Ruthless Review! Platinum 3776

[TassoBarbasso]

Hi All!

 

With this review I want to start a series of "ruthless reviews". The aim is to highlight not just the "nice" things in a pen but also the problems. As it should be, after all, when it comes to writing instruments that can cost from ten to thousands of times more than an average BIC

 

Technical note : I rarely care about the box: normally I put them in a drawer and never use them again, so I won't take them into account unless they're especially remarkable.

 

So, here we go with the first one!

 

Platinum 3776 with Music Nib

 

1. Appearance and design: 6/10

I bought this pen for the nib, not the pen itself. The Platinum 3776 looks fairly elegant, definitely classic, no-nonsense. The problem is that it's so classic that it can look banal to many people.

 

2. Construction: 9/10

Woha ... this pen is absolutely flawless, nothing to say about this! It's precisely built, I couldn't find any issue. The reason I didn't give 10 is that the imprinting on the trims are not very deep. I would prefer them to be deeper.

 

3. Quality of materials: 4/10

The plastic of this pen is the main problem: it has a really cheap feeling on it Platinum should have used a thicker material to avoid this. Still, the quality of trims is quite high, hence the 4 mark instead of 1 or 2.

 

4. Weight and dimensions: 10/10

Well, from this point of view the pen is absolutely excellent, very lightweight. You could use it for hours without problems. Absolutely amazing! Comfortable to use both posted and un-posted. Full mark for this!

 

5. Nib performance: 10/10

Again, full mark in this field as well! I really can't find any problem in this 14k nib (see writing sample below). Perfect flow, perfect writing experience, a very nice line variation. If you are looking for a Music nib, look no further. This is just perfect. And I've been using it on an almost daily basis for 1 year and a half without ever having any problem!

 

6. Nib appearance: 7/10

The decoration on the nib is very simple and reminds of the profile on Mount Fuji, as I understand. I personally like it a lot because of it's somehow "vintage" simplicity, but if you're looking for something more decorated, this is not the right one for you (hence the 7 mark)

 

7. "Out-of-the-boxness": 10/10

Yeah, I just invented this definition I'm going to use it to explain to what extent the pen wrote well ... you guessed it, out of the box! Personally I hate when you buy a pen and it doesn't write perfectly unless you play around a lot with the nib. So this is going to be an important factor in my reviews. And I have to say, Platinum does a great job in this. I didn't even need to clean the nib, it wrote perfectly since the very beginning. I was expecting problems due to the unique structure of the nib, but I was pleasantly surprised!

 

8. Filling system and maintenance: 5/10

It's a cartridge/converter. I use it only as a converter, but the capacity is quite limited and the overall look of the converter is very "cheap". It's quite practical, though, hence the half mark instead of a fully negative one.

 

9. Clip and usability with shirts: 8/10

Quality of the clip and possibility to accomodate the pen comfortably in my shirt pocket is extremely important for me. Platinum did a great job with the clip but the pen doesn't close very tightly, therefore there is a minimal risk that it will unscrew in a deeper pocket (like a jacket's one, for examples).

 

10. Cost and value: 8/10

I got this for GBP 110 from Andy's Pens. It was on a discount, so it was a great bargain indeed! I should give 10/10... but the thing is, for the converter you have to pay an extra GBP 6 which I didn't really like, hence the 8 mark instead of 10.

 

Final mark: 77/100

 

This IS a good pen. Not perfect in terms of manufacture, but absolutely outstanding when it comes to writing. And this is all what a pen should be about, after all. It sports a great nib with a lot of character, indeed!

 

Now, some pictures

 

Cap and trims

 

 

Nib

 

 

Writing sample

 

 

The text is from a poem by Persian poet Rudaki: "He who doesn't learn from daily experience will never learn anything from any teacher". Ink is Noodler's Sun never sets on a piece of Tassotti paper.

[Frits B]

I have two of these, the Kamakura Pens specials from 2006, and fully agree on the qualities of the nibs. But when I write with them, my handwriting takes me back to the 15th century and becomes much more legible than it usually is, all by virtue of the nib alone :-). A wonderful effect.

[TassoBarbasso]

Happens to me as well! Not that it gets more legible (it would be impossible with my handwriting ) but it becomes really, really pleasant to look at!

[kronos77]

How wide would you say this nib is? 1.1, 1.5 or bigger?

[TassoBarbasso]

hard to say... perhaps closer to 1.5? But it depends a lot on the ink, this one feathers a bit so every nib looks broader.

[Frits B]

How wide would you say this nib is? 1.1, 1.5 or bigger?

http://www.nibs.com/TippingSizespage.htm

If you hold it at about 45 degs the upstroke is no more than a Western medium - unless you have the nib set up for extreme flow.

[chiaroscuro]

+100 on the "Out-of-the-boxness" category. I hope it catches on. Great review. Thanks.

[iamchum]

Great review, refreshing to see more candid reviews these days.

 

I had the same issues with the 3776, although, by no means was it a bad pen (I got it with a 1.1mm stub). I ended up giving it away anyway And it is still being lovingly used

 

I do think that nib is gorgeous though. Luscious and wide, just like myself

[Andrew H]

@TassoBarbasso: Have you ever tried a Montblanc fountain pen? I'm wondering how you define plastic as cheap.

[murfie]

How wide would you say this nib is? 1.1, 1.5 or bigger?

I've just received my own today in the post. It writes a line nearly identical to that from the 1.2mm 18Kt stub nib in my Bexley Poseidon. The twin nib slits provide a rich ink flow and like most Japanese 'Big Three' pens, wrote perfectly out of the box. I am most impressed with this nib and it would seem to suit a wide diversity in the angle the pen is held to the paper - in fact it even copes with vertical!

 

The review (subject of the thread) is a little on the harsh side IMHO, but that involves subjective issues like attitudes to converters, etc., so no issues there and the reviewer makes some excellent observations.

 

In relation to value for money (mine was US$141 + shipping) it doesn't get much better.

 

 

[TassoBarbasso]

@TassoBarbasso: Have you ever tried a Montblanc fountain pen? I'm wondering how you define plastic as cheap.

 

Yes, I have several MBs (actually, my father has ) so I know how the plastic feels. And even if I'm not a huge fan of MB, I have to say that that is the way a plastic should feel

[TassoBarbasso]

How wide would you say this nib is? 1.1, 1.5 or bigger?

 

The review (subject of the thread) is a little on the harsh side IMHO, but that involves subjective issues like attitudes to converters, etc., so no issues there and the reviewer makes some excellent observations.

 

In relation to value for money (mine was US$141 + shipping) it doesn't get much better.

 

Well, the aim of these reviews is to be critical, not just to celebrate

 

For a review done with such methodology, 77/100 is a really good mark! Wait before I post a couple more reviews and you'll see :roflmho:

[murfie]

Well, the aim of these reviews is to be critical, not just to celebrate.

Can't argue with that!

[Newjelan]

I loved mine so much I ended up buying the brown tortoise resin one. It's beautiful and the quality and beauty of the pen matches the quality and beauty of the nib.

[kazoolaw]

I appreciate the premise of your reviews: looking forward to your review of a really bad pen.

 

I think that if you bought the celluloid music nib the score would have been much higher in the material category, even with the seam. (yes, the photo is with the standard nib: first I found)

 

http://platinumpenusa.com/wp-content/uploads/stone11.jpg

 

Though the price would have risen accordingly.

 

And perhaps bonus points for getting a three-tined music nib perfect right out of the box.

 

gary

[Pen2009]

My #3776 Music has one extra gold band on the cap and there is a recess from the body surface to the thread section. The cap closes with a friction fit, which is a nice touch. The plastic seems to be well made and sturdy. It seems my #3776 Music model and yours are different based on the photo.

[hari317]

My #3776 Music has one extra gold band on the cap and there is a recess from the body surface to the thread section. The cap closes with a friction fit, which is a nice touch. The plastic seems to be well made and sturdy. It seems my #3776 Music model and yours are different based on the photo.

OP has the plain 3776, recessed threads would indicate the 3776 "century" with the slip and seal inner cap system.