the pen unposted, which is possible because I have small hands. There might be a problem if you need to post your pen: personally, I would not risk it – over time you might damage the gold foil due to friction between posted cap & body. When screwing the cap on the body, there are several positions where the treads start gripping. As a result, there are multiple orientations for the cap to fit on the body, and there’s only one where the Wind & Thunder gods line up. It doesn’t bother me, but I understand some people might go nuts about it. The 3776 Century is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses Platinum's proprietary cartridges. This pen arrived with a good quality convertor included, always a nice plus! The pictures above illustrate the size of the Platinum 3776 Century Fujin Raijin in comparison with a standard Lamy Safari. Capped, both pens are about the same size. But uncapped the Platinum pen is substantially smaller than the Safari. You can post the pen, but I would personally recommend against this with the more delicate finish on the Fujin Raijin pen body – it would destroy the look of this pen when you get scratches. Pen Characteristics Build Quality: the pen is very well build. Mine is about two years old now, and still looks good as new. But it’s definitely a pen you need to handle with care: you don’t want scratches on this pen’s body - they would totally destroy the looks of this pen. The screw-on cap can end up in different orientations, which means that the pictures of Fujin & Raijin will not always align. This might be a problem for some people. Weight & Dimensions: a fairly small pen – about 12cm uncapped, which is how I use it to write with. The grip section is about 1 cm in diameter at the threads, and tapers down a bit towards the nib. When gripping the pen, your fingers will also rest on the threads, but these are hardly noticeable. The pen feels very light and is really comfortable for long writing sessions. Filling System: this is a cartridge convertor pen, that uses Platinum’s proprietary cartridges. A good quality convertor was included with the pen. Nib & Performance: the 14K gold nib feels substantial on the pen’s petite body, but the aesthetics of the whole work well. I got my pen with a B-nib, that writes like a western medium. The nib performed exceptionally well, right out of the box. A very smooth nib, with just a touch of feedback from the paper. I really like it! Price: this Fujin Raijin incarnation of the classic 3776 Century cost 395 EUR including taxes. Personally, I found the pricepoint acceptable for a beautiful pen with a 14K gold nib. What could have been better? I really like the Kanazawa-haku gold leaf finish on this pen. It’s really well executed and gives a very unique texture to the pen. I’m not such a big fan of the added design elements though – in this case the Fujin & Raijin pictures. My guess is that these are stickers that are applied to the body after the gold leaf cover has been put on. They certainly look like tattoo-style stickers. Personally, I would have been happier with a non-adorned pen with just the gold leaf texture, a more minimalistic look, like in the picture above. Conclusion Platinum 3776 Century pens are known as excellent writers, and this pen follows that rule. The Kanazawa-haku gold leaf finish works really well on the 3776 body, and results in a beautiful pen with a very distinctive & warm texture. The Fujin & Raijun added accents… well I could do without them. In my opinion, the pen would look better without these added elements. Overall, I still think it’s a good buy, and I’m glad to have added a Platinum 3776 Century to my pen collection.

Hi there! I am looking for some help in identifying this pen I bought (currently in transit to me) I've spent way too much time searching and I thought I'd ask for help so I can possibly continue on with my day! It looks like a Century 3776 Body with a 14k 'wingfold' nib (idk if that's the correct term for this style but I'm going with it for now-feel free to correct me with the correct term!) The other really strange thing about this pen is the dome on the cap. It's not smooth like the #3776 pens...It seems to have ridges. Any information you could pass along will be much appreciated!!

So I am looking into purchasing a Platinum 3776 Celluloid at some point and noticed some things that I have a few questions about, so, here they are: 1.) Why are some models so much more expensive than others? Like there is one over $1,000 and there is another for $382. Why? 2.) Are they real celluloid or cellulose acateate? 3.) Is PenSachi a “legit” retailer? It is a lot less expensive like most Japanese retailers, and I was wondering if any of you in the US have had experience with this retailer, I would appreciate if you valued tell your experiences. 4.) Do any of you have this pen? Do you like it? Thank you all in advance for your responses! I really appreciate it. W. H. Major

Platinum has a new LE or SE (no idea) out in their 3776 Century line, the Shiun. The 4th in the Fuji Shunkei series. Meant to symbolize the purple clouds (ie "Shiun") around Mt. Fuji, a symbol of luck since ancient times. Diamond pattern on purple greyish resin, a demonstrator, as usual. Pictures leaked from a Chinese site a few days ago, now Pen Chalet has it in their listing. $470 (for now?!). https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/platinum_3776_shiun_fountain_pens.html First seen here https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/gj43z8/limited_edition_platinum_3776_shiun/ https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ghle49/leaked_images_of_the_supposedly_next_platinum/

Hey y'all. Got some pen mail today and thought I'd share the love. Peace.

Hi fellow FPN-er, Any one have problem with Platinum 3776 century's gold plating? It started to corrode after 1 to 2 months, I had 3 of them and they all had the same problem. Couldn't find any info as to why it happen. I only clean my pen with soft cloth and plain water.

The fisrt fountain pen that I bought was a Lamy Al-Star with a fine nib, which I like, then it came a Jinhao 599 (which I find a tad too broad for my taste), and then a few Platinum Preppy 03F (the one I like most). The fact is that I'd love to make a jump into a better category, so I was looking for a Sailor Professional Gear or a Platinum 3776. From what I have read those fountain pens write very smooth. What I would like you to tell me is which nib should I choose if I want something like the stroke on a Preppy 03F (on a Sailor and on a Platinum 3776)? Thank you very much.

Hello everyone, I hope you are having a pleasant day, this is my first post so it's possible that what I'll ask may seem puerile and possibly amounting to faux pas, please pardon my ignorance if any of that happens. Who I am ? I am student from India, who has a very important exam coming up in 6 months. I own 2 lamy safari's and 2 pilot metropolitan's. Why am I here ? Where I live and where I grew up we barely have anyone who uses fountain pens. I started with them not as a show of elegance but because I had a tendency to right softly and ball point pens require certain pressure which made me uncomfortable. So for me it's necessity, I cannot write with anything else. What do I want? Im looking for buying a new fountain pen. I'm not rich by any account but I saved enough money over my the years to afford a pen upto price of lamy 2000. The only consideration for me is that it should be able to write for a really long sessions and I guess that necessitates certain degree of smoothness. My question to you respected readers !! What would be the one pen you would buy if you were in my position that being you can afford only one pen upto price of lamy 2000 and you have to write with it maybe the whole day and looks don't matter at all maybe the feels does to a certain degree, but just one pen which you could buy, for the most important exam of your lives ? ( please note that ink capacity is not to trump over writing experience in this scenario, just the writability is the first and foremost concern rest are secondary and I like lamy safari's they do the job but I feel I could do better) (Also kindly note I'm not pressing for lamy 2000 but it's the only pen whose price I know in the ocean of other availabilities, so it's price is for reference) I'm not sure if any of you will find time to answer this, but I thank all of you in anticipation. Regards,

Do you have any pen and ink recommendations for book signings? My book of poetry just came out, and I've done two books signings with my Platinum Plaisir (fine) and Noodler's Baystate Blue. It actually worked out great, but I'd like to try out some other colors and would like to use some nicer pens. I'm a fairly new fountain pen collector, and I'm just starting to experiment with nicer pens. About my experience with the Plaisir/Baystate combo: I loved the bright color, it dried quickly (even though it's not supposed to be fast drying), and didn't smear. The Plaisir did fine, but being a cheaper pen, it writes scratchy. I do have some nicer pens, but I was worried the Baystate Blue would stain the pen (so I didn't have to be concerned if it stained the inexpensive Plaisir). Here are the other pens I have: TWSBI 580AL (M) - Love this pen---ink doesn't dry out in pen if I leave it in a long time, but I think the M nib might be too broad for book signings, and I'm afraid it would be prone to smear/not dry quickly enough. Pilot Urban Premium (M) - Same feelings as about the TWSBI. Noodler's Ahab, Konrad flex, Konrad flex Essex acrylic: I like the Ahab and Flex acrylic, but they are prone to leaking at the nibs and sometimes putting out too much ink. Not happy with the Essex--not reliable, leaks, inconsistent look on paper. Platinum Plaisir (F) - Doesn't dry out in pen, not afraid it will get stained or stolen---but it's scratchy to write with. Pilot Metropolitans (F & M) - Pretty pens, but dry out quickly, nibs get damaged easily, and the writing scratchiness is inconsistent. I went a little crazy on eBay and just got these pens---but I'm nervous about what inks to use in them. Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night - M Platinum Chartres 3776 - F What do you recommend? What types of ink should I look for (dries quickly, water resistant?)? I liked the look of Baystate Blue---but is it safe to use in more expensive pens? I also tend to like purples and teal/turquoise. Nib size? Are there be other types of fountain pens I should consider? Thanks!

Hey everyone. So I bought a Platinum 3776 SF nib second-hand, and it's been giving me some trouble. I don't know if it was like that out of the box, but when I received it from him, it was very dry. I try using different inks at first but I ended up modifying it a little. This didn't go down very well and the nib became rather scratchy. Luckily I got it repaired by the retailer but still it was not smooth like when I first acquired it. To make it smooth, I bought two sheets of lapping film (the same one as one in Goulet pens) and tuned the nib a little and it's got very scratchy again...I feel quite stupid now. I should have sent it to the retailer without trying to modify it on my own! And I blame nib tuning videos online a little, which make it sound too easy. Anyhow I don't want to throw it away after all these. The problem is that I don't think anyone sells replacement nib for this pen. The pen itself sells for $70 on Amazon, so that's not a too costly option I guess, but I don't want to have to buy one more of the same pen just for the nib. What do you suggest I do?? Thanks for reading!

I was wondering if any of you had experience using the Platinum Century 3776 and the Platinum Balance (or the Cool, which I think is the same as the Balance other than having a transparent barrel), and whether there's enough of a difference between the two to justify getting a 3776 Century. I have a Platinum Balance in Fine, and its a great writer. I also really like the Platinum Preppy with the Extra Fine nib, and I'm contemplating an Extra Fine in the Century 3776, though the Fine in the Balance might be good enough. I've been gravitating towards more rigid nibs with feedback (I've been contemplating getting an Aurora Ipsilon Extra Fine as well) rather than more flexible or smooth nibs, as I don't think I need as much ink flow as a flex pen, and I like the feeling of control via feedback.

I am trying to decide between getting a pilot custom 74 with a medium nib and a platinum 3776 century with a medium nib. To me, their designs are similar but I am not sure how their nibs compare and what the big differences between the two are. If anybody is able to help I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi everyone, I've just received this pen from an auction, advertised as a 3776 from the 80's with a 'unique' clip. Supposedly a fine nib, it writes with a very european medium line (although, I have to say, very smoothly). There is no Platinum branding anywhere on the pen itself (lightweight black resin) and it has a suspiciously modern 'plastic insert' push-on cap. I can't find any images anywhere of this kind of 3776 nib design, especially that logo beneath the 14k stamp. Nor the feed. Also the 14k stamp has a full stop after it ( 14K. ) and the air hole is circular as opposed to heart shaped. There is no Platinum branding to the cap band and there is a flat black, shiny, unmarked plastic button at the top of the cap above the clip. My problem is... I am an avid collector of Chinese pens, and to me, much as I want this to be a genuine rare find 3776, this pen is whispering 'China' in my ear, and has been doing for the past hour or so. I have some lower end Platinums with fine nibs, and I could tie two of them together and get a finer line than I'm getting from this pen. This pen has the same 'oblong with a line through it' logo as do my low order batting Platinums. May I ask graciously for someone with far more knowledge than I possess about Platinum 3776's to please put me out of my currently depressed state? Here be the images, and I hope someone can help...

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/platinum-3776-exotic-wood I've never actually heard of this series but they look pretty nice, and platinums write pretty well too. Thought I'd share -Hikari

Hello everyone, how are you doing? Does anyone knows this seller? Would you guys buy this? Im looking for a pen of the same brand and model but with the music nib, any suggestion for where to buy? (I prefer to have a pre-owned one) http://www.ebay.com/itm/PLATINUM-3776-CENTURY-Fountain-Pen-PNB-10000-51-CHARTRES-BLUE-With-Converter-/171625591407?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27f5aeb26f

I recently saw this pen on Amazon for $59 CAD. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B007R9Z3UO/ref=pd_aw_sbs_4?pi=SS115&simLd=1 It does say imported straight from Japan though, and it's Amazon, so I trust it more than most other sites.

So due to a number of recent personal events, I find myself in the market for my first gold nib fountain pen! I'm very excited, and I've narrowed it down to a few options: Lamy 2000, Pilot Custom 74, and Platinum Century 3776 Nice Pur. I know that there have been a ton of similar threads from other newbies asking questions, but I thought I'd throw my thread into the ring anyhow... In particular, I'm curious to know how gold nibs compare to their steel counterparts in term of line thickness and general feel/writing experience. For example, is the Lamy 2000 M gold nib similar to the steel version they produce, and the same for Pilot? I own a few Lamy Safaris and Pilot Metropolitans, but they're the lower range for each of those brands and obviously the nib material is different. So I'm wondering how much can I safely gauge about these gold nib sizes from their steel versions? Interestingly, I have both a M Pilot Metropolitan and a M Pilot 78G, but the two don't write the same. The 78g is a nicer writer, the nib feels like it glides along the paper more smoothly and the line it puts down looks thicker than that achieved with either of my two Metropolitans--why is this? I've played around with Goulet Pen's Nib Nook, but I figure the manner in which the writer is holding the pen greatly influences the outcome of those pictures...and I just wanted some personal feedback from people here on FPN I've never used a gold nib pen before, so I feel out of my league, and I'd just like to hear some advice from more seasoned FP users before I go dropping $150ish... Many thanks for all your advice!

We have a limited quantity of various Platinum 3776 fountain pens discounted at 40% Off. http://www.penchalet.com/images/products/10982.jpg http://www.penchalet.com/images/products/enlarge/10982-NicePur.jpghttp://www.penchalet.com/images/products/enlarge/10982-Sai.jpghttp://www.penchalet.com/images/products/enlarge/10982-Shoji.jpgPlatinum 3776 Demonstator Fountain Pens Nice Pur Sai Shoji _____________________________________________________________ http://www.penchalet.com/images/products/10981.jpgPlatinum 3776 Fountain Pens Black with Rhodium trim _____________________________________________________________ http://www.penchalet.com/images/products/10980.jpgPlatinum 3776 Fountain PensBlack with gold trim(Stainless steel nib)$59.40

I'm about to buy a FP that is worth $200-$300 with the smoothest nib available. I can't choose any of these two pens. Requirements: 1. Smooth Nib 2. Comfort Level 3. Performance Optional: 1. Demonstrator Version (Clear or Transparent) 2. Ink Capacity 3. Maintenance 4. Wet when you write I Thank you for People who replied On this topic

Hello, I have a new Platinum 3776 Century and it appears to be leaking from the space between the nib and the body. I've used it for a few days and on one ocassion it emptied the entire converter into the cap and when I opened the cap all the ink poured over my hands and clothes . Pic of the leak. Has anyone seen anything like this?

Nearly 3 months ago, I ordered a Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue with extra fine nib from a Japanese online shop, but the pen is still not available. Apparently, the vendor goes through a distributor, who claims that Platinum is not giving the exact date for the availability of the pen. I'm quite surprised as I've read of others getting their 3776 pens from Engeika/Taizo (not the shop I'm using), but have not seen such a long waiting period. Is this common? I've been offered a refund or credit but I really want the pen.